Story Walks at Dinefwr

This year we will be taking you on a storytelling journey through our gorgeous new home of Dinefwr.

Be guided by our ensemble of storytellers as they lead you through paths, fields, hidden gems and discover new parts of our festival site that are off the beaten track.

Two of our story walks have been designed by scenographer Alison Neighbour who creates promenade immersive theatre experiences. Follow her detailed maps and her wayfinder symbols as she leads you along the journey for the Talisman and Hallows Queen story walks – which can be done as part of the scheduled story walk or in your own time. If travelling in your own time look out for hidden art works and invitations along the way- they may light things up in new ways, or give you challenges or activities to do related to the stories from the scheduled story walks and the landscape itself.

There are limited spaces to book onto the Story Walks. Make sure you book your place at the Festival Box Office 30 minutes before the event starts. Booking is not available before the festival.

Lisa Schneideau
Story Walk: Tangle of the Commons
Sunday 12pm
The story of the British landscape and our relationship with the wild things around us, seen and unseen. Expect malevolent fairies, dastardly robber kings, slimy boggarts and a particularly disgruntled wild pig.
8+
Starting point – The front of Newton House

Cath Little supported by Tim Ralphs, Marion Leeper, Christine Watkins and Kes Morton
Story Walk: The Hallows Queen 
Sat 2pm-3pm & 3pm-4pm

Over the festival weekend Cath and an ensemble of storytellers will be performing an immersive story walk through Dinefwr that incorporates sections of Cath’s beautiful adaptation of The Hallows Queen, a reimagined story of Peredur from the Mabinogion, alongside a medley of other stories.

Starting point: Which path will you choose? Meet at either Hallows Queen start A or B gate. The groups will merge along the way.

The Fool’s Journey (route A) – a shorter walk with gentler slopes. Join a young fool as he begins his adventure.

or

The Trail Dolorous (route B) – a slightly more demanding route. Hear how rash actions lead to tragedy for King and Land alike.

DOWNLOAD MAP – The Hallows Queen

 ‘O’r Wlad‘/’From the Land’, Story Walk (Cymraeg) 8+ with Ceri Phillips
Sat 2pm

Tales that will take you back to nature from the palatial via the path of hard work! Ceri will tell 3 Welsh folk tales that relate to ‘high society’, ‘yr werin bobl – working people’ and a return to nature, all told with a relevant backdrop.

Starting point: the Newton House gates.

Angharad Wynne and ensemble of storytellers
Talisman
Sun 2pm 
(noun) an object, typically an inscribed ring or stone, that is thought to have magic powers and to bring good luck.
TALISMAN is a weaving of the history and mystery surrounding some of the magic men and women of Wales with stories of otherworldly encounters and the blessings and curses of the Tylwyth Teg.

Starting point – Talisman Start point gate

Download Map – Talisman

Story Walks (easy route)

During the festival some of our storytellers will be adapting their story routes to make them even more accessible for those with reduced mobility.

1) Lisa Schneideau, Tangle of the Commons, 12-2pm on Sunday
The story of the British landscape and our relationship with the wild things around us, seen and unseen. Expect malevolent fairies, dastardly robber kings, slimy boggarts and a particularly disgruntled wild pig.
8+
Starting point – Newton House

2) Story Walk with Fiona and Amy Douglas, 5-6:30 on Saturday
From royal splendour to forest foraging and back again. Our characters have a path to follow and a journey to take – and so do we!
A story walk with Fiona Collins and Amy Douglas.
Storytelling will be in English with a bright thread of Welsh weaving in and out.
Suitable for families and adults.
Starting point – Newton House

Our Easy Routes Story Walks start at Newton House, and our storytellers will shape their routes depending on the access needs of the audience that turn up.

We have designed the optional routes so it is suitable for manual wheelchairs, power chairs and scooters. Dinefwr isn’t completely level, and some of the route will be flat route, some on tarmac, some on compacted gravel paths. The walks will be between 0.8 -1.4 km.

The gradient might be between 1 in 0.02 and 1 in 0.2. The routes will take between 1.5 & 2 hours with plenty of stopping for story and places available for some to sit on banks and benches.