The Great Outdoors - UK (2021-08)

94 The Great OutdoorsAugust 2021

for revitalisingsolitude.
It’sover 25 years nowsince I
first walked the Pembrokeshire
Coast Path, and since then I’ve
returned a number of times.
My last walk along this stretch
had been on anautumnday,
memorable for its seal sightings.
Today itwas early summer,and
the forecast was promising. I’d
saved the best dayof myvisit
for this walk, and was happy
as I drove to Trefin to get the
bus to Strumble Head (thanks
to Pembrokeshire’sexcellent
coastal busservices with
their user-friendly names like
Strumble Shuttle, there’sno
difficulty doing linear walks).
ere were afew parked
cars, butonce on the Coast
PathI had it mostly to myself.
e first leg brought me to Pwll
Deri, the locationof possibly the

most superbly situated hostel

in the country, perched on the

cliff top overlookingthe sea

far below. I made the detour to

the top of Garn Fawr (at213m

the highest point on Pen Caer

with a World War One lookout

point just belowthe summit)

before continuing along the

coast, heather and gorse out

in flower adding colour to the

rough grassland and moorland

vegetation. A pair of choughs

on a nearbyfence caught my eye

as I approachedPwllcrochran;

a member of the crowfamily,

they areeasily distinguished

by their red bills and legs and

distinctive call.

e cliffs had been gradually

getting lower and Ifinally

reached sea level for the first

time at the little bay ofAber

Bach. I’ve usually found it

deserted but todayseveral tents

had been pitched at the back of

the shingle beach, with kayaks

nearby. “We’re kayaking from

Appledore to Anglesey,”one

of the men told me, “raising

money for the RNLI.”e

adventurous groupwere on a

10-day expedition, aiming to

cover about 20 miles a day.

I wished them well, “fingers

crossed for the weather” and

headed for a quiet sandyspot on

the south side of the beach for a

swim. Lovely,if a little chilling,

but I soon warmed up in the

sun aerwards. Just beyond

Abercastle I made another brief

detour to view the impressive

Neolithic burial chamber of

Careg Sampson before enjoying

a beautiful sunset along the final

stretch back to Trefin. All in all,

an excellent day’swalk.

Further information

Maps:OS 1:50,000

Landranger sheet 157

(St Davids & Haverfordwest)

or 1:25,000 Explorer sheet

OL35 (North Pembrokeshire)

Transport:Strumble

Shuttle bus between St

Davids & Fishguard via Trefin &

Strumble Head, usually daily

from May to end of Sept, Thurs

and Sat only from Oct to April.

NB During winter timetable bus

stops at Strumble Head

junction, c.2km from Strumble

Head. Bus T11, St Davids to

Fishguard via Trefin and

Goodwick, Mon - Sat (all year).

Details from Traveline (087 1

200 2233; traveline.info

i

Information:Fishguard

TIC (01437 776636);

visitpembrokeshire.com

[Captions clockwise from top]

Strumble Head lighthouse

near start; Pwll Deri and Dinas

Mawr; The view north towards

Strumble Head from top of Garn

Fawr; Sunset on the final leg