Coastwalk

Wivenhoe → Brightlingsea

Distance: 9.8 miles
Ascent: 179 metres
Duration: 3 hours 29 minutes

Towards the sea
« Mersea Strood East | St Osyth »

That "I'll one day reach the sea again" is something I've been trying to convince myself of a lot while walking round Essex. I last caught a glimpse from Tollesbury Marsh in December, but I've not walked on the actual coast since Bradwell eighteen months back.

The day I reach the sea will come when I find the mouth of the River Colne and while I'm not there yet I am walking in the right direction.

Coastwalk

Mersea Strood East → Wivenhoe

Distance: 13.4 miles
Ascent: 167 metres
Duration: 4 hours 3 minutes

Worried about water
« Mersea Strood West | Brightlingsea »

The Strood is the causeway that links Mersea Island with the mainland. The thing you need to know about it is that it floods at high tide. You should bear this in mind when parking your car at the start of a walk from The Strood. It was a tense bus-ride back for me from Colchester as I overheard passengers talking of the particularly high tide and how the water had "pretty much reached" the pub that I'd parked outside.

Coastwalk

Tollesbury → Mersea Strood West

Distance: 13.4 miles
Ascent: 102 metres
Duration: 3 hours 42 minutes

Roads and paths
« Tollesbury Marsh | Mersea Strood East »

Today has been my longest road-walk. The first third of the day was on footpaths - round Old Hall Marsh and across a farm to Brooklyn - but the majority of the day has been spent pounding the tarmac. Ordinarily I'd moan - why isn't there a path along the coast here? - but instead it's made me realise how much footpath there is around the coast. The fact that today's ten miles of tarmac stand out shows just how fortunate walkers can be.

Coastwalk , Pembrokeshire Coast Path

Shrinkle Haven → Amroth

Distance: 12.3 miles
Ascent: 724 metres
Duration: 4 hours 31 minutes

The end in sight
« Bosherston | Pendine »

Ahead of me this morning, the remaining section and a half of the National Trail. Public transport links looked terrible, but the distance looked achievable. Could I, by the end of the day, reach Amroth and complete my first long-distance path?

Coastwalk , Pembrokeshire Coast Path

Bosherston → Shrinkle Haven

Distance: 12.5 miles
Ascent: 751 metres
Duration: 4 hours 53 minutes

The indecisive girl
« Angle | Amroth »

After the firing ranges, back to the coast. After long road walks, back to steep frequent headlands and bays. Back to stunning views and exhausting days.

Coastwalk , Pembrokeshire Coast Path

Angle → Bosherston

Distance: 15.7 miles
Ascent: 601 metres
Duration: 5 hours 16 minutes

Tanks and detours
« Pembroke | Shrinkle Haven »

The weather's still not improved, so in a way I was glad that the Castlemartin Tank Ranges were closed to the public today, forcing me to use the much more weatherproof road surface rather than muddy paths.

From Angle to Freshwater West the path is very plesant, along the clifftops round the end of the peninsula and past the isolated hotel on Thorn Island. Once at the beach though, the red flags and barbed wire begin and it's clear you'll not be seeing the sea again for a while.

Coastwalk , Pembrokeshire Coast Path

Pembroke → Angle

Distance: 11.3 miles
Ascent: 730 metres
Duration: 3 hours 55 minutes

Turn the atmospherics up to eleven
« Pembroke Dock | Bosherston »

A miserable day, but feeling that I'd rather wasted yesterday, and with half an eye on the limited days left in the week I was keen to knock off some miles. Today my goal was to walk to Angle.

Coastwalk , Pembrokeshire Coast Path

Pembroke Dock → Pembroke

Distance: 3.3 miles
Ascent: 289 metres
Duration: 1 hour 22 minutes

Further adventures in recovery
« Dale | Angle »

I knew I'd be paying for it come the morning. Crossing the Cleddau Bridge once more in the car this morning, my legs were seizing up; it's a wonder I was able to drive. I parked just be the supermarket in Pembroke Dock and realised I'd not be walking far. "Just across the river to Pembroke" was my goal, and it's not surprising to know I made it.

I passed the afternoon easily enough exploring Pembroke Castle. I used to love castles as a child, and it's been years since I've been in one. It's good to know the child in me remembered how to behave; it's important to know you've climbed every turret, walked every bit of the castle wall - on all available levels, poked your head into every room, every corner, every cave. A wonderful, wonderful time.

Coastwalk , Pembrokeshire Coast Path

Dale → Pembroke Dock

Distance: 19.0 miles
Ascent: 838 metres
Duration: 7 hours 4 minutes

An early start
« Westdale Bay | Pembroke »

Between Dale and Milford Haven, the coast path crosses two streams that can only be crossed two hours either side of low tide. It takes about two hours to walk between the crossings, so you have to leave Dale during the two hours before low tide if you want to avoid long road detours. Unfortunately for me, today's low tide was at about half seven in the morning.

Coastwalk , Pembrokeshire Coast Path

Westdale Bay → Dale

Distance: 5.9 miles
Ascent: 331 metres
Duration: 3 hours 3 minutes

Recovering, scouting
« Broad Haven | Pembroke Dock »

Following yesterday's stupidity, today had a two-fold focus. First, I'd scout out the next few days' walks. Second, if the weather was cooperative I'd take a short circular walk round the Dale peninsula to complete yesterday's stage.

Coastwalk , Pembrokeshire Coast Path

Broad Haven → Westdale Bay

Distance: 14.7 miles
Ascent: 1378 metres
Duration: 6 hours 10 minutes

Insanity: a habit
« Newgale | Dale »

Remember how yesterday I said I'd learnt my lesson and wouldn't fling myself into a twenty-mile march? It looks like the lesson's still not been learnt.

The original plan called for me to stop today's section at Marloes Sands YHA (that would've been ten miles or so). I think you know what's coming... it's closed, and there's no bus service nearby so I decided to try and make it as far as Dale.

Coastwalk , Pembrokeshire Coast Path

Newgale → Broad Haven

Distance: 6.4 miles
Ascent: 400 metres
Duration: 2 hours

Back for more
« Solva | Westdale Bay »

It's been three years, but I'm back in Pembrokeshire to finish the National Trail. I've taken two weeks off work; in anyone's book that should be enough to complete one hundred miles.