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Spring Walk June 2015 Pembrokshire coast,
4/06/2015 - 8/06/2015
Thursday 4th June.
Travel day
Travel day to St David’s. The weather was fine and sunny a bit hot for travelling.
Ian and Graham went in one car. Dick picked up Paul, Bill and Ralph, meeting Steve, who had picked up John, at the Crooked Billet at Newton Longville. To balance up the cars, Bill transferred to Steve’s car. Steve then followed Dick as he knew the way cross country to avoid M1, M25 and M4. Pete made his own way there and Phil got the train.
All had uneventful journeys, though there some hold ups in road works, getting to the hostel about 16:30. The hostel was a little way out of town but it was very good despite being only a basic standard. It was too late to go for a walk so we checked in and refreshed ourselves before walking into St David’s for evening sustenance.
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Dinner was taken at The Bishop before moving on to The Farmers Boy. The food and drink met the required standards after a thorough quality control test. Paul had managed to get a Taxi but it only took 8 so Bill, Ralph, John and Steve walked back, it seemed longer on the way back perhaps they took a more meandering path.
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Friday 5th June.
Dick and Paul cooked breakfast of porridge ( Paul ) and poached egg, beans, tomatoes and toast as it was self catering, the rest setting tables and doing the washing up.
The weather was cloudy and windy with the threat of rain in the air but the forecast was to clear later and become sunny, this was in fact a correct forecast as it started to rain about 10:00 until 12:00 then turned into an ideal walking day but still breezy.
The day’s walk was to go to Trefin then walk along the coast path round to Whitesands Bay then back up the road to the hostel. Dick and Steve took all the walkers into St David’s to get the bus to Trefin returning to the hostel to go with Pete as he was going to ride his bike starting from the walk’s start point.
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As we started the walk it started to rain and carried on until we got to Porthgain so we stopped for tea and coffee. As we left it stopped raining and the sun came out. Ian stopped to put some sun cream on getting Graham to take it out of his pack and return it after use. We carried on along the coast path to Abereiddy where there was an Ice cream van which also did teas, coffee and rolls a bonus as there were no further points to stop along our route. When Ian took his pack off, he found his side pocket where his sun cream had been kept open, not only had he lost his sun cream but also his car keys Graham had his spare key so all was not lost.
This part of the walk was most scenic from the colours of the flowers (Sea Thrift, Bluebells and others) to the views and the wildlife including Atlantic Grey Seals, Jelly Fish, Choughs and other birds.
When we reached Whitesands Bay we stopped for a cup of tea before walking on to the hostel. All in all another great day though tiring. Some managed to get a quick shower and get the bus into St David’s, Dick took his car and the stragglers, again to The Bishop and Farmers Boy.
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During the evening Ian phoned home and found out his car keys had been found it was just a matter of getting in touch with the person who had found them. After diner whilst in The Farmers Boy John challenged Steve to a game of Pool, he won this then took on Ralph, as the game was not going so well for Ralph he tried to gas John throughout the game, however this did not put off John but there was plenty of room around the pool table. Paul had booked a taxi earlier so with that and Dick’s car we all got back to the hostel easily.
Saturday 6th June.
We woke up to a fine sunny day though still windy. Breakfast was the same as Friday all going like clockwork again. Ian managed to contact the person who had his keys and they bought them to the hostel just before we set of on our day’s walking.
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Today’s walk was back down to Whitesands Bay on to the coast path and carry on round to Solva finishing at The Harbour Inn. As the walk was around the headland of St David’s the hostel was in sight for much of the day. At Porthstinian they were building a new lifeboat station so there was some path diversion. We stopped at Porth Clais for tea and cake before continuing on to Solva. Though the walk had some good views it was not as scenic as the previous day’s had been. We did hear a hunt call but didn’t see anything of it though.
Pete had been off on his bike again and met us at The Harbour Inn to take the drivers back to the hostel to get the cars so the others could be collected and taken on to Broad Haven and the Hostel for the next 2 nights. After checking in and ablutions it was down to the Galleon for food and footie (European Cup Final, Barcelona beat Juventus 3-1). Then back to the Hostel for a good night’s rest.
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Sunday 7th June.
We woke up to a calm sunny day though the wind picked up again later. After a hostel breakfast it was off for the day’s walking. The route was from Broad Haven along the coast path to The Harbour Inn at Solva where we finished on Saturday returning on the bus at 17:00. Pete again went of cycling arranging to meet us at lunch time. The rest of us set off hoping for a tea stop at Norton Haven we were disappointed though as the pub was closed and there was nowhere else to go so it was on to Newgale and The Duke of Edinburgh, meeting Pete. Ian stopped at a cafe earlier on the beach at Newgale. Dick and Bill decided to get the lunch time bus back to Broad Haven arranging to meet Pete. The rest carried on, there were some difficult climbs as the steps had been made for giants, all made it in time for the bus though. As we passed Druidston Villa there was a home that had been built into a hill it looked like something from Grand Designs.
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Dick, Bill and Pete saw the second half of England’s friendly with the Republic of Ireland, what a waste of time, before going on the beach and playing with Pete’s kite. Then a stroll down to some rock pools where Bill managed to get a wet foot.
After a shower we went to The Castle at Little Haven for dinner and refreshment before returning to Broad Haven for a nightcap and rest.
Monday 8th June.
Last day we woke up to another fine day with the sun shining. After breakfast Ian and Graham set off for home, Pete also went off, the rest of us went down to get the bus to St Brides Cross to walk back to Broad Haven before returning home. The walk was pleasant not too hard and we did see another seal. When we got back to Broad Haven we stopped in the Sloop cafe for tea/coffee and a crab sandwich before going back to the cars to drive back. Steve took Phil to the station and Bill went back with Dick. All returned safely the end of another great weekend’s walking and a great hostel at St David’s with a good warden.
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