Day 10 Moylegrove to Newport

Day 10
Sunday 26th April
Moylegrove to Newport

Walk distance 15.2km
Cycle 0km
Height 880m est
5 1/2  hours
Cycle from Newport to Molygrove

Total coastal distance walked  15.2
Total coastal distance cycled 0

Running coastal total distance  134.45km
Running height climbed  4013m


Drove to Newport and parked on the Parog and then rode my bike to Moylegrove. I had hoped to avoid the steepest hills and highest point, but with one wrong turn at Navern I encountered both steep hills and the high point. But the village of Navern was very picturesque and I wouldn't have passed its castle if I had gone the planned route. I had just been pushing my bike up some steep turns and was pondering whether cycling was worth it when I passed a near hidden sign behind a gateway. I love the way so many places are understated.

The castle has very little stone left but the layout is clear to see with gateways, motte, moat and a second tower platform. Best of all were the spring plants. Just inside the gateway three early purple orchids were in bloom, along with masses of primroses and  wild garlic coming up. Back onto the lane I cycled to Moylegrove. The lanes are very quiet and I only saw one car. Once I locked my bike, put on my boots and loaded my rucsac I set off following the small lane to Ceibwr Bay.


The first stretch of walk is impressive. First of all a rock stack and then the witches cauldron. This is a sea pool surrounded cliffs and linked with an arch. More like the blue lagoon. Unfortunately the sun light was so bright my photos didn’t work.  Lots of cliff flowers were just starting to come out.
Photo shows a badger sett workings blocking the path.

Bluebells, sea campion, violet, daisies, thrift, with the white sea scurvy carpeting many areas. Gradually the cliffs rose higher and higher. In places where the cliff had collapsed heather grew on the tumbled rock and scree. Elsewhere bracken and grass tied the soil. Much of the cliff looked grazed and cared for. Choughs kept me company for much of the walk indicating healthy grassland full of insects. Once again I wondered about the illusive dolphins. The higher I went the more exposed and the colder it was. The wind was strong but was from the sea. At one point my cap took off and blew into a field. I had to climb a barbed wire fence to rescue it.

Glancing to the sea I saw something disappear. Watching again an animal surfaced and went under again. I knew it was not a seal and hoped it might be a porpoise or dolphin. The kayaks appeared and I wondered if they would drive it off. A bit further on after the kayaks had gone ahead I realised the noise of it breaking out of the rough water drew my attention again. I watched as every few seconds it breached. Sometimes I could see its fin, most of its body, its beak and even the color contrast. I tried to get a photo but it was so quick. It was a dolphin! (I think).

Although lower I was still over 300 feet above it and it looked so small. Several times I stopped to watch it further along. The wind was so strong and cold my eyes watered. Soon after as the cliffs dropped away I disturbed a male peregrine. He flew off and all the nearby oystercatchers flew off in alarm circling until the peregrine returned to his perch. They then separated and went back to there business. Finally dropped down to a beautiful sandy beech it was so nice to walk on the level and hear the waves close too. I rounded the sand dune. In fact the sand dune and back drop of crags looked more like the Sahara. The estuary beyond with the Parog opposite and village above was pretty. I did not think it possible to walk up the side of river so cut back through the dunes and was glad to see a cafe. The lady was about to close but served me a coffee. She quizzed me about the walk. Her son had run in the marathon today and done very well. The last bit of walking was further than I realised up the estuary to a bridge and back down to the Parog. It was rewarded by close views of shelduck feeding and in areas of shaded path by colours and scents of blackthorn, and Alexanders, wild garlic and even emerging cow parsley. (and the wreck of a boat)

In the evening I ate a rather good steak and beer in the Hotel restaurant and retired early, exhausted.