Wednesday, 24 February 1999

Coastwalk , Pembrokeshire Coast Path

Goodwick → Trefin

[Strumble Head]

Distance: 17.3 miles
Ascent: unknown
Duration: 7 hours 45 minutes

Alone
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Despite scouting this walk out yesterday, and despite taking yesterday off I was very nervous about this walk. In fact, perhaps I should say "because I scouted this walk out yesterday"... what I learnt was that there are no buses for miles, and the landscape looked bleak and dangerous.

Indeed I didn't see a single person for the whole day, but it was a wonderful walk. Things took a while to get going (getting to Carregwastad Point too much longer than I'd expected) but as Strumble Head approached with its glistening white lighthouse, I came to appreciate the beauty of this wilderness.

The Youth Hostel at Pwll Deri was a particular highlight, a cottage perched right on the cliff it first comes into view from below and it's a fair climb up to the hostel, but the setting makes up for the effort. If only it was open! Even the hostel in Trefin was shut; you can imagine when the hostels are all open this would be a fantastic leisurely walk.

Abercastle was another highlight: a peaceful natural harbour flanked on the south by disused mine workings up on the cliffs. Raw industrial beauty. Beyond the village heavy-duty erosion made the path difficult or dangerous to follow, but hopping into adjacent fields seemed to work.

I walked on past Trefin, then back up the road into the village for the bus to Fishguard.

Posted by pab at 22:09