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The Glorious Pembrokeshire Coast

from Tenby to Lower Fishguard...or...
We can't believe we didn't shoot more film

      After overnighting amidst the startlingly narrow streets found within the city wall of Tenby, we awoke to an amazing thunderstorm with hailstones as large as 2cm. By the time breakfast was completed, all had cleared off and the wet streets glistened under the glare of the late May sun. Winding through the back roads of Pembrokeshire, we soon found the village of Manorbier, with its beautiful beach, dominated by the castle towering above.

As we drove the winding byways of Pembrokeshire, many of the roads little wider than our compact car, with weed coated stone walls instead of shoulders, we felt constrained to keep moving, since we could not even open the door to set up a decent photo. We drove for miles past fields, farms and pastures, with only a rare glimpse of the terrain, because of the stone walls. Eventually the Irish Sea came into view, at Newgale, with its gorgeous beach, less than 10 miles SE of the city of St. David's.

Winding along the roadway for a couple of miles, we reached what at first glance looked like fortifications, but my references soon revealed them to be the lime kilns at Solva. Our copy of the Blue Guide to Wales, gave us the amazing news, that Solva was “until the 19C actually a modestly important port, but today a picturesque small haven at the head of its narrow, winding creek.” We found the spot lovely enough to stop for a sip and a bisquit, but soon hit the road.

We were, by this time, doubtful that the road would take us through to St. David's, but soon reached St. Justinian's, with it's famous Royal Naval Lifeboat Institution station. The views of Ramsey Island Sound, from the station cliffs, are breathtaking. Ramsey Island has been the site of a monastery since the 2nd Century, when the site was founded by St. Devynog. In the 5th Century, St. Justinian, a Breton nobleman, chose the island for his hermitage, eventually becoming confessor to St. David.

With the sunlight sparkling of the chop on Ramsey Island Sound, the scene's harsh beauty was etched into memory. The steep terrain at the clifftop was covered with heather and wildflowers. the surf beat a steady rhythm and the cry of the gulls completed the spell. Watching a sailboat beat steadily up the sound, we were seduced into spending several wonderful hours exploring the clifftops.

St. David's was next on our road, then on towards the northeast, and Fishguard Lower Town, whose harbour contains as many sailing yachts as it does ducks. We saw mergansers and mandarin ducks in abundance, while gazing out at the anchorage. After tossing some crumbs to the ducks, we got back on the car and started off on the most obscure back roads that we could find. We were soon winding about through the Preseli Hills, feeling quite lost. One dirt road turned into another, with all the intersections looking familiar.

Happy, because we not only knew where we were, but had accidentally stumbled upon our goal, we crossed the intersection, up the road and on to the right. Pulling over at a tiny stopping place, near the ridge top, we spied the path and soon saw the stones of this neolithic burial chamber. We encountered a trekker relaxing and enjoying the views from this hilltop site.