Take the 10 am train (45 ppp )from Paddington Station, changing in Swansea for Milford Haven. 6 hrs Pretty green views, coastal tide flats after Swansea. Rather un-informative Information Center, telling us only that “most B&B’s don’t register with us”, but not providing any alternatives. Having already walked up the hill from the docks, in the wrong direction for the next day’s hike, we weren’t eager to plod on. A local doctor, just on his way home saw our confusion and suggested we’d be ‘better to skip the boring bits’ and suggested that if we weren’t sticklers for walking the entire route, we could get a taxi to St. Ishmael’s. We’d already decided to take the guidebooks’ suggestions to skip the boring and dismal military and industrial sites, which was why we were starting here rather than farther south.

Several phone calls later we found a farm B&B that had room and flagged a taxi to take us there. The address was ‘Bicton Farm’ but even though it appeared on the map, we still had to make several passes before finding it. The roads were sunken and hedge-lined, making it difficult to see much in any direction. It was worth it when we pulled up at the B&B (20 ppp) just after 5 pm, greeted by Georgina and shown our rooms. She told us of a local pub within walking distance, so we walked into St. Ishmael’s for a dinner of gammon and bitter.

16 May – Tuesday

Raining, very windy last night. Excellent English breakfast, but then decisions to be made. With the unexpected change in weather, we decided to take Georgina’s offer of picking us up at the end of the day. We’ll walk to Dale, spend the day in the area, and then she would drive us back the next day to start the overland route.

Crossing the cricket pitch we pass thru a hedge for an immediate contrast. The flat and rolling fields of linseed and wheat are replaced by a narrow trail at the top of sheer cliffs dropping to shingle beaches. Traversing the hedge lined path, there are wildflowers everywhere – campion, bluebells and cow parsley predominate. We’re grateful for the slight protection the hedges give us from the constant rain and gusting winds coming off the Irish Sea. My umbrella needs constant attention, and still inverts itself regularly. We stop briefly at old World War I coastal gun emplacements, as much for shelter from the wind, as for historical curiosity. Then a quick drop down leads us to the first of many Musselwicks. This one is a shingle beach leading to the Gann. The guidebooks stress the need to watch the tides, and we’ve managed to get there at low tide, when it’s a simple matter to walk across the ‘ford’ and onto a causeway that leads to the Dale road. It’s pub time at 2:30, then some brief exploring toward the headlands, turning back when the rain and winds continue. Georgina arrives as promised at 5, then drops us off at the Sir Benfro Inn for supper. Excellent chicken tikka masala; also a lasagna, which we found being served typically without any pasta, and little cheese; more a moussaka, but tasty. 14 ppp. To bed by 10 pm, still feeling the jet lag a bit.

17 May Wednesday

Georgina drove us to Martin’s Haven where we picked up the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path. Moderate up and downs along flowered paths, occasionally passing sheep or cattle in side enclosures. 2 hours brings us to St. Brides, another 3 to Little Haven. St. Brides has an interesting little chapel and graveyard, with the first of many abandoned lime kilns. Coal and other sedimentary rock formations give way to a return to the red sandstone we’d encountered at the beginning. The path drops into little coves, then rises to the top of headlands. These sections are steep but short, rarely more than 100 – 150 feet of elevation change. Very windy at the start, then easing some during the day with sun breaks. Terns, gulls and oystercatchers mock us by hanging on the wind and gliding effortlessly along our path. By 3:30 it’s time to test new bitters in the pub, this time discovering “Old Speckled Hen” and “Flowers”.

We stay at the Anchor Guest House 20 ppp, a beautiful setting, looking directly out on the bay. Clouds part at sunset for a small but dramatic lightshow over St. David’s head across the bay. Supper at the Galleon Inn – lamb and leek pie.

18 May Thursday

Off at 9:30, staring on the coastal path but soon pushed inland by high winds, gusting over 40 mph. We pass several B&Bs in Nolten Haven, trudging on to Newgales Sands. We take elevenses with tea and scones at the Duke of Edinburgh. It’s warmer now, but with steady winds, windbreakers are still needed. The road climbs steeply as we return to the path. Most clouds have dispersed now, leaving just a few cumulus and the steady while gentler wind. Steeper climbs up and down now to get to the headland above Dinas Fach. More birds – several more varieties of terns, shearwaters and gulls. It’s pleasant while the wind dies off, with few other walkers on the path. Flowers line the path – blue squill, purple thrift, yellow gorse, broom and iris. Over the headland, we drop into the estuary and protected harbor of Solva.