Pembrokeshire Coastal Path Day 5

Distance 13 miles
Ascent 450m
Weather warm, cloudy in the morning, sunny later
Stonechats, warbler, shelducks
Buzzards 2
Rabbits 1 (deceased)

Leaving Milford Haven, we got a bit confused down by the docks but eventually did manage to find our way out of town and on to the coastal path. The path goes around an oil refinery and unauthorised deviation is not permitted. Also no fires or barbecues. There was a distinct smell of gas.

We wondered what sort of bridge we might get over the pipes, but there were just steps down on to the sand, under the pipes and back up onto the clifftops. From the higher ground (cliffs) we saw shelducks in the bays and stonechats in the gorse. There were patches of massive cobwebs covering the brambles and gorse bushes. We hope that they are ermine moth caterpillars, and not the toxic infestation that Google also suggested. Rob insisted that I took a photo.

We stopped to watch the ferries and and ships coming out of the harbour when an alarm went off at the refinery, setting up a buzzard that had been sitting on an outcrop. To cross one of the bays there is a low causeway, only passable at low tide, so we had timed our arrival so we didn't have to wait (and also got a lie-in.)

We had lunch on Little Castle Head, sitting on a grassy bank looking over the flowers across the bay to Stack Rock and Thorn Island. The sun came out and it was hot.

As we walked around the cliffs during the afternoon, it got hotter. We decided against taking the precipitous steps down to a deserted beach but continued on the flower edged path.

To get to Marloes where we are staying tonight, we took the high tide route of the Coastal Path which started along a smooth grassy field edge, then along a lumpy uneven field edge and on to a road. A new road and bridge have been built, so we had the old bridge over the salt marsh to ourselves, then followed a footpath and bridleway to Marloes. Thankfully the farmer turned off the water sprinkler.

Pembrokeshire Coastal Path Day 4

Hundleton to Milford Haven
Distance 15 miles
Ascent 360m
Weather overcast, drizzle in afternoon
Buzzards 2
Cow licks narrowly avoided 1
Blisters 2 (one of them is apparently very strange, however I've not looked)
Aching things: legs, feet, ankles, back
Pigs on a pedestals 2
Tall bridges 2
See-through bridges 2

A short walk along a lane took us back to the Coastal Path and then we were on woodland paths most of the way into Monkton Priory and then Pembroke. We didn't see much of the town itself, just walked around the castle's moat, and then through some new looking housing estates out into fields. We were accompanied by some friendly cows across their field, then we left quickly when they tried to lick us.

The day was warm and humid. The route was mostly flat but there was quite a lot of pavement walking through towns, along busy straight roads and over bridges. Cleddau Bridge is a toll bridge but free for pedestrians. A scenic picnic site overlooked the inlet but the road seemed too busy to cross easily so we went on and had lunch in Neyland.

The path goes along the side of the estuary in Lladstadwell passing an array of cottages on one side, some pretty but all different and interesting.

Further on, we skirted the edge of another oil refinery, this one more like we'd expected yesterday's to be, heathy scrubland and tall fences. Where we had to cross pipelines and roads they'd put in metal gantry style bridges. It had started drizzling by now and the tall grass (and nettles) had become wet, much to the disgust of a couple of walkers we passed coming the other way.

Wet trousers later, we emerged on to a busy road. The map had us going along the road a while but there were national trail acorn signs pointing along a farm track, ao we followed them. This kept us off the road but led us passed killer bees, muddy tidal gunk, overgrown wet plants and unfriendly signs. So much for eco escapes.

We rejoined our mapped route and crossed the bridge into Milford Haven and arrived at the Lord Nelson Hotel. It was quite early so we've given our socks a good soak.

Pembrokeshire Coastal Path Day 3

Corston to Hundleston
Distance 21.5 miles
Ascent 650m
Weather warm and sunny

After a very nice stay at Cawston House, we were off at about 9.20am, laden down with lunch and a light dusting of dog hairs. We retraced our steps down the bridleway but thankfully they we didn't need to use the footpath of doom again, as we turned off down a lane instead, as the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path follows roads for a while here. The lane was quiet except for some coaches and a tractor bedecked with spikes.

At Castlemartin we joined the Castlemartin Range permissive path, mostly grassy, where we obeyed the do not stray from the path or you may die signs. As warned, there were loud bangs heard on and off during the morning.

At Freshwater West we got sandy wet feet crossing the beach, and then we went up on to the clifftops. I think I need to find some other words for cliffs.

This section of the Coastal Path is described as strenuous. So what we thought we would do is to do this section along with some of tomorrow's too.

The path follows the coast mostly up on the cliffs but with steep ups and downs to coves along the way. Some of the decents were knee jarringly steep and the climbs hard work but with less fear of slipping. We went down and up about 6 or 7 times, including Black Cave, East Pickard Bay, West Pickard Bay, Guttle Hole, where we disturbed a buzzard and then saw a Peregrine having a sit.

Sheep Island was bereft of sheep but there were a couple of grey seals on the rocks between the island and the mainland. We heard them grunting before we saw them.

At East Blockhouse there are quite a few look out posts on the rock faces, including one that allegedly dates from Henry the Eighth's time. It is now inhabited by horses, which was unexpected. The lookout looks out over Rat Island, we didn't see any rats either but they are harder to spot than sheep. Maybe they had gone for a swim.

Further around the coast into West Angle Bay is Thorn Island, with a big imposing building on it that is actually a hotel. It made me think of Chateau d'If from the Count of Monte Cristo.

We stopped for refreshments at the pub in Angle and then followed the path along a driveway then along the edge of fields at the side of the estuary. On the rocky shoreline there were some curlew and some swans swimming in the sea, which I'm not sure I knew they did.

We walked around Angle Bay, under the oil refinery along a lane. This was flat but quite tiring on the feet. We stopped at Popton Fort (built in the 1860s to defend the town of Milford Haven, there's a matching one on the other side) for a short break so Rob could put some tape on his foot. There were ants. Again.

The Oil refinery and power station looks bad on the map but in reality it is a lovely shady woodland path with tall chestnut trees and ferns. We left the wood briefly to pass under load of pipes that lead out over the water, and then we were back into the woods and fields. A cow meet and greet ensued. The last part of the day's walk was nice, wooded paths and quiet lanes but it was getting late so we had to rush.

Pembrokeshire Coastal Path Day 2

Manorbier to Corston
Distance 19 miles
Ascent 620m
Weather: warm and sunny
Dunnock,  linnets, pippets, chough, house martins, osprey, guillemots.
Shiny gold bee

It was already quite warm indeed as we set off back to Manorbier beach, and there was a steady stream of people heading for the sands. We turned off up on to the undulating clifftop path, very warm, lined with spring flowers, with warblers, pippets and skylarks singing.

During the morning a sea mist came in, which obscured the distant views and maybe brought the temperature down fractionally.

The paths were lined with flowers, including scarlet pimpernel, cornflower, buttercups and ox eye daisies, forget me nots and white campion.

The going was dry and dusty, we hadn't drunk anywhere near enough water yesterday so were trying
to be good and have regular stops and drink plenty of water today.

Lunch was had in the shade at the NT boathouse at Stackpole, with well deserved ice-cream. From the cove we walked along the packed beach and up onto Stackpole Head. This is an impressive outcrop, with guillemot nesting on the cliffs, and rabbit holes eroding the tops. The walk from here was flat and grassy, although marred by Amber the dog giving everyone a heart attack by running away towards the cliff edge.

The path drops down at Broad Haven, and we had to cross to the other side of a tidal stream. Rob scrambled over the rocks, while I took off my shoes and socks off and paddled up. This was very pleasant, right up to the moment when I thought I had dropped one of my socks and had to go back and look for it. More paddling required. Turned out sock was there along.

Up on the Travellan Downs (rather more up than down) we called in at St Govens Chapel, a tiny chapel built into the cliffside with many stone steps down to it, and even more than coming back up.

The artillery range was open today as it is a bank holiday and we were able to walk through the open lands. There were other walkers and many climbers on the cliffs. On a fence post in the distance we saw an osprey, also a kestrel and buzzard. Just before left the edge of the cliffs for the day, we stopped to look at the Eligug stacks completely covered in guillemot and the natural arch the Green Bridge of Wales which is truly amazing. Especially from the viewing platform rather than peering over the edge.

The last couple of miles were on lanes, and then we turned off the PCP to get to our accommodation. We thought we would shorten the route along the wiggly road by using the footpaths across fields and up a bridleway. The bridleway was ok, a little muddy but the footpath across one field ended in a overgrown verge that involved scrambling down a slope through nettles and brambles. Eventually we made it on to the lane and into Corston and the comfort of Corston House.

Pembrokeshire Coastal Path Day 1

Wiseman's Bridge to Manorbier
Distance 15 miles
Ascent 570m
Weather wet start, warm and sunny later
Chough doubt
Chough confirmation
Also llama

The heavy rain and thunderstorms passed over during the night. As we were setting off in the morning there was light drizzly rain. The coastal path winds its way around the side of the shore along an old miner's track which has tunnels through the headlands. We'd put on our waterproofs, but took them off fairly soon as magically it wasn't raining on the other side of the tunnel.

From Saundersfoot we walked along the beach, admiring the geology and caves. A pretty but steep wooded path led up through Rhodes Wood, with gnarly oaktreed, ferns and bluebells.

On the clifftop we emerged into a buttercup meadow, which we walked through a short way before the path headed back into woods, back down the cliff around back up the other side. Repeat.

One of the clifftops had a little viewpoint with carved wooden birds, but not actually much of view. Then we headed down into Tenby.

Tenby was heaving, as one might expect on a bank holiday Sunday lunchtime. We managed to get some sandwiches, which we ate on the esplanade, under the watch watchful eye of gulls and jackdaws.

The tide was out so we walked along the sands of South Beach, then up onto the cliffs and out to Giltar Point. The clifftops were carpeted with thrift, clover, bird's foot trefoil and kidney vetch, along with spring squill (a new one on me, it looks like a tall pretty harebell.) There were skylarks and possibly linnet, and claims of a chough, although this waa unverified as I had been looking the other way at a giddy cow. For miles after that we scrutinised every crow, rook and jackdaw. There were a lot of them, but no chuffing choughs.

We took a bit of a detour around Lydstep Point, stopping for tea and a biscuit and some more jackdaw perusal.

There were some very impressive cliffs, some steep and rocky, some steep and grassy, and some almost hidden and quite vertigo inducing. We admired the arches of the Church Doors, and then walked around the headland to Coombe and Rook's Cave where there were choughs! The path the leads around Parsons Piece (above his nose) and into Manorbier. We are staying at Castlemead, and have had a lovely dinner and tried a couple of beers from the Tenby Brewey.

Pembrokeshire Coastal Path Day 0

Amroth to Wiseman's Bridge
Distance walked 6 miles
Distance walked on PCP: 2 miles

There was much panicking yesterday about trains and terrible weather forecasts, as there are railway strikes, engineering works and a big weekend concert on currently. But as it happened, the only way Ed Sheeran caused us any problems was the girls who had been to see him in concert last night insisting on singing his songs over breakfast in the hotel this morning.

The journey to South Wales went smoothly and we were dropped off at Kilgetty, a request stop, which confused the hell out of the American tourists on the train at about 3 o'clock.

It was warm and sunny. We walked along quiet lanes and footpaths to the Wiseman's Bridge Inn, where we are staying tonight. We dropped our bags and put on some suncream, and headed out to the start of the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, two miles up the coast in Amroth. It was very warm and there were lots of people out enjoying the beaches and pubs. We have had a good dinner and are now out on the terrace overlooking the beach.

Bank Holiday Weekender - day 3

Golcar to Oldham
Distance 18 miles
Ascent 525m
Weather very, very warm and sunny


Today was the hottest early May bank holiday on record. Records began in 1970s so it's not a long standing one, but still, it was hot. We made our way down through Golcar to meet the Huddersfield Canal, which took us though Linthwaite, Slaithwaite (where we stopped for food and ice creams) and Marsden to the end of the Standedge Tunnel. The canal was very popular, especially at the visitor centre, where we took advantage of the picnic tables and facilities. There were a lot of people enjoying the water at the nature reserve and even more enjoying the rocky stream up by Close Gate Bridge. There weren't quite so many people up on the Pack Horse Road, and half of them looked distinctly unhappy (possibly because Mum and Dad had dragged them away from sunbathing by the stream) - the happier looking people were much laden down with picnic.


We walked along the Pennine Way towards Castleshaw and then followed the Oldham Way passed T'Heights, down into Delph and up over Badger Lane to the Roebuck and home along the lane, calling in at the Co-Op for beer and crisps.

Bank Holiday Weekender - day 2

Todmorden to Golcar

Distance 20 miles

Ascent 870m

Weather very warm and sunny

Roe deer, woodpecker, bunnies, curlews, wheatear, goldfinches, linnet / redpoll??

The day was already hotting up as we left the inn and walked down into Todmorden for purchasing on lunch supplies. From the town centre, we headed up the lane passed to the church along the Calderdale Way again and up on to the hills. The path goes along Lumbutts Road and up the hillside to cross the Pennine Way just before Studley Pike. There were steady streams of people visible heading up towards Gaddings Dam, and quite a few heading towards Studley Pike (with varying degrees of map reading confidence.) At the top we carried straight on towards Withins Clough Reservoir.

We decided to take the permitted path down to Cragg Vale across the dam wall and down the other side of the valley, but after we’d crossed the dam wall there was a sign saying the path was closed due to a massive landslide. So we walked back and down the lane.

The walk up the hillside on the other side of the valley was through woodland, warm and humid, lots of fluids drunk. Across the fields at the top we met a young roe deer and had a skylark serenade during our lunch stop. The footpath was blocked at one point, so we headed around a lane and took the next footpath signed down. The footpath gods were on our side, as what could have been an overgrown, muddy disaster of a path actually was quite pleasant - although still quite muddy in places.

The route approaches the M62 and then veers away, so it seems like the motorway isn't getting any nearer, and then we came around the corner of a hill and it was right there. A last bit of up along a road to the top of the hill brought us to the Best Western Pennine Manor.

Bank Holiday weekender day 1

Newhey to Todmorden
Distance 15 miles
Ascent 650m
Weather warm and sunny
Cow licks 1
Cow-y shoes 4
Buzzards, kestrel, greenfinch, skylarks, meadow pipits, bunnies

After eating too much breakfast and drinking too much coffee, we set off into the morning sunshine, up through the park and past angry dog farm, where angry dog was replaced by curious cat.

At the top of the hill we turned up Tunshill Lane and then down around under the motorway along the Rochdale Way. We had a little walk up Deep Lane for a nice view over Hollingworth Lake, not at all because we misread the map.

We called in at the cafe on the lake to use the facilities and have - expensive- posh ice creams. Then we walked around part of the lakeside, commenting on the black smoke visible over the hills that was coming from a tanker fire on the M62. We wiggled through town and up onto the fields hoping that the white powdery stuff covering them, and our shoes, wasn’t anything nasty. At the top of the field, a clamber over a stone stepped wall landed us into the open access land on the moors, where we walked / scrambled up and around hillocks to a flatter path along the hill summit. The tops are now covered with wind turbines and sheep and cows. We had lunch in the sunshine by the blanket bogs information board, overlooking the next valley. The path down was relatively dry, until we reached the gate at the bottom which was very cow-y indeed. Ew.

 

The afternoon was very warm, and there was quite a lot of ups and downs along the Calderdale Way around Todmorden Edge, including a lamb meet and greet, as for some reason lambs seem to love Rob, and then down to the Staff of Life inn at Eagle's Crag.

Bank Holiday weekender - day 0

To Newhey
Distance 4 miles
Ascent 130m
Weather warm and humid
Fly appetisers not recommended
Dented things 2 (fence, car)

We walked to the Premier Inn in Newhey after work on the Friday afternoon. The weather has warmed up and the forecast for the Bank Holiday weekend is for it to be the warmest on record.

The paths were pretty good, the muddy sections not too bad, and the cows in the field were curious but friendly.