Strumble Head and other Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, United Kingdom Things to Do Tips

This is a lump of land west of Fishguard, popular with ornothologists.
Famous for it's lighthouse, built in 1908 on the tiny islet of St. Michael's, just off Strumble Head. It was fully automated by 1980.
I seem to remember there were a lot of steps going down from Strumble Head and this is as far as the public could get. Private access was over a footbridge.
Great views around the rugged coast are to be enjoyed, the scenery really is spectacular. \There is an old WW.2 observation post that has been adapted for use as a bird hide. It's also a great place to sit (when no bird-watchers are about) if the weather is a bit wild to have your picnic lunch!!!

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Address: Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire
Directions: 5 miles west of Fishwick.

Another Welsh gem. This one having extremely limited parking, I just jumped out to have a look at the place while Nick sweated manouvreing the van back out of the village.
The road runs down through the row of buildings and onto the harbour. There is a slipway where it cost £2 in 1998 to launch boats from. A few old factory and quarry buildings, one of them used to be a corn store.
From here, slate from the local quarries and agricultural produce was sent to Bristol and Liverpool and limestone and anthracite were brought in.
It was a popular place in 1998 but I guess you'd have to arrive pretty early to get parked.
Also in evidence are old lime kilns.

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Address: Abercastle
Directions: Off a minor road off the A487. Between St. David's and Fishguard.

A sheltered, black shingle and pebble beach with the picturesque Blue Lagoon on the cliffs nearby.
It's a great place to visit, when you get fed up of the beach, have a walk along the cliff to the blue pool of the lagoon. It's the remnants of a slate quarry, full of sea water from the opening made at one end . It forms a sheltered harbour for small craft and is a popular place with divers. You are advised against jumping in owing to under-water rock ledges. We sat watching a group of youngsters swimming. I really didn't fancy trying!!!
There are a few bits of old quarry buildings about and much evidence of the past industry. We thought it a fascinating place.
The whole area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, with volcanic and sedimentary rock being home to wonderful fossils, making it a geologist's paradise.
There's a carpark behind the beach and toilets. I expect there'll be an ice-cream van or two to be seen here on good days.

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Website: www.pembrokeshireoutdoors.org.uk/abereiddy

A lovely beach not so far from Fishguard.
At low tide there is a great expanse of sand, exposing, so I have read, preserved tree stumps which were covered with the melting of the Ice-Age. We never noticed them, or perhaps the tide wasn't far enough out. The back of the beach is a large bank of shelving pebbles with earth cliffs behind.
It's shelterd and can get pretty hot here.
Vehicle access is tricky in the height of summer, on a good day. The access road stops with a turn-around area and parking is limited down the narrow road sides. Being in the motorhome, we made sure we got here early enough to be able to turn round before parking, as often people don't park sensibly.
From the end of the road the short footpath leads down to the beach.
The name Aber Mawr translates to Big Mouth. We presumed the boggy land behind had at one time been a river.

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Directions: Off a minor road off the A487, slightly south west of Fishguard.

A lovely spot to visit .North east of Pembroke and north west of Tenby.
The whole site, consisting of 11thc. Norman castle, sea-mill,, causeway, 23 acre millpond, medieval bridge and celtic cross is managed by Pembrokeshire Coast national Park Authority
The restored seamill is the only one of it's type in Wales and is an ongoing project, continually being improved.
There would appear to have been a mill here as early as 1542, with the causeway being added in 1630ish. Today's mill dates from the early 19thc. with evidence on a mill wheel, date inscribed 1801.
The mill ceased to produce from 1937 and fell into disrepair until 1972 when it was renovated and the national Park stepped in. Today, there are guided tours, slide shows and pressie button type info.
The one time Norman castle come Elizabethan country house sits on the banks of the tidal reaches of the Carew river, posing magnificently. The ruins are plentiful and pretty spectacular. Lots to explore and plenty of scope for the camera!!
During the summer, various events are staged around the castle and mill.
There is an attractive, easy, one mile circular walk incorporating the castle and mill and everything in-between. Unfortunately, as with our usual luck, the millpond had been drained when we were here, making for a muddy mess!

Naturally there is a shop as well as a decent carpark and plenty of attractive picnic areas.
Most worthy of a visit.

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Phone: 01646 651 782
Address: Carew, Tenby, Pembrokeshire, SA70 8SL
Directions: Off the Pembroke Dock to St. Clears road. Castle carpark in half a mile .
Website: www.carewcastle.com

I think this beach has to be one of my all time favourites. I was first introduced to it as a child on family holidays. We all loved it. It was everything we all look for in a beach. Huge expanses of perfect sand, interspersed with large rocks, splitting the beach into smaller coves. I remember we would swim in a particularly large rock pool, which circled a huge rock. My sister, only a toddler at the time and unable to swim, nearly drowned here as I was supposed to keep an eye on her and I saw she was doing what looked like underwater swimming, heading straight to the bottom. Luckily my parents spotted her but I still swear, to this day, she looked as though she was really swimnming.I don't think she's ever forgiven me!!!
So, on our return to Pembrokeshire, I was determined to re-acquaint myself with Marloes. I was not disappointed, still finding it hauntingly beautiful.
There is a National Trust carpark (where is there not in this part of the world?) and you have to walk the last 800 yards or so. You get lovely views on the walk, looking down to the beach.

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Address: Marloes Sands
Directions: South west, off the B4327, before Dale.

This is an impressive quay, forming a little harbour, built in the 18thc.for the Cawdor family who lived at Stackpole Court as well as having other properties hereabouts. Some of those that remain are now holiday cottages.
The harbour was used to take slate from nearby quarries, used for building, and to bring in luxuries for the Cawdor family, as well as coal for the fires.
From the cliffs here, there are steps leading up and onto a footpath that takes you a clifftop half mile to the most beautiful beach, Barafundle Bay.
Today, the harbour is used for leisure craft. Permission needs to be gained from the National Trust for the launching of boats.

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Address: Stackpole Quay
Directions: Far south of Pembrokeshire, approx. 4 miles south of Pembroke.

Anyone would think I liked beaches!!! In Pembrokeshire, you are literally spoilt for choice, some accessible by car, with parking, but the less crowded ones you mainly have to walk to.
Caerfai Bay is a pretty cove, just south of St. David's.At high tide the sand is completely covered, leaving only large rocks but as the tide recedes a lovely sandy beach is uncovered. It's wonderfully sheltered and surrounded by spectacular cliffs.
There is a carpark at the top, with fantastic views over the cove and cliffs. The path down is pretty steep but manageable, we even saw prams being pulled backwards back up the path(in the days before 4 wheel drive prams!!)

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Address: SA mile south of St. David's
Directions: Take the road down to Carfai Bay caravan site. Beach is at the end.

These amazing rock formations are on the coast on land belonging to the Ministery of Defence who use the area as a firing range. Obviously the road is closed when this is occurring. Make sure you see this sight, if you like coastal scenes then this is for you.
We actually saw tanks in action, on their training ground, which was quite exciting, apart from the splendid scenery.
There is a carpark. Just admire the views and the superb rock formations of Elegug Stack (meaning guillimot) and the Green Bridge, an archway in the rock. Seabirds perch precariously on the rocks and I guess it would be an interesting place for ornothologists.
Here, we also picked mushrooms and saw a seal posing in the water below the cliffs. Perfect.

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Address: Stack Rocks
Directions: South of Castlemartin, over the artillery range.
South west of Pembroke.
Website: http://www.pembrokeshireoutdoors.org.uk/stack.htm

St. Govan's Head is the most southerly point of Pembrokeshire. There is a car park where you can walk to the head from and also walk down worn steps cut into the cliff to view the sacred place of St. Govan's Chapel, built into the rock crevice.
It is a steep descent so appropriate footwear applies. We actually saw a woman in red stilettos teetering off down the steps. Very sensible!!
The tiny chapel measures a mere 16' by 12' and is no more than a cell. Supposedly built in the 13thc. but the alter and a seat cut into the rock possibly date from 6thc.
An abbot from Wexford in Ireland established the place as a hermitage after escaping form pirates. Miraculously, the rock opened for him and closed around him, thus secreting him from his enemy until it was safe.
Various legends surround this place, one being that the water from the holy well, now filled in, cured many a nasty disease. Also, the story goes that the number of steps descending to the chapel never count the same on the journey back up. Well, I made it to be the same number both ways, but Nickwas two short on the ascent!!!

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Address: St. Govan's Chapel
Directions: South west Pembrokeshire, south of Bosherston, off the B4319 at Sampson.
Website: http://www.kingarthursknights.com/theland/stgovenschapel.asp