Price comparison - multiply by 2.22 for 2023 equivalent
My previous year's walk of the Cambrian Way left me thinking that I would be hard pressed to find anything finer. I toyed with the idea of Offa's Dyke as I had done several times in the past but considered that too much of the walk was at a low level and lacked the appeal of mountain top walking. Having moved the previous year to North Wales it seemed more sensible to do another walk in Wales and I was all set to do a repeat of the Cambrian Way with possibly a few variations. However, the dreaded foot and mouth disease struck Britain and seemed to rule out the chance of any walk in my preferred month of June. It was a great relief when areas such as Snowdonia started to open up to walkers, but fresh outbreaks of the disease in the Brecon Beacons added a great deal of uncertainty to the possibility of any walk passing through that area. I, therefore, decided to plan a walk in September and chose an area that had been free of infection throughout in the hope that there would be a far less risk of having to cancel or bypass certain parts. For this reason, I decided on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, which had been fully reopened in the summer.
Having considered this walk on a number of occasions in the past, I still had some reservations as to whether two weeks of continual coastal scenery would be too much of the same thing and would lack the variety that makes for a good long distance walk. However, it was better to plan a walk like this than risk having to cancel a walk in other parts, so I decided to reserve my judgement until the end.
The Pembrokeshire Coast Path is a walk of from 186 miles to 200 miles depending on route variants due to tides and firing range activities as well as a number of optional detours around headlands. As its name suggests, it follows the coast of Pembrokeshire from the northern county boundery at St Dogmaels to the southern boundary at Amroth and follows the cliff tops for most of the way. A large proportion of the route is within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, the exceptions being the urban areas around Fishguard and Milford Haven. Much of this coast is remote and not easily accessible by road and, therefore, has remained largely unspoiled, with abundant wildlife and flora. It was opened as a National Trail in 1970 and the route is published in National Trail Guide No. 7 by the Ordnance Survey (ISBN 1-85410-459-4) as well as in other publications.
Planning and Preparation
As always, the planning of accommodation was a difficult process. It was made more difficult this time because many Youth Hostels had been closed for some time because of the foot and mouth outbreak and it was not, at first, certain whether they would revert to their normal scheduled opening dates. Generally, the key to planning a walk is locating a good accommodation guide aimed specifically at the walk rather than more general accommodation guides for the region. Surprisingly, the National Trail Guide only made reference to a Tourist Board telephone number and they were only able to supply brochures for Pembrokeshire with very little suitable accommodation near the path. After trawling around on the Internet I managed to find a list of National Park publications amongst which was a very good accommodation guide for the route. Armed with this and updated information on the Youth Hostels I could then start booking accommodation for the walk.
One advantage about walking in September is that the hostels are not booked up by school parties, but it was surprising that some hostels had already closed in early September and had reverted to the 'Rent a Hostel' scheme for block bookings. The other problem was that there are two places on this walk where a crossing is only possible at low tide, and other sections of the path which can be closed by military firing range activities, all of which may require detours if the timing is not right. I located some tide-tables on the Internet to help with planning and decided to cross the firing ranges at a weekend when they were more likely to be open to the public. The only section that was then giving me problems was a long stretch from Pembroke to Castlemartin, where there was no accommodation listed. There was a pub marked on the map at Angle, so I found their number on the Internet and gave them a call. They did not do bed and breakfast but put me onto a couple across the road that did. This enabled me to complete my bookings with no section of more than about 17 or 18 miles. One advantage of planning a walk around peninsulas and headlands is that it is sometimes possible to approach accommodation from two different directions, and I took advantage of this to even out some of the daily walking distances.
I had not done as much walking as I would have liked over the past year due to a very busy schedule of maintenance work on the hotel that we had taken on, but I was still quite fit because of all the work I had been doing. I had managed to fit in a few walks along the way including a climb of Ben Nevis. I surprised myself by reaching the summit in just over 2 hours 10 minutes, whereas the same climb had taken me 4 hours in my youth. It just goes to show that age is no barrier to walking provided you are in good health and do regular exercise.
Day 0 - Wednesday 5th September 2001 - Home to St Dogmaels then walk to Poppit Sands
Distance: 2 miles
Accommodation: Poppit Sands Youth Hostel
My daughter Jen kindly offered to drive me down to the start at St Dogmaels. The plan was to drive to Amroth first to see where we should meet at the finish, but the rather slow progress along the winding roads through Wales made us change our plans and go straight to St Dogmaels. In any case, there appeared to be two good landmarks on the map near the finish, Amroth Castle and a pub. She dropped me off by St Dogmaels Abbey, which was actually half a mile before the official start near the landing stage. It was only a little after 2pm and the weather was dull and overcast, but at least it was better than the heavy rain we had left behind in the morning. My first night's stop was at Poppit Sands Youth Hostel, only two miles from the start, so I made my way steadily up there, not bothering to change into my walking boots as it was all road walking.
Official Start at St Dogmaels Landing Stage
Poppit Sands Youth Hostel commands a fine position on the headland overlooking Cardigan Bay and Cardigan Island. It was only a pity that the weather was so dismal to spoil the view. It was still rather early for checking in, so I found a sheltered spot to sit overlooking the bay until the drizzly rain forced me take shelter by the hostel. Soon the volunteer warden and her husband arrived and I was able to check in. There were several other hostellers there - a French couple, an Italian couple, three teenage girls and a retired teaching couple. The hostel is self-catering only so, after a while, I set off down the hill towards the Webley Hotel that I had passed on the way, to get something to eat. I had not gone far down the road before it started to rain, so I quickly headed back for my waterproof jacket, which was just as well as I would have been soaked by the time I got there. There was a very friendly atmosphere in the bar and I chatted to the landlord and some of the locals as I had a few pints and home-made mousaka. One of the locals was a keen historian and was full of praise for some of the newcomers to St Dogmaels as they had done a lot of work to obtain grants for restoration work on the Abbey and to open up a museum. This was very pleasing to hear because one often finds resentment of newcomers in remote areas.
It was getting dark by 8.30pm, which was one of the disadvantages of walking in September, so I made my way back to the hostel whilst there was still enough light to see the way. After spending a while in the hostel lounge chatting to some of the other hostellers, I decided on an early night ready for the first full days' walking.
Day 1 - Thursday 6th September 2001 - Poppit Sands to Newport
Distance: 13 miles
Accommodation: Llysmeddig Guest House
I got up at about 8am and bought some muesli, milk, bread and marmalade from the hostel shop for breakfast. The weather was much brighter with quite a bit of blue sky, although there was a fresh NW wind. It took me a while to pack my things as I had not yet worked out a system for where to pack everything in my new rucksack, which had one less pocket than my old one. It makes quite a difference if things can be packed in a sensible way and avoids having to empty out the whole contents in order to find something.
At 9.30 I finally set off up the road for a mile or so, which led to the footpath around Cemaes Head. The view across the bay was much better in the brighter weather and, after rounding Cemaes Head the view opened up down the coast towards Dinas Head and Strumble Head past Goodwick, two day's walk away. There were some very spectacular views along the cliffs, which are the highest ones of the whole walk.
North from Foel Hendre towards Cemaes Head
South from Foel Hendre towards Ceibwr Bay and Trwyn y Bwa
SW across Ceibwr Bay towards Gareg Wylan
I stopped for lunch north of Ceibwr Bay with lovely views of the sea crashing over the rocks below and of the coast stretching out to the south-west. The clouds that were forming earlier over the high ground were getting fewer with lots of sunshine but still a fresh wind. There are some splendid coastal features along this stretch of the path with rocky outcrops and inlets. At the Witch's Cauldron, which is a pool created by a collapsing sea cave, there was a grey seal swimming in the pool and another one climbing out of the sea onto the rocks nearby.
Gareg Wylan near Ceibwr Bay with Cemaes Head beyond
The Witches Cauldron with natural arch and caves
Newport Sands and Newport town
As I had plenty of time and the wind had eased somewhat, I stopped for a while to sunbathe. So far along the path I had only met one couple and two individual walkers, all just out for the day, so it was very peaceful and the coast was almost completely unspoiled.
This part of the route has a lot of ups and downs, some of them quite steep, making it one of the most strenuous sections of the walk. This is not the best thing for the first day but, as it was less than 14 miles, there was plenty of time to rest and take it steadily. The cliff scenery further along was less interesting, but there were some fine views looking back and a few spectacular sheer drops. Rounding Morfa Head, more of Newport Bay came into view and further along the scenery changed quite dramatically from steep cliffs to a gentle scene overlooking Newport Sands with Newport itself up on the hillside beyond.
The large area of mud flats is home to a great number of birds, including a heron, which was near the bridge. For the latter part of the day's walk I met up with a retired chap from Lichfield, who was walking from St Dogmaels to Newport, where he and his wife were camping. He was a lifelong walker and member of the Long Distance Walkers' Association, so we had an interesting chat on the way until we parted company in Newport.
I easily found the guest-house where I was staying and, after a shower and pot of tea, decided to take a stroll along the coastal path to Parrog to enable me to take a short cut the next morning. It was a beautiful evening, the wind having dropped, and I sat for a while overlooking the bay before heading back into town for something to eat. There were a number of pubs to choose from and I stopped at one for a rib eye steak and a few pints of Cousin Jack bitter before going back for an early night.
Day 2 - Friday 7th September 2001 - Newport to Llanwnda near Goodwick via Cwm Felin
Distance: 15.5 miles + 1.5 miles to B&B
Accommodation: Brynawel Country House
I had a very good Welsh breakfast at 8am but I did decline the stewed prunes that the owner tried to tempt me with. The guest-house had been put on the market because of the financial setback from drastic reduction in tourism due to the foot and mouth outbreak. They suffered about four months on half income and were complaining that the hardship fund only compensated them at 15 pence to the pound whereas the farmers were getting three times the cost of a lamb and all of the public's sympathy.
By the time I had sorted out everything and sent off a postcard it was 9.30 and rather dull as I made my way back down the road to Parrog, where I rejoined the coast path. The cliffs along this part of the coast are not as high those of the previous section, which makes it less strenuous, and there are far more coves, inlets and rocky outcrops to enhance the scenery. The dull weather gave the scenery less sparkle but it was still very pleasant.
I stopped for a rest at Cwm-yr-Eglwys, a lovely little bay with the ruins of a church destroyed by a storm in 1859. Whilst I was there I managed to get a little hazy sunshine and there were a few small patches of blue in the sky.
Cwm-yr-Eglwys with ruins of church by the sea
Carreg Pen-las towards Fishguard
Towards Dinas Head from Penrhyn Mawr
The path round Dinas Head, which is owned by the National Trust, gives some good views of the coast around Newport Bay and, upon reaching the trig point at the summit, a good view of Fishguard Bay and Strumble Head. My lunchtime destination was Pwllgwaelod where there is a small pub with reportedly the best crab sandwiches in Pembrokeshire. I reached there at 12.15 and sampled them along with a pint of bitter. Whether they were the best in Pembrokeshire or not I cannot say but they tasted very good.
The coast towards Fishguard is very interesting with numerous rocky outcrops and coves. The cliffs are not very high but this is more than compensated for by the ruggedness of the coastline. The promise of sunshine had not materialised apart from a few brief moments and there was a fresh SW wind and overcast sky but at least it was not raining. Nearer to Fishguard the cliffs are somewhat lower but, at last, the sun came through to brighten up the scenery and made it much more pleasant. At Castle Point, with its cannons and ruined fortifications, there are good views across the bay and the Irish Ferries could be seen coming into the harbour including the Lynx trimaran.
Lower Town (Fishguard)
North Breakwater, Goodwick looking E towards Newport
My B&B for the night was at Llanwnda, which is about a mile inland, up the hill from Goodwick. However, I had planned on doing a few more miles around the headland and approaching Llanwnda from the north in order to reduce the length of the next day's walk. The walk through Lower Town, Fishguard and Goodwick was interesting, as the there are cliffs all the way round Fishguard, but this also meant that there was quite a bit of climbing to do to get round the town. From Goodwick, the route follows the road a little way inland up to Harbour Heights, which is a steady slog, until the road ends and the path levels off to a stretch of easy walking over heath land. It is still a little way from the coast but has fine, long distance views of the coast right back to Cemaes Head near the start of the walk. Round the headland, however, the going got much harder again with steep ups and downs that are characteristic of this coastal path. Around here I spotted a grey seal swimming in one of the sheltered coves.
Eventually, after passing the impressive cove of Aber Felin, I reached the path to Llanwnda which was, of course, uphill most of the way. Although it is only a small village, Llanwnda spreads out over a considerable area and my B&B was at the far side, almost back into Goodwick. I arrived there at 6pm and was welcomed with a refreshing pot of tea. As I suspected, the only places to eat were in Goodwick, which is only about half a mile away but over 400 ft below. After showering and changing, I headed down into town and had a pork chop followed by pancakes and ice cream in the Hope and Anchor. It was dark when I left but the route back up the hill was lit by the glow from Fishguard and a starry sky. Despite my reservations, the walk back up felt quite easy after having a rest and with no pack to carry.
Day 3 - Saturday 8th September 2001 - Llanwnda (Goodwick) to Trefin
Distance: 15 miles + 2 miles to and from B&Bs
Accommodation: Cranaog B&B
It was rather wet and miserable outside as I went down at 8am to an enormous breakfast and I chatted to another guest there who organised touring and walking holidays. His customers were generally elderly and he took them to and fro by minibus. By 9am it had stopped raining and the sky looked a lot brighter as I started to retrace my steps of the previous evening to regain the path by Cwm Felin. From there I headed up to Garreg Goffa, which has a memorial stone to mark the site of the last invasion of Britain by the French in 1797. The coastline is less dramatic along this stretch but still gives some good views and makes for a pleasant walk, which is not too strenuous.
Carreg Goffa Memorial, site of last invasion of Britain in 1797
Strumble Head Lighthouse
Pwll Deri - Youth Hostel is just out of picture to right
By 11.00, I had reached Strumble Head and the weather was gradually brightening with a few patches of sunshine but still with a cool wind. Strumble Head was the farthest point I had been able to see on the first day as I rounded Cemaes Head and I now had a clear view back the other way with Cardigan Island, which was clearly visible. Rounding the headland by the lighthouse revealed the coast to the south with a clear view of St David's Head. For all the wealth of natural scenery it is always good to see it enhanced by some sympathetically designed man-made feature such as a lighthouse and such is the case at Strumble Head. Further along the path, more of the coastline towards St David's Head is revealed.
Pwll Deri made a convenient place to stop for lunch. The path climbs up the high cliffs with the Youth Hostel in a prominent position overlooking the bay. This would have been a good hostel to stay at were it not for the fact that it would have meant two rather short walking days on either side. St David's peninsula was enjoying good sunshine but there was still a lot of cloud at Pwll Deri with only occasional patches of sunshine. It was still quite cool with a fresh northerly wind, so I didn't stay for too long.
The ridge along from Pwll Deri was particularly colourful with all the gorse and heather, the latter being towards the end of its flowering. There had been many stretches of gorse and heather along the way but this was the most colourful and there was a fine view back across the bay with Strumble Head lighthouse just visible at times. From the headland at Penbwchdy, the coast towards Trevin came fully into view, some of it having been hidden previously. It was mostly much lower and gentler than the last few miles with a number of large coves and bays.
Coming down off the headland it was pleasantly sheltered from the wind so I stopped to have a more leisurely rest than I had managed at lunch time. I set off again at 2.25pm with about eight miles left to Trevin. The walking was certainly a lot easier for the most part although there were the inevitable few steep descents and ascents along the way. The sun began to shine making the beach at Aber Mawr look magnificent with deep blue sea and white breakers rolling into the bay. There were only one or two people around even though it was a Saturday and it is accessible by car. The coastline towards Trevin looked quite spectacular with numerous outcrops, cliffs, coves etc. and I spotted another grey seal near the rocks.
Coast towards Abercastle, looking west
Carreg Sampson Burial Chamber, one of several in Pembrokeshire
Natural arch near Pen Castell-coch - Strumble Head is in the distance
I took a short detour of a few hundred yards to the Garreg Sampson burial chamber, which has a stone measuring 16 ft by 10 ft balancing on top. The rest of the way to Trevin had some excellent coastal scenery and I then made my way up the road to find my B&B for the night. My original booking had been cancelled because the owners were going away for the weekend, so they had arranged for me to at another one, which I eventually found at the top end of the village. I couldn't get any reception on my mobile phone in the village - I had expected that coverage would be rather patchy on the walk - so I used the payphone to report back home.
After a pot of tea at the B&B, I made my way down to the Ship Inn where I had lasagne followed by apple pie. There is no shop in the village, but the pub made me a packed lunch for the following day. In many remote areas, pubs act as general suppliers of all sorts of things for the community; there are even some that have become the local Post Office. Afterwards I went back for another early night, not so much because I needed the sleep, but more that I wanted a good rest.
Day 4 - Sunday 9th September 2001 - Trevin to Whitesands Bay
Distance: 11 miles + 1 mile to and from accommodation
Accommodation: YHA St David's
I had breakfast at 8.15. The only others staying were a German couple, as Mrs. James has limited the numbers since her operation for cancer a few years ago. I set off into an even stronger wind than the day before with a grey sky. There were white caps on the waves and the sea was crashing in over the rocks throwing up spume and making quite a dramatic scene. Again there was some splendid scenery and the walking was relatively easy apart from the battle against the wind. Strumble Head lighthouse came back into view again, having been hidden by headlands for a time. At Porthgain there was much evidence of former industry, mainly quarrying and brick works. I stopped for a rest in the relative shelter of Abereiddi Bay, where there was also evidence of quarrying, this time for slate.
Ynys-fach from Trwyn Elen - Trefin is on far right
Porthgain, showing the once busy harbour
Porth Egr, towards St David's Head
By midday, the sun had started to shine although the wind was still very strong and the waves were crashing over the rocks creating masses of white foam. Near Penberry, I met a couple of chaps coming the other way and heading for Trevin for the night. They were walking the coast path in the opposite direction and were the first people I had met so far to be doing the whole walk.
I stopped for lunch in a sheltered place a little further on and did a spot of sunbathing until the wind got the better of me and the sun went in for a while. Suddenly, the temperature of the wind seemed to drop by several degrees and, instead of feeling reasonably warm without a shirt, I had to resort to putting on my fleece for the first time on the walk, and I still felt very cold.
As I still had plenty of time to reach my destination, which was only about four or five miles away, I decided to climb Penberry (175 metres). It was quite close to the route and not much of a climb from my existing height on the coast path at that point. It was well worth the effort as it gave a superb view of the coast round St David's Head, Ramsay Island and right across St Brides Bay to Skomer Island. The chimneys of the oil refineries around Milford Haven were also now in view. Another benefit of the climb was that it warmed me up a little and I was also provided with shelter from the wind just over the summit.
St David's Head from Penberry - the peak is Carn Llidi
Ramsay Island from Carn Llidi, looking across Whitesands Bay
Further along, at St David's Head, there is a fine view of Whitesands Bay and Ramsay Island at closer quarters. There were many more people around than I had been used to, as the historic city of St David's brings in large numbers of tourists, many of whom also visit St David's Head. I made my way up to the Youth Hostel and, as it was too early to check in, I dropped off my rucksack and then climbed Carn Llidi, which commands a fine panoramic view of the surrounding area. These two small climbs reaffirmed my feelings that the best views, as far as I am concerned, are from higher up. Even these relatively small hills give a whole new dimension to the landscape than that obtained from the coast path.
The hostel is self-catering so, as it was a pleasant evening, I decided to walk the two miles into St David's to have a look around and to find something to eat. The following day's walk would be quite a long one and would not allow time for a detour into St David's, not even via the shorter route from St Non's Bay to the south. First, however, I took advantage of the spin dryer at the hostel to get all my washing done.
St David's is the smallest city in Britain with a magnificent cathedral, which was holding a service as I passed. The city was rather quiet as it was a Sunday evening and many of the visitors would have gone home. I eventually found somewhere serving food, the Farmer's Arms, where I had ham, egg and chips. It was dark by the time I started making my way back to the Youth Hostel, but I could still manage to see the route most of the way, only needing to use my torch in a few places where there were overhanging trees.
Day 5 - Monday 10th September 2001 - Whitesands Bay to YHA Penycwm near Newgale
Distance: 16 miles + 2.5 miles to and from hostels
Accommodation: YHA Penycwm
Whitesands Bay and Carn Llidi The Youth Hostel is up the hillside of Carn Llidi
Ramsey Island from Picrite the closer island is Carreg yr Esgob
I got up at 7.30 and bought some things for breakfast and packed lunch from the hostel shop - bread rolls, Flora, marmalade, muesli and tuna. I set off at 8.50 in bright and breezy weather, which was fine for walking and the good visibility gave clear views across to Ramsay Island and several other rocky islands. The next few miles of the coast itself is not very spectacular but is more than compensated for by the views across to Ramsay Island. The speed of the current in Ramsay Sound was quite amazing and seemed to flow faster than many rivers. A couple that I met were doing the coastal walk in the opposite direction and had found it very enjoyable so far.
Rounding the headland gave some welcomed respite from the strong northerly wind which was, at least, not as strong as the previous day and seemed to be gradually easing off to the extent that St Brides Bay looked quite calm. The coastline was less dramatic for a while with the best views looking back towards Ramsay Island. There were quite a few people out walking, as this part of the coast is close to St David's. I passed the sheltered little harbour of Porth Clais, which is where many of the walkers were starting from, and stopped for lunch on a headland a little way past the ruins of St Non's Chapel. It was a lovely sunny spot with only a steady breeze blowing and a beautiful view back up the coast.
I set off again after three quarters of an hour at 1.30pm even though I would have liked to stay longer. There were still 10 miles left to walk and I didn't want to be rushing to get to Pen y Cwm in time for dinner at 6.30pm. The coastline was more interesting again with headlands and sheltered bays - there was even someone swimming in Caerfai Bay which was well sheltered from the cool wind. In Caer Bwdy Bay there was a fine example of folded rock strata and there were many rocky outcrops with interesting shapes over the next few miles.
Ramsey Island from Picrite
West from Chanters' Seat Looking towards St David's Head and Ramsey Island
Solva from Careg Lyfn
The coast continues with excellent scenery and a fine view of Solva harbour from the cliff tops and of the coast towards Newgale. At the highest points along the cliffs there are some particularly splendid views back to the west.
Near Newgale there is a sudden change of scenery with a wide sandy beach and fields sloping gently up the hillside in stark contrast to the rugged cliff scenery of most of the route so far. Chimneys from the oil refineries were now quite prominent across the bay, heralding the approach of the industrial areas to come in a few days time.
The weather was now perfect for walking - only a few light clouds in the sky and a gentle cool breeze blowing over the tranquil scene below. There were seabirds drifting to and fro across the bay and a seal diving and swimming underwater across the bay. In the calm, clear water I was able to see the seal quite clearly all the way. A little further along I encountered a grass snake crossing the path just in front of me. It was about a foot long and was dark green with black markings.
Towards the end of the day's walk there were a few steep ups and downs, which are never welcome at the end of a long day. Then came what seemed to be an interminable road walk to Pen y Cwm Youth Hostel, which is in the middle of nowhere about one and a half miles from the village of Pen y Cwm. The hostel has a Wales Tourist Board 5 star rating with excellent facilities but I failed to understand why they chose a location two miles from the coast with nothing of interest in the nearby area and without even a footpath to the coast. It is, however, close to a cycle route, but I suspect that most visitors arrive by car.
The hostel has en-suite showers in each dormitory and there is even a wine list with the evening meal, as well as a choice of filter coffee after the meal for an additional 40p. Dinner was chicken pie and a dessert with raspberry coulli, all served at the tables. I had a carafe of wine with my meal for £2.70.
The YHA seems to have been unsure which direction in which to go over the past few years and this seems to be an experiment in up market hostelling to see if it attracts more people. The old hostels were always aimed at people following outdoor pursuits of walking and cycling and, at one time, hostellers were not even allowed to arrive by car whereas this hostel is clearly aimed at motorists who may or may not be involved in outdoor activities. It is difficult to say whether this is a step in the right direction, but it has unfortunately become apparent that some of the smaller hostels with few facilities are uneconomic and many have been closed down.
I was sharing a dormitory with a chap from Wolverhampton who was staying for a few nights and doing a bit of walking. He offered me a lift to the Duke of Edinburgh pub at Newgale after dinner and we had some very good Director's bitter. I generally like to do everything on foot when I am on a walking holiday but the prospect of all that uninteresting road walking would have deterred me from going out had I not been offered a lift.
Day 6 - Tuesday 11th September 2001 - Pen y Cwm (Newgale) to Broad Haven
Distance: 7 miles + 2 miles to and from hostels
Accommodation: YHA Broad Haven
It was good weather again and I had only about nine miles to do including the walk back down to the coast path, so my plan was to have a leisurely stroll stopping to rest and enjoying the sunshine and the scenery. I rejoined the path at Pen y Cwm beach and then had a short climb over the headland to the vast sandy beach at Newgale, which is two and a half miles long. I ambled steadily along, stopping to write postcards and later to have lunch and do some sunbathing near Rickets Head. Eventually I made my way to Nolton Haven for a pint of Director's bitter at The Mariner's where I first heard the news of the terrible events at the World Trade Centre.
Rickets Head from Nolton Haven Rickets Head is the distinctive shape behind
Druidston Haven The odd shapes are formed by landslip
Further along the coast there were many signs of landslip with large sections near to the path having sunk down a few feet and others that have sunk much more. In general, this section of the coast has less spectacular cliff scenery than much of the previous walk but abounds in good sandy beaches. By this stage, the coast over by Ramsay Island looked very distant but, from the cliffs near Broad Haven, the oil refinery chimneys at Milford Haven looked very close. They are on the opposite side of the peninsula and two and a half days walk away but, as the crow flies, they are only about five miles away.
I spent a while on the seafront at Broad Haven, as it was still too early to check into the Youth Hostel. There were quite a few people taking advantage of the pleasant sunshine on the beach.
Broad Haven Youth Hostel is quite large, as it is also a field study centre. There were some groups in but they were not dining that evening, so I had dinner of grapefruit, haddock and chips and apple crumble with one other hosteller. The television was on in the lounge, so I watched in amazement for quite some time, film of the World Trade Centre towers collapsing into piles of rubble. Later I went down to the Galleon Inn and had a few pints of Boddington's bitter whilst still trying to comprehend the events of the day.
Day 7 - Wednesday 12th September 2001 - Broad Haven to Skrinkle Haven
Distance: 12.5 miles + 0.5 miles to and from hostels and 1mile round Woolstack Point
Accommodation: YHA Marloes Sands
Little Haven and Broad Haven The Point, Little Haven in foreground and Broad Haven in distance
Marloes Sands - The headland is Hooper's Point
The weather was reasonable to start with but the forecast was for rain everywhere later in the day. I had breakfast at 8.30 with a party of mentally and physically disabled plus a few others, including a cyclist who was sharing my dormitory, and I set off walking again at 9.30 along the road to Little Haven. Broad Haven has quite a lot of modern development but Little Haven is a far more picturesque little village. From the cliffs there are some good views back into Little Haven and Broad Haven but for some of the way trees block the view. In Brandy Bay I saw three adult grey seals swimming and diving in the sea with three white seal cubs lying on the beach.
By this time the weather had deteriorated and was very grey and dismal, with mist drifting in from the sea, and it was not long before it started to rain making me put on my waterproofs. After about five minutes the rain stopped and, as I was getting wetter from condensation than from the weather, I stopped to take them off again. Even with grey and overcast weather, there was still a lot to see. One of the advantages of a coastal walk is that much of the scenery is at close quarters and still visible in bad weather, whereas on a mountain walk all the scenery can very easily be spoiled or lost by mist and rain. The waves crashing in over rocks and all the little coves and headlands can still be enjoyed to a degree in poor weather as well as the birds and other wildlife.
Around St Brides the rocks are a very colourful dark red. Although there was quite a fresh wind blowing at times, it was from the SW so it was not very cold, unlike some of the chilling northerly winds earlier in the walk. I stopped for lunch at 12.30 by Castle Head, just past St Brides, but there was no chance of any sunbathing, so I didn't stop for long. The cliffs are not very high around this part of the coast but, nevertheless, there is some good coastal scenery made more interesting by the waves crashing over the rocks.
By Martin's Haven the weather turned worse with stronger wind and some rain, causing me to shelter for a while before heading round the Deer Park marine nature reserve at Woolstack Point. This is not actually on the coastal path but is recommended as a detour. Up on the cliffs the wind was tremendous and I had to battle my way along, struggling not to be blown off balance. Despite the worsening weather, there were still some good views across to Midland Isle and Skomer. This area is a prime site for breading seals and I counted twelve in and around the sheltered coves, several of them were on the beaches including at least four pups, the rest were swimming, presumably looking for fish. It was quite difficult trying to count the pups on the beaches because the wind was so strong right in my face that I had difficulty seeing clearly and the motionless pups can easily be confused with white rocks and vice versa.
The scenery around to the south is far more dramatic, made even more so by the stormy weather conditions. It started to turn wet but I didn't attempt to put on my waterproofs as it would have been quite a struggle in the wind, so I just pressed on hoping to reach the shelter of Marloes Youth Hostel as soon as possible. After struggling round the coast for about another mile, I came to a sign for the hostel. It was not the turning I intended to take, as it turned off too soon and would involve some back-tracking later, but with the awful weather my only thought was of getting to the hostel as quickly as possible. Moving away from the coast did indeed lessen the ferocity of the wind, though I was still got quite wet from the rain.
I reached the hostel at 4.35pm and took shelter under cover of some outbuildings waiting for the 5pm opening time. After a short while, a German hosteller came out and told me that the kitchen was open, so I entered and made myself a hot cup of tea, which warmed me up a bit and, after checking in, had a long hot shower, which warmed me up further. The German couple were cooking fish and had more than they needed, so they offered me some along with some toast and salad and that also helped me to recover from the cold. The Germans were not walking, but were touring round the area by car, as were a French couple, who were also staying in the hostel.
After a while, the weather brightened up quite a bit and the wind dropped considerably, so I decided to walk back up the coast to where I had turned off for the hostel. I didn't want to be too pedantic about following the entire route, but this is a very good part of the coast and I didn't want to miss any of it. There was a very fine view looking down Marloes Sands with all the breakers rolling in.
I returned to the hostel thinking that I would buy a few things for breakfast the next day, but found that they had very little in the shop other than beans and cereals. This hostel is manned by volunteer wardens so the shop is not as well supplied as hostels with a regular warden. I then set off for the pub in Marloes, a little over a mile away. It is called the Lobster Pot Inn and they sold some home brewed ale, which was very good, as was a beef Madras that I ordered. Again it was dark for the walk back and I took a slightly shorter route back along a road which was a little further south. It was very dark with a starry sky and a little light cloud, but it was just possible to make out the route without a torch. It was fascinating to see all the stars so clearly as I walked along without the usual glow of street lamps to diminish the view. The Marloes peninsula is very narrow so as I walked to the pub I was within two hundred yards of the coast path on the north of the peninsula.
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Day 8 - Thursday 13th September 2001 - Marloes to Sandy Haven
Distance: 14 miles + 2.2 miles detour for tide
Accommodation: B&B at Skerry Back Farm
I got up at 8am and had my rather limited breakfast of corn flakes and beans. It was not ideal, but better than having nothing. There was a dehumidifier in the drying room and my things had dried out very well overnight.
The weather was rather windy but reasonably bright as I set out at 9.30 to rejoin the path near to the youth hostel. The somewhat bright start soon deteriorated with the wind gaining strength and the sky darkening. Once again I was faced with a battle against the wind which seemed to come at me from all directions, though mainly from the side. What would have been an easy walk was far from easy as I was frequently being nearly knocked off my feet. There was more excellent coastal scenery on the way to St Ann's Head with views across to Skomer Island and other smaller islands. Rounding St Ann's Head, with its collection of coastguard buildings and lighthouses, there was a little bit of shelter from the wind and I took a rest sheltered by a wall. The worst of the black clouds passed over with only a few spots of rain and there was even a brief period of sunshine, but the strong wind was blowing the clouds along so quickly that it didn't last for long.
Past St Ann's Head the view opens up into the large harbour of Milford Haven and also down the coast to Linney Head. There were quite a few ships sailing in and out of the this busy port. From St Ann's Head, the headland near Angle is only about three miles away and looked quite close but, following the coast all around Milford Haven, it would be two and a half days before I reached there.
Dale
Great Castle Head Buildings and radar are part of waterway navigation system
Sheltered from the westerly wind now, the walking was far more pleasant, and I was even fortunate enough to get quite a bit of sunshine. I hadn't been able to buy anything suitable for lunch although I still had a few things left from the previous day, so it seemed like a good plan to make for the Griffin Inn at Dale, which I reached just after 1pm. There I had a steak sandwich and chips and a pint of Worthington bitter sitting on a bench outside overlooking the bay, which was now lit up with bright sunshine. The bench was in the shade, so I soon moved down to a sheltered spot on the beach to spend about an hour resting in the sunshine.
The next section, Pickleridge, is where it is possible to cross the bay at low tide but at other times it is necessary to take a two and a half mile detour inland, crossing the river at Mullock Bridge, which is what I had to do. There is a pebble ridge going most of the way across there with a narrow tidal channel cutting through. After the detour, I decided to take a closer look at the crossing point from that side, even though this meant taking a slightly longer route. The tide was quite high but the channel was still only about 10 yards wide, though it did look quite deep with a fast tidal current. It was a pity to have to take such a long detour for such a short stretch of water, but the timing was such that it couldn't be avoided.
Although there is much evidence of the industrial and maritime nature of this area, the coastal scenery is still worthy of inclusion in the coastal path walk with features such as Stack Rock Fort giving added interest. The weather kept alternating between thick cloud and sunshine with a short shower of rain just before I arrived at the B&B at Skerryback Farm. I was planning on walking the mile or so into St Ishmael's to the pub for a meal but it started to rain and Mr. Williams kindly offered to take me in his car as he was going to visit his father-in-law in hospital. He also said that I would get a better meal in the Sir Benfro Country Inn at Herbrandston, which was on the way to the hospital at Milford Haven. I had a very good steak and kidney pie there with a couple of pints of Worthington's before he picked me up again to take me back. I had a good chat with the proprietor there, comparing notes about the running of an hotel.
Day 9 - Friday 14th September 2001 - Sandy Haven to Pembroke
Distance: 15.5 miles + 0.5 miles to B&B
Accommodation: High Noon Guest House
I had a good farmhouse breakfast at 8.30 along with an Australian couple who were staying there, and set off at 9.20. The crossing point of the estuary at Sandy Haven is another one which can only be negotiated at low tide and involves an even longer detour of nearly four miles if the tide is in. As I had predicted from tide-tables, the tide was out and I was able to make an easy crossing over a small concrete bridge and stepping stones. Soon afterwards the walk continues past the site of the disused and demolished Esso oil refinery, but most of the way it is hardly noticeable because the path is somewhat lower down. Apart from a few sections of rusty wire fencing not much is visible unless you go out of your way to look for it.
Crossing point at Sandy Haven A small footbridge and stepping stones cross the estuary at low tide
Stack Rock Fort, Milford Haven A Victorian defence of the waterway
The town of Milford Haven From Hamilton Terrace - the oil terminal jetties can be seen
A large complex of jetties serving the various oil refineries now dominated the main estuary and there was also a good view of Stack Rock Fort a few hundred yards from the shore. This was not quite the unspoiled natural beauty that I had found in the earlier part of the walk, but it was not unpleasant and there were still some good views to be found. Further along the route goes through the town of Milford Haven, first via a residential area and then along a pleasant raised terrace along the front. This brush with civilisation was an opportunity to top up with cash from a cash machine, as I was down to my last few pounds.
The weather was a great improvement on that of the last couple of days with plenty of sunshine and far less wind making ideal conditions for walking. I stopped for a rest on the terrace overlooking Milford Haven as I had already walked about five miles. After crossing the inlet of Castle Pill at Black Bridge with all the boats lining the muddy banks, the route goes up a rather dangerous stretch of road before heading across fields and then following the perimeter fence of an oil refinery. For much of the way trees screen off the storage tanks of the refinery and the main reminder of its presence is the high wire fence. There are two footbridges along the way competing for the title of the ugliest bridge ever to be built. The first is over a huge array of pipelines leading down from the refinery to the jetty and the second is over a road.
Having left all that behind, a wooded path leads down to the pleasant little village of Hazelbeach, where I stopped at the Ferry Inn for a bacon and mushroom baguette and a pint of bitter. From here the Cleddau Bridge, which takes the coastal path across the estuary, can be seen and Pembroke Dock is just across the water with not an oil refinery in sight. A couple of miles of road walking along the bay leads, via a woodland path, to the first road bridge, crossing a small estuary, then on to the much bigger bridge over the Cleddau estuary. There were good views from both of the bridges, which are quite high above the sea.
Gun Tower, Pembroke Dock One of the few things of interest in Pembroke Dock
Pembroke Castle - very well preserved
The next couple of miles' walk through Pembroke Dock is probably the low point of the whole walk. There are one or two points of interest, one of which is the Gun Tower, but for the most part it is a rather depressing place. However, it was not long before I was through and back onto a path in the countryside, albeit without much of a view until it met up with the estuary leading into Pembroke. Soon Pembroke Castle came into sight - a very impressive castle in a pleasant setting, with the town of Pembroke behind. I was quite surprised how nice Pembroke was - a complete contrast to Pembroke Dock. It is an historic market town with no sign of the industrialisation of the nearby area.
I found my B&B at the far end of the town where I found that I had been upgraded to an en-suite double room. After showering and changing, I set off back into town where I had a meal of beef goulash in the King's Head. The meal was not very filling and, by the time I had drunk three pints of Worthington's (not a very strong beer) and walked back to my B&B I felt more than the usual effect from the alcohol. The central heating was on in my room so I was able to dry the things I had washed. It is so much better if you don't have to pack damp or wet clothes, or even wear them, as is sometimes the case.
Day 10 - Saturday 15th September 2001 - Pembroke to Angle via West Angle Bay
Distance: 14.5 miles + 1.2 miles to and from B&Bs
Accommodation: Mrs Paish B&B
Pembroke High Street The castle towers over the far end of the town
Oil Refinery near Angle Bay There is no attempt to hide this refinery
Thorn Island from West Angle Bay The fort, built in 1850, is now an hotel
I felt a bit lethargic in the morning but, after a good breakfast, I soon felt fine again and set off at 9.20 into a bright, sunny morning with a fresh wind. Walking back through the main street with a view of the castle ahead was very pleasant and I called into a little bakery to get some things for lunch. There was a certain amount of road walking to start with and I made a careless navigational blunder by going up the wrong road out of Pembroke. When I couldn't find the coast path marker where I thought it should be, I thought that I must have missed it. I decided that, rather than retracing my steps for a while, I would carry on and turn right down the next lane, where I could pick up the path again. However, as I was in a completely different place from where I thought, the next lane turned into a bridleway and brought me back almost to where I had started from having done a round trip of over one and a half miles.
It felt good to be back on the right track again, despite the detour and I then took more care to ensure that I stayed on the right route. Because route finding on this walk is incredibly simple most of the way, it is easy to become complacent in areas like this where the route does not follow very close to the coast. I stopped for a rest at 11.00, after doing only two and a half miles along the coast path plus two thirds of a mile to regain the path from the B&B. Again, the route, though not unpleasant, offered only limited views of the coast, and pylons became a prominent feature with the power station and another oil refinery coming more into view.
I kept expecting the power station and its chimney to loom large, but this was not the case, and I then realised that the chimney and much of the power station was no longer there - it was obviously being decommissioned. Again, the view was not particularly dominated by the oil refinery simply because for much of the way there was no view. In the shelter of this large harbour, many more trees are able to grow than do so on the exposed parts of the coast and these were blocking most of the view. The battering of the exposed coastline from strong winds and the salt spray means that only a few stunted trees manage to survive there, so there are few places where the view is interrupted. On this part of the route, much of the way is along lanes or paths with high hedgerows or through woodland and there are only a few places offering long distance views. Although woodland is pleasant for a short while, it becomes rather tedious going for mile after mile with no view. Even a view of an oil refinery would be preferable!
I stopped for lunch near the jetty of the Texaco oil refinery. Although this is capable of taking 300,000 ton supertankers, there were only three much smaller ships berthed there. Further along were some larger ships but still not any supertankers. At least now there was a view most of the way and the walking for the most part was very easy. By Angle Bay I met a chap who had worked for the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and who had walked the path 16 times. His opinion was that it was far better to walk the path from south to north rather than the north to south route shown by most guide books. The reason for this is that the views look better with the sun shining from behind the walker, whereas the other way much of the scenery is often shown in silhouette.
A new path has been opened round Angle Bay to avoid the need for walking along the beach, which could be a problem at high tide. My B&B was in Angle but, rather than heading straight into Angle, I had planned on walking round the headland to West Angle Bay and approaching Angle from the opposite direction to reduce the length of the next day's walk. It was interesting to look across and see all the places I had walked through a few days ago - St Ann's Head, Dale, Sandy Haven, Great Castle Head, as well as the fort on Stack Rock from the other side. I rounded the head and reached my B&B at 5.40pm. This place was not in any accommodation list and I had only found it by ringing the local pub, The Hibernia Inn, who said that they didn't do B&B but gave me the number of a couple across the road who did. Without a stop at Angle, it would have entailed a very long walk to Castlemartin.
As I was making my way to the B&B, I noticed a chap with a large rucksack and later, when I went out for a meal to the Hibernia Inn, he rolled up at the same time. He came from Swansea and was just doing about five days of the walk. It was his first time backpacking and his pack weighed 27 kilos when he set off! I had a couple of drinks with him before he went off to set up his tent whilst it was still light. I stayed for scampi and chips followed by apple strudel before returning to the B&B where I watched Last Night of the Proms and caught up with the latest news on the World Trade Centre.
Day 11 - Sunday 16th September 2001 - Angle to Bosherton
Distance: 14.5 miles + 0.6 miles from B&B
Accommodation: Trafelen Farm B&B
I got up at 8am to a huge breakfast that would set me up for the day, and set off at 8.45. The forecast was good for this area and, as I regained the coast path at West Angle Bay, there was a good view of Thorn Island in the sunshine. Back on the exposed coast, where the cliffs are battered by the full force of storms from the Atlantic, the scenery became more spectacular as it had been in the earlier parts of the walk.
Sheep Island and St Ann's Head The white coastguard buildings can just be seen in the distance
This section of the walk is where considerable areas of land are owned by the Ministry of Defence and used for training, and this became apparent by the 'Keep Out' signs by the side of the path. More rocky coastline with numerous switchbacks lead on to the large sandy beach at Freshwater West, which is backed by a large area of sand dunes called Brownhill Burrows. This was a convenient place for a rest and a spot of sunbathing overlooking the bay, as there followed a long stretch of road walking. I had carefully planned my walk so that this section through the military firing ranges would be at the weekend and, therefore, likely to be open to the public. The live firing ranges, however, are permanently out of bounds, except for a number of guided walks, as there is a danger of encountering unexploded ammunition, hence the long stretch of road walking.
My intention was to look for a pint and a sandwich in the pub at Castlemartin, but The Welcome Inn held no welcome for me, as its doors were firmly locked, so I pressed on as quickly as I could along the road towards Stack Rocks. It was a tedious walk of about five miles on the road in total with little to see other than a number of army personnel performing various training activities on tanks etc., but not firing anything. At least it was possible to make good speed along the road, and I reached the coast and Stack Rocks by 1.30pm.
After looking at the marvellous Green Bridge of Wales, a natural limestone arch, I found a quiet spot to sunbathe and admire the view down the coast. Fortunately, I still had a few things left for lunch - Welsh cakes, a brownie and a chocolate biscuit, so I didn't go without, although the breakfast I had that morning would have seen me through the day anyway. Having got all of the road walking out of the way, I then had the rest of the afternoon to cover about five miles, including the walk around St Govan's Head.
The Green Bridge of Wales A natural limestone arch
Stack Rocks - home to many nesting birds
Bullslaughter Bay
I found that it was possible to walk right over the natural arch, the narrowest part being about two or three feet wide, although I didn't stop to measure it! Stack Rocks nearby are also quite an amazing sight - tall limestone pillars standing a short distance from the cliffs and a safe haven for nesting birds. There are numerous other spectacular features created by the action of the sea and rain on the limestone including many sea caves and potholes. I came across one huge pothole with water at the bottom connected to the sea by a couple of narrow arches in the rocks. There were sheer vertical rock faces on all sides dropping down what I estimated to be over a hundred feet. All along there were many more spectacular features making this the highlight of the whole walk. Deep fissures in the rocks appear in many places, one of these forming an incredibly narrow inlet that is not noticeable until you are almost on top of it. It is aptly called the Huntsman's Leap - woe betides any that didn't quite make it.
Huntsman's Leap
St Govan's Chapel - nestled in the cliffs near the sea
Broad Haven and Church Rock (This Broad Haven is near Bosherton)
It would have been a great shame to have missed this part of the coast because of firing range activities, and it was well worth allowing extra time to explore many of the headlands as, by just following the main path, many of the best features would be missed.
Towards the end of the walk it started to cloud over, but I couldn't complain because it had been beautiful for most of the day. My farmhouse B&B for the night was very close to the coast path and I was given a very warm welcome. The couple who run it obviously love the area and all of the walks around. They told me that the next day's walk was, if anything, even better, so I had more to look forward to. Bosherton is about a mile away and I was offered a lift to the pub there, as the couple were going themselves. I decided, however, to take a walk via the Lily Ponds nature reserve, which is owned by the National Trust, as it was a pleasant evening and still light. The walk was very peaceful and tranquil, the wind having dropped, so that the only sound was that of the wildfowl on the ponds.
The pub - I think it was called the St Govan's Inn - was convivial and I had cawl followed by lamb chops and a couple of pints of Bass until it was time to get a lift back with the couple from the B&B.
Day 12 - Monday 17th September 2001 - Bosherton to Manorbier, Skrinkle Haven
Distance: 14.5 miles
Accommodation: YHA Manorbier
I had breakfast at 8.30 and got a packed lunch from the farmhouse. As well as bed and breakfast, the couple there have holiday cottages and camping, and also rent out 50 acres of farmland to a local farmer. For two months after the outbreak of foot and mouth the road down to the farm was closed, so they suffered quite an impact, although they did not complain about it.
By 9.30 I was ready to set off into the beautiful morning, passing Broad Haven (the smaller one) with its golden sands, over the sand dunes with a view across to the Lily Ponds, and on to the next small bay with its impressive cliffs and caves. On the way I passed another of the many potholes, presumably formed by the collapse of the roof of a sea cave; there are many of these along this part of the coast. Stackpole Head was now prominent and, in the distance, was some land that I took to be Devon, but was actually the Gower peninsula.
Stackpole Head with its horizontal limestone strata
Barafundle Bay from Stackpole Head
Freshwater East with its wide, sandy beach and dunes
Old Castle Head with its red sandstone cliffs
The rock strata of the cliffs were near horizontal, in contrast to the near vertical strata around Stack Rocks. There were still numerous sea caves and secluded bays, some of them only accessible by a tortuous climb down the rocks. I stopped for a rest at Stackpole Head and watched a grey seal swimming right beneath me round the head. I got an even better close-up view of it through my binoculars. It was an extremely clear day and I could see Caldey Island very clearly with its sandy beach and lighthouse, as well as Manorbier Castle. The cliffs further along change from limestone to red sandstone and become less sheer towards Manorbier with some sandy bays visible. I stopped for lunch at Greenala Point and to the east, could see the Gower Peninsula and, through the binoculars, could just make out Worm's Head. To the south were Exmoor and the North Devon coast as well as Lundy Island.
There were quite a few people out walking and also families with young children heading for some of the excellent beaches that I passed, such as Barafundle Bay. I didn't see quite as many as yesterday, however, when I had met coach parties who wre stopping off to see the Green Bridge of Wales. The limestone cliffs made for a lot of easy walking, as the cliff tops tend to be fairly flat. However, the red sandstone cliffs that came next involved a roller coaster of ups and downs; not quite as strenuous as some of the early parts of the walk, but still quite tiring. A bitter northerly wind had sprung up, but where there was shelter from it was very pleasant, so I stopped for a spot of sunbathing on West Moor Cliff with only four miles left to go at 2.30pm.
More ups and downs took me to Manorbier Bay where I made a short detour up to the church on the hill from where I could get a good view of the castle. Manorbier Youth Hostel is actually at Skrinkle Haven, about two miles further along the coast path, in an old army building with a very modernistic design. Manorbier Camp occupies the headland so the coast path has to go inland around the perimeter fence for about half a mile.
In the hostel I was sharing a dormitory with a Dutchman who had started walking in Snowdonia but, having found the weather too bad, came down to Pembrokeshire to do some sections of the coast path. He was not feeling very well and was probably suffering from overexertion, so was spending a few days at the hostel recuperating. His problem had been that there was nowhere in Holland where he could get any practice at hill walking.
The two of us were the only ones having dinner; the other hostellers were self catering. I had soup, chicken curry and treacle sponge.
This had been another excellent day's walking, particularly the earlier part along the limestone cliffs. It didn't quite match up to the spectacular sights of the previous afternoon, but there was a good mixture of cliffs and sandy bays and, of course, there was not the long stretch of road walking as there was the day before. After dinner I walked into Manorbier to the Castle Inn for a few pints and walked back under a beautiful starry sky looking up at the Milky Way. In many parts of the country the Milky Way is hardly visible because of the level of background light in the sky, but around Pembrokeshire it was wonderfully clear.
Day 13 - Tuesday 18th September 2001 - Skrinkle Haven to Amroth, then home
Distance: 14 miles
Accommodation: Back Home
I had breakfast at 8.15 and set off at 9.00 in fine weather with plenty of blue sky. I decided to take the optional detour round Lydstep Point, feeling that if there are any significant headlands offering good views, they should be included to make the walk complete. This does not, however, mean walking in and out of every little twist in the coastline, which would add a lot of extra distance without much gain in scenery. Rounding Lydstep Point opened up a fine view over Lydstep Haven, which was completely engulfed in mobile homes. I suppose that it is only to be expected, as this is a popular part of the coast for holidaymakers and it is better to have them concentrated in one place than spread out round every cove.
Further along is another firing range, but the red flag was not flying so I could proceed to Giltar Point, which overlooks Caldey Island on one side, and Penally and Tenby on the other. I stopped for a rest, as I was making good time, and thought I would have no problems in reaching Amroth by 4pm which was the time I had arranged to be picked up by my daughter Jen.
Lydstep Haven with all the caravans and mobile homes
St Catherine's Island, Tenby view from Castle Hill showing Fort St Catherine
North Beach, Tenby from Castle Hill view from Castle Hill showing Fort St Catherine
From Lydstep Haven the coastal rocks changed back to limestone, and there were again numerous caves, arches and potholes. There is a fine view of Tenby and Fort St Catherine from Giltar Point and a walk along the wide sandy South Beach brought me to the town itself. It is a lovely town with many interesting old buildings, a ruined castle, harbour, good beaches and fine views across to Caldey Island and the Gower Peninsula, where Worm's Head could be seen more clearly in profile rather than end-on view I saw from Stackpole Head. I reached Tenby by 11.30, as there had been a lot of easy walking, so I was able to spare some time to look around the town and walk up to Castle Hill.
Harbour at Saundersfoot
Wiseman's Bridge with the finish at Amroth in sight
I stopped for lunch at Waterwynch, a couple of miles past Tenby after walking through some very peaceful woodland with not a sound, other than that of birdsong. The weather was again good enough for a spot of sunbathing before making my way along the final leg through Saundersfoot with its pleasant little harbour, then through the series of disused railway tunnels built to transport coal to the harbour on a narrow gauge railway. From Wiseman's Bridge, the path mainly follows the coast road to the finish at Amroth, which I reached at about 3.20pm.
The map shows Amroth Castle and a pub near the finish and I had pointed these out as landmarks for my daughter to look out for, saying that I would meet her in the pub. However, all that I could see of the castle was a gateway, which is the entrance to a caravan park, and the pub, where I hoped to have a celebration drink, was closed, so the finish turned out to be a bit of an anticlimax. However, I generally find that the finish of any walk is an anticlimax - I always maintain that it is not the finishing that matters so much as the enjoyment of the walk itself. If you look forward to the finish too much then it probably means that you have not really enjoyed the walk.
Despite the confusion over landmarks, my daughter managed to find me without too many problems and, after taking a few photographs to mark the completion, we made our way back home.
Afterthoughts
There is undoubtedly some extremely good coastal scenery around Pembrokeshire, much of it unspoiled, and this is enhanced by the wildlife, particularly the seal colonies, which are so much in evidence. The controversial part of the walk is the area around Milford Haven and Pembroke Dock, which is a section that people sometimes bypass. Personally, I feel it is still worth doing, as there are only a few miles where there is nothing of interest to see, although the scenery in general is not as interesting as that of the rest of the walk.
However, despite the beauty of the coast, at heart, I am a man of the mountains and did not get quite the same enjoyment from this walk as I have done on many other walks. This feeling was re-enforced somewhat when I climbed a couple of hills near St David's and found that the different perspective offered by only a modest climb made all the difference. The other thing I found lacking was that I had no particular highlights to look forward to as, on the map, much of the coast looks very similar, so it is difficult to know which parts are going to be best. On a mountain or hill walk it is generally easier to see where the highlights are likely to be.
On the positive side, there is the advantage that the view is less likely to be obliterated by low cloud and, even in poor visibility, there is always something of interest nearby that is still visible. I think that this is the sort of path that is ideally suited to day walks, although the remoteness of much of the coast makes it difficult to access from most parts of the country. By walking the whole route, transport problems only occur to the start and from the finish.
I completed this walk in September, as opposed to my preferred time of June, because of the foot and mouth crisis. The disadvantage of this was that it was dark in the evenings and meant that there was little daylight left to look around the area after dinner. Also, when walking into towns or villages to find a pub, it was generally dark on the way back, although I didn't find this much of a problem and could generally make my way back with only occasional use of my torch. There are, however, advantages to walking in September. The Atlantic grey seals have their pups at this time of year and are much more in evidence around the coast. The pups are left on deserted beaches, unable to do anything for themselves, whilst the adults swim and dive nearby for food. At other times of the year it may be possible to get occasional sightings, but in September it is virtually guaranteed that considerable numbers will be seen. Another advantage of September is the feast of blackberries which line the route for most of the way - the only drawback being the slow progress you make if you stop every few yards to pick more fruit!
When I started planning this walk, I assumed that accommodation would be easy to find, as there would be plenty of holiday resorts along the coast. This was definitely not the case and some parts of the coast are just as remote and uninhabited as many mountainous areas. The youth hostel chain serves some parts reasonably well, but it was disappointing that a number of the hostels were already closed in early September, being open only for groups to 'Rent a Hostel'. Planning is also made more difficult by the problems of tidal crossing points and firing range activity. To make both tidal crossings there is only a very narrow window, which often does not fit in with the rest of the schedule and incurs one or two lengthy detours.
The firing range activity, which at one time was published months in advance, is now much more varied and is only published about a week or so ahead. This makes it very difficult when planning the walk well in advance. The firing schedules often appear in the local press, although this is not guaranteed. However, the local Tourist Information Centres are provided with schedules and should be able to provide details. Without this information, the only reasonably safe option is to reach the firing ranges at a weekend when they are generally open to the public. However, if this is not possible, then there is always the option of visiting this area in the early evening, when the firing has finished. On a later visit by car, I found the ranges to be closed, but they opened up again at 4.30pm giving me access to Stack Rocks.
Throughout the diary of this walk it may have been noticed that not much mention has been made of blisters or other foot related problems. This is because I had very few of them. As was inevitable, I got a few small blisters, mainly on the sides of my heels, but they did not give me much of a problem. This was probably helped by the good footpaths and fairly easy walking conditions I encountered on the walk. Most of the time my feet kept reasonably dry, as there was very little walking through long wet grass or marshy ground, and this helped prevent blisters.
Photography and Technology
Over the years that I have been doing long distance walks, camera technology, Internet technology and display technology have developed by giant leaps from 35mm colour slides that had to be scanned to produce low quality digital images for the website up to the present day with high quality digital photography, almost unlimited memory and super fast broadband,
The article in the 'Other Items' section chronacles all of this throughout my walks.
