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I won’t be the first to note that 2020 has been an odd year with big changes to the way we live our lives. Usually I’d have spent some time over summer cycling in France as well as trips around Wales and possibly some visits to further flung parts of the British Isles. Early on in the pandemic it became clear that those plans would be on hold this year. Without the possibility of traveling abroad during the lockdown and with no desire to attempt to do so until the situation was eased; we looked at a holiday closer to home. Infact, we decided to look at what was on our doorstep; one of the finest long distance walking trails in the world. Since 2012 it’s been possible to walk the whole of the coast of Wales on the Wales Coast Path but prior to that, since 1970 the Pembrokeshire Coast Path has provided a continuous trail between Amroth close to the border with Carmarthenshire and St Dogmaels which stands at the border with Ceredigion. At 186 miles, it’s a decent but manageable distance and luckily it’s our local patch.
We drew up a plan that meant 13 days of walking with a break in the middle. We’d need to average 15 miles a day and after a bit of thinking about it we decided we’d use bivvi bags as our shelter to save on weight and also to allow flexibility with where we camped. Bivvi bags are essentially just a waterproof and breathable bag that only requires a flat(ish) patch of ground. With a sleeping mat and bag stuffed inside, it’s a very basic way of camping. A tent is generally heavier and requires a larger footprint but does afford more protection from the elements. Looking at the map and using our local knowledge, we were able to plan where we’d be able to pick up supplies and make some notes on what meals we’d need to carry on each day.
The walk was a tale of two halves weather wise. We began in Amroth in bright sunshine and although signs of Autumn were all around, we walked in shorts and t-shirts and our feet were hot and swollen. Blisters developed in sweaty shoes and we toiled in the sunshine although there were no complaints as we thanked our lucky stars that the Pembrokeshire weather gods had turned their backs for a week. We bivvied on beaches on warm evenings, slept under clear skies and broke camp at our leisure in the morning with no wind disturbing the stove as it heated our breakfast porridge. With the sea at its warmest temperature of the year, we got in for a swim where possible. I usually avoid swimming outdoors because I get cold easily but it felt great to get in after a hot day of walking. Joey braved it for several morning dips. Midway through, the calendar clicked around to the Autumn equinox and following our rest day, Autumn truly arrived and waterproofs were donned for the first time. We had several challenging nights, camped in the old brick buildings above Porthgain we were battered by wind and rain and hardly slept. The following night at Strumble Head observatory, after a night of strong Northerlies, we were awoken by the arrival of a group of birdwatchers at sunrise. We breakfasted while they peered out to sea through their telescopes and loudly alerted each other when they spotted a skua (bonxie) or other rare visitor that had been swept closer to shore by the high winds.
We had plenty of company along the way. Joeys mum was a constant help as we used the back of her car to stow kit and snacks and she joined us for some good stretches. Other friends joined for a beer in the pub, a short walk or an overnighter. Alice brought little Reuben along to stretch the age range from 5 months to 69 years and friends Will and Alexis accompanied us for the final push to witness our triumph! It was lovely to have friends along to share the adventure and to tell them about our favourite places we’d walked or camped along the way. Although parts of the path are remote, there’s the odd pub and cafe along the way and we were on holiday after all so made full use of the facilities for coffee, cake, ice cream, lunch and dinners. Other times we cooked a basic meal on the stove before boiling a pan of water for tea and turning in for the night.
We enjoyed all of the path. The South of the county we always knew as being gentler and more populated than the North but the rocks and beaches are still spectacular and beautiful. We cursed the military early on for their occupation of a great stretch of the coast for their firing range but despite our reservations, walking around the Milford Haven waterway held its own fascinations. Passing the oil refineries, the LNG plant, wind turbines and the huge jetties where infeasibly large tankers were ushered into place by a team of tugs was a reminder of the scale of energy consumption in a modern nation. It felt humbling to be on foot in such an environment, like hobbits skirting the borders of Mordor. As we reached home and began traveling through more familiar territory and with the change in the weather, we felt that we were walking in the Pembrokeshire we knew best; wild, rugged and battered by the weather. As we walked on further towards the end of the path we again entered territory we didn’t know so well. Over the years we’d both visited much of the length, but to join the dots and experience the whole distance really showed the contrasts in evidence along the way. From the tourist beaches of Tenby to the remote and towering cliffs at Cemaes Head. With the future of travel uncertain, it was nice to be able to pencil in lots of places for return visits and earmark some spots for a closer look where we didn’t have time to stop.
Our favourite section was probably the one we were most familiar with. Between Newgale and St Davids the terrain starts to feel a bit more wild and by the time you are walking past Porthclais harbour towards Porthlysgi, it feels like you are getting away from civilisation but it’s between St Davids Head and Strumble Head that was our favourite stretch. Togged up against occasional showers and toughened up after a good few days of walking, we were moving through a palette of Autumn colours and enjoying all the bits of Pembrokeshire we enjoy the most. Rugged and windswept with epic views, crashing seas and ancient field boundaries criss-crossing the rolling fields inland. Sat for a rest high up on St Davids Head we realised that we could see down to Skomer and the Dale peninsula with the chimneys of the refineries visible on the horizon. Along the North coast we could see Strumble Head and its lighthouse silently flashing and guessed that at this point along the coast it’s possible to see the biggest stretch of the journey we’d completed and the most of what was to come in the following days. It’s always a favourite place to sit and watch time glide by and we found no place better on the trip.
The soundtrack to the walk was provided by the wildlife. The indignant squawks of the chough, the deep honking of the raven and the peeping of oystercatchers in flight. As we were walking in Autumn which is seal pupping season, we’d occasionally hear dolorous wails emanating from hidden bays. A look over the edge of the cliff would reveal adults and pups hauled out on the beach and others bottling in the water just offshore. Often it would take a good look to realise that big speckled boulders were adults lazing in the sun and smaller pale rocks were pups resting between feeds. In the lagoons near to Dale we were treated to a view of an osprey. Usually well on their way to Africa at this time of the year, one had been spotted in the area so we kept our eyes peeled. Luckily, as we were sat resting on the grass, the bird appeared and we watched as it plunged down to the water three times before flying on and out of sight. A first for us both and special to witness.
All in all it was a great walk, a few days of rest were needed to allow feet to heal and legs to lose their aches but we’ll look back on the walk as a special achievement in a shitty year. There’s also something about spending whole days outside without jumping back into the car as night falls or checking into a B&B along the route. We enjoyed our hobo life on the trail and when we can we’ll no doubt return to that lifestyle for another trip.
If you’re thinking of doing something similar, please feel free to ask any questions or details on our itinerary and where we stayed etc in the comments section below.
Here are a few shots to give you a flavour.
