199 Little Haven to Newgale

Posted on August 12, 2015 by Ruth Livingstone

Little Haven looks different this morning. The tide is out. Good. That means I should be able to walk along the beach to Broad Haven, thus cutting out a mile or so of road-walking.

01 Little Haven, Ruth walking the Pembrokeshire Coast Path

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198 Marloes to Little Haven

Posted on August 11, 2015 by Ruth Livingstone

The Puffin Shuttle stops in Marloes to wait for the connecting service to arrive from Dale. I take the opportunity to leap off and snap a photograph of the colourful paintings on the side of the bus…

01 Puffin Shuttle, Ruth walking in Pembrokeshire

… before we continue to Martin’s Haven. Last time I was here there was a gale blowing and I felt exhausted. Today is calm and sunny. The weather makes such a difference! Continue reading →

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197 Dale to Marloes

Posted on July 21, 2015 by Ruth Livingstone

There are only 3 buses a day from Milford Haven to Dale and I catch the earliest one. It is comparatively crowded with day-trippers. I look out for fellow walkers and see a possible candidate hefting a big backpack. But she is wearing a pink skirt so I know she can’t be a walker.

Dale looks even prettier with the tide high. I stop to take photos. The pink-skirted woman heads off somewhere – she is on the far right of the photo below.

01 Dale, Ruth walking the Pembrokeshire Coast

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196 Milford Haven to Dale

Posted on July 20, 2015 by Ruth Livingstone

Most B&Bs like to make you wait till 8am or later, but the Heart of Oak serves breakfast between 6:30 and 7:30am. Full of eagerness, and full of bacon and eggs, I’m out walking before 9 o’clock. This early start makes me feel like a proper hiker – but turns out to be a mistake.

heart of oak, Ruth Livingstone

(If I’d hung about I would have missed the worst of the rain and cut out miles of unnecessary walking, for reasons I’ll explain later.) Continue reading →

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195 Pembroke to Milford Haven

Posted on July 19, 2015 by Ruth Livingstone

Pembroke Castle looks splendid above the water of Pembroke River and seems in good condition for an old castle. When I mention this to a man walking with his dog, he tells me the castle was extensively rebuilt after being pummelled by Cromwell.

01 Pembroke Castle and Monkton, Ruth Livingstone hiking in Wales

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194 Angle to Pembroke

Posted on July 18, 2015 by Ruth Livingstone

I know the first part of today’s walk will be coastal. But later I’m anticipating an uninspiring slog around the edges of the oil refinery, surrounded I’m sure by the nondescript sprawl of industrial estates.

West Angle Bay is beautiful in the morning sunshine. To the side of the beach is a rocky area with a natural sea-water swimming pool. The backdrop is St Ann’s Head.

West Angle Bay, Ruth Livingstone walking the Pembrokeshire Coast Path

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193pm Castlemartin to West Angle Bay

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Ruth Livingstone

After walking for several hours, I’ve finally reached Castlemartin, and I’m back to where I should have ended my walk yesterday if I hadn’t spent most of the day sheltering in the pub! I feel a sense of relief. I’m back on track.

The coastal footpath seems unsigned through Castlemartin, but I take the first left off the roundabout, go down a lane and find the path. To my right is farmland, to the left is the artillery range – and in the distance is the sea. I’m heading back to the coast.

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193am Bosherston to Castlemartin

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Ruth Livingstone

I ask for an early breakfast, and catch the 9am coastal cruiser from Pembroke. This is the express service, avoiding beach detours, but my bus driver is the same as yesterday. He quizzes me about my walking plans. Am I going to spend the whole day in the pub again?

01 Coastal Cruiser, Ruth walking the Pembrokeshire Coast Path

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192 Stackpole and Bosherston

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Ruth Livingstone

The bus driver is highly critical of my plans. Why am I walking to Castlemartin on a Thursday? I should wait until Saturday when the firing range will be open to the public and I can walk along the coast. I should go and walk somewhere else today.

When I explain I must walk the coast in sequence, and can’t pick and choose, he raises his eyebrows in disgust. ‘Oh, you’re one of those,’ he says.

The bus – the Pembroke Coastal Cruiser – bounces along the country lanes, going down every dead-end and visiting every beach it can find along the way. It takes 90 minutes to cover the short distance from Pembroke to Stackpole Quay,  so my walk begins rather late. It’s nearly midday by the time I reach Barafundle Bay.

01 Barafundle Bay again, Ruth walking in Pembrokeshire

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191 Manorbier to Stackpole Quay

Posted on July 15, 2015 by Ruth Livingstone

I catch the bus back to Manorbier and spend a long time on the beach, just soaking up the views and taking photographs. It rained last night and the humidity of the last few days has been flushed out of the air. Everything is crisp and fresh.

Manorbier beach, Ruth's coastal walk through Pembrokeshire

In fact, today is one of those glorious summer days you dream about, with hardly a cloud in the sky. The sea is a tropical shade of turquoise and the air dazzlingly clear. Continue reading →

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