Day 21 Milford Haven to Pembroke

Sunday 12^th December

Walk distance 19.2 km

Height  270 est

6 hours

Total coastal distance walked 19.2 km  

Running coastal total distance 297.65km

Running height climbed 9481m

Woke up to fairly awful wet windy weather.  Drove to Pembroke, and then caught a bus back to Milford Haven.  The wind on the sea front was pretty terrific, and with driving rain, it was difficult to appreciate the views.  I was aware of a sunken garden and old lido but hurried on until the path dropped down to Castle Pill.  Unfortunately the coastal path had to follow the busy main road for a short distance. Without paving or even an edge it was rather dangerous. I noticed today, for the first time, just how much rubbish was around.  I suspect some was visible, just because it was no longer hidden by lush plant growth.  Also some had perhaps had blown into trees by the wind, whilst much had been thrown from car windows.  So sad to see.  Of course I was also walking in an urban environment. 

Next I pass an LNG farm, this time there are ships off loading their cargo into pipes.  With the wind roaring and drizzle blowing I find this section rather depressing. My thoughts dwell on the cost to the planet of using fossil fuels and the current climate change summit.  The air is tainted with fuel.  The path follows a high security fence.  From the route I can glimpse the storage containers and ships – in places steel caged gantries lead me across the fuel pipes and a road. In the wind the wet, steel platforms are slippery.  Being able to see the drop below is worrying. As I progress on I pass wind farms, perhaps a step in the right direction. But along the path are the dying stems of Japanese knotweed. Judging by the dead grasses and gorse, everything has been sprayed with round- up.  A monotonous path, with high blackthorn sides finally leads to a more picturesque view of Llanstadwell.  Colourful cottages line the street leading up to a very old church.

At Neyland I had a quick look at the statue of Isambard Kingdom Brunnel, and the plaques describing the railway line he built and the new Cleddau bridge.  Once again the wind stops me from hanging around.  In the village I find café and have my first, and only proper rest.   I drink coffee and eat a delicious apple cake.  Back tracking I drop down to the marina, which is packed with boats – on shore they are stacked three high on great shelves.  From the marina the path leas up to the first bridge, which crosses the sheltered estuary.  Then the road swings around and a wide cycle way leads up to the Cleddau bridge.  I did up all my clothing to stop the wind catching me. The bridge was closed to high vehicles.  The wind was so strong I was barely aware of the views. It took all my concentration to walk in a straight line and occasionally I grabbed the metal mesh rails.  This was probably the scariest moment on the walk to date.

Once beyond the toll gates the path dropped down through the modern built up outskirts of Pembroke dock.  Some palms in front of Asda added to the interest of an otherwise uniform town suburb.   But amongst the more modern buildings are old naval dock buildings.  On the see front I reached the Martello tower.  Unfortunately this was closed.  With a backdrop of a huge ship and an Irish ferry it made an interesting photo.  The route continued passed the dockyards and a museum, up a steep hill to the impressive, empty and derelict, Defensible barracks. 

What a pity this is not open to the public.  It is such an impressive building.  The path then follows residential roads, thank goodness for the waymarks on lamp posts.  Finally countryside is reached, although this is a mixed blessing as the fields are very sodden and muddy.  The path then broke out on to the estuary and I had my first glimpse of Pembroke castle. 

The estuary must have flooded recently as the high tide mark was well above the path. Much of the path was covered with soft silt and seaweed.  I was even unsure I was on it at times. Closer to the river – at low tide – it was obvious the mud was deep and treacherous.  I didn’t want to stray off route as much because the light was starting to go. The walk had taken a lot longer than I had anticipated.  Once close to the castle its full magnificence was revealed. It truly is well defended and built on a limestone outcrop between two arms of a river.  I pass limestone quarries which provided the stone for the building.  A Norman castle, the stone work dates to 1190. In 1457 Henry VII was born here. Once in Pembroke I do some Xmas shopping and have the best fish from a chip shop.