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.