Day 30 Ferryside to Kidwelly

Friday 18^th January 2019

Ferryside to Kidwelly

Walk distance 6.5km

Cycle 0 km

Height  172est

2.5 hours

Total coastal distance walked 6.5km

Total coastal distance cycled 0km

Running coastal total distance 384.85km

Running height climbed 12086m

Visited Kidwelly Castle. I could see it was magnificent despite having to be wrapped up as if climbing a mountain. The forecast had been for heavy rain all day and that proved correct. A lady I spoke to was revisiting it after 40 years remembering it was one of the best she had ever seen. It was key in many battles early on in Norman times and at the time the Welsh revolted. It didnt see battle in the civil war. It is an ideal castle to explore, part ruined but accessible with lots of passage ways, spiral staircases and rooms to explore. Even discrete plop and drop toilets. From the parapets it is just about possible to visualise the scale of the place as the numerous walls and roof joins show where buildings and roofs, long gone, were attached. After a decisive check of timetables I walked quickly through the village to catch a train. Narrowly nearly missing it as I went to the wrong platform first. With no bridge I dashed back to the level crossing. The conductor asked where I was going and on saying Ferryside he went to tell the driver to stop at the request halt. He didn’t return to sell me a ticket. At Ferryside the rain had eased to drizzle so I looked around the crossing point before starting on the walk back over the farmland dominated headland. Across the estuary the village and ruined castle of Llansteffan could be seen. But first I Walked passed many intriguing houses on cliff road. One decorated with a dozen vehicle models the size of bumper cars. Planes and cars etc. perched on the house roof. Beautiful Victorian house too as well as dull 60s and 70s welsh houses. The walk climbed steeply to sheep pasture. Sadly, I noticed that anywhere within striking distance to habitation was littered with human debris. Plastic, metal, bottles, tyres. The fields were muddy but lush grass growth stopped me from getting too filthy.

Walked through the hilltop village of Llansaint. The heavy rain put me off exploring and I missed the 6th century memorials to local chieftains in the church. Like many coastal church the tower is tremendously high, presumably built as a look out. A bizarre shrubby garden, without a house, on a promontory with an open sign heralded come in. The views of the estuaries were stunning despite the on set of the heaviest rain yet. This was to last the rest of walk. From the garden all the estuaries and enormous spit and dunes could be seen with Pembrey forest looking dark and quite grim. 

At moments like this I realise how insignificant we are. Despite perhaps 2000 years of intervention, castle building 1000 years ago and intensive agriculture 100 years ago we barely touch the landscape. These lands are moulded by ice ages, rivers and oceans. They’ll continue to be for millenia with or without us. Although we’ve had a good go at destroying much of the wildlife. Factory barren fields, flailed hedges and few trees. The path descended an old drove trackway eventually reaching a minor road that led back to Kidwelly.  Close to the marshes i could see the first waders close too. Lots of curlew, lapwing and possibly redshank.

Back at the car I made a valiant attempt to strip off all my wet clothes. The moment I’m in the nude a lady opens the car door next to me. I figure with rain and steam she won’t notice me struggling. Thanks to modern technology i check the menus at nearby cafes and when the rain eases make a dash for the gatehouse cafe. Amazingly they serve the perfect meal to a cold walker. Chilli jacket! Hope this will keep the chesty cough from worsening. Before leaving the rain briefly eased so I managed to take some photos of the castle. Back to the B and B to dry the clothes.