Walk 388 -- Hundleton to Angle

Ages: Colin was 77 years and 45 days. Rosemary was 74 years and 187 days. 

Weather: Sunny and warm. A slight cooling breeze when we could get out into the open. 

Location: Hundleton to Angle. 

Distance: 9 miles. 

Total distance: 3955 miles. 

Terrain: Grassy paths through fields and wooded dells. Rather more tarmac than we had bargained for. Undulating. 

Tide: Going out. 

Rivers: None. 

Ferries: None. 

Piers: None. 

Kissing gates: No.956 — just one! (All the rest of the many gates were kissless!) 

Pubs: None. 

‘Cadw’ properties: None. 

Ferris wheels: None. 

Diversions: None. 

How we got there and back: We were caravanning in Freshwater East. This morning we drove to Angle where we parked near the bus stop. We caught a bus to Hundleton. 

At the end we came into the village of Angle and walked towards the church where we finished the official Walk. We went on about a hundred yards to where our car was parked. We drove to the car park at Freshwater West where we had some biscuits and tea from our flask whilst looking at a beautiful view across the sands. Then we drove back to our caravan at Freshwater East. 

We had intended continuing the next day, but the monsoon-like weather returned and dictated otherwise. The following day we returned home, having completed only half the walking we had intended this trip. 

 

We started today's Walk on the lane just outside Hundleton where we finished the Walk last time. We got talking to to an old man in a motorised buggy who was walking his little tiny dog. He told us he used to hike all these local coastal paths, and all over Scotland too, but there was nothing to beat Pembrokeshire! He wished us well as he drove off. It's horrific to think we might be reduced to a motorised buggy like that as we get older and not be able to walk the coastal paths any more! 

Further along the lane we were passed by a lone lady hiker who had been on the bus. At the bus stop she had dashed off in the wrong direction, but must have realised her mistake and was now catching us up. She greeted us as she passed and we never saw her again. Everyone walks faster than us these days! 

After about half a mile of tarmac we were able to turn off into a wooded dell by a stream. This was a relief, not only to get off the tarmac but also to get into the shade, for the day was turning very hot. This was where we saw a huge bracket fungus high up on a tree. We have rarely seen one so big! Further up this lovely shady path we came to a wall which was just the right height to make a comfy seat. So we sat down and ate some chocolate because we felt like it. We were conjecturing about the origin of various ruined walls we could see about when Colin said, “
There's a lime kiln behind you!” And so there was — a deep pit half hidden by tall weeds. I could have fallen in! 

We continued upwards out of the dell and over a hill. There were loads of wild flowers on the way, but I only stopped to take a picture of a foxglove which was hanging above my head. At the top a beautiful view across the river revealed itself. 

We descended into another wooded dell which was rather lovely, but all this up and down was beginning to get to us. We  are each feeling our advanced years and wished we still had the strength and energy of our younger selves. 

Coming out of the second dell we gradually rose up and saw more fantastic views over the river

We passed a power station with its resident hum. It was well screened by bushes and trees, but that doesn't get rid of the noise. We were both getting very hot and tired, it was lunchtime and we needed a rest. We were looking out for something we could sit on in the shade, but the only log we found was in the blazing sun. Then we came to a road, which quite surprised us because no road appeared to be on the map. (Closer scrutiny later revealed a thin 'white' road leading to the power station.) There was a kerb there with a neat grass verge, so I sat down because it was in the shade. Colin joined me. It was not a bad place to stop, a total of one car passed while we were sat there eating our lunch. 

Across the road we descended through a wood. Colin stopped to photograph a beetle, or somesuch, and we were caught up by a Welsh couple whom we had met on the bus. Only they had stayed on the bus all the way to Pembroke and had already walked back from there to Hundleton then caught us up. Shame on us! They went on, much faster than we were walking. 

We came to another road, and this time we did know it was there because it was clearly marked in yellow on our map. Down the end of this road is a six hundred year old church

We didn't go into the chuchyard, just photographed it from the gate — with the flaring chimneys of the oil refinery rising up twice as high behind it. The juxtaposition of new and old! 

Next to the church we found a picnic area with tables etc — we could have had our lunch in there! (We always find the ideal spot soon after we have weathered an inferior one and moved on.) The roar of the oil refinery chimneys was very loud, and somewhat spoiled the atmosphere of a charming little corner. (We wondered whether the Vicar had to shout his sermon above the racket — if the church is still used.) 

From there it was up and up and up next to a barbed wire security fence. The roar from the oil refinery was loud in our ears as the view over the estuary to Milford Haven gradually revealed itself. Colin faffed around for ages photographing the flames at the top of the chimneys. While I was waiting for him the Welsh couple, previously mentioned, came into view. “How did you get behind us?” I asked. “We stopped at the picnic site to have our lunch!” was their reply. (The hare and the tortoise?) They certainly seemed to have got themselves far more organised than us! Again they went ahead, walking much faster than we could. 

We walked for about a mile along the top, the oil refinery with its loud roar to our left and views across the estuary to Milford Haven to our right. Cows and sheep were grazing up there. We could see mountains on the horizon behind Milford Haven and guessed they might be the Preseli Mountains. We could see water fountains playing over the jetties on the Milford Haven side of the estuary and wondered what their purpose was. 

We descended into trees right down to beach level because we had to go underneath the pipes taking the oil from the tankers to the refinery. It was a steep climb up out of the other side, but the path stayed amongst trees which was much more pleasant than being out in the sun. We were both feeling the heat and were quite weary. We found a rock to sit on and ate some more chocolate because we felt like it. 

Further on we met a group of people coming towards us. First was a woman with two dogs. Following her was a bare-chested man with one dog. And trudging along behind, wearing simple sandals, was a woman with no dog. None of them seemed to have extra coats, rucksacks or similar. The last woman asked me, “Are we nearly at the castle yet?” “Which castle would that be?” I asked, racking my brain to think of a castle we had passed today. “Pembroke Castle!” she answered, “I keep hoping it will be just round the next corner!” “But that's miles away!” I blurted out, “at least five miles!” Her face dropped. “Probably more!” chipped in Colin, “and it's very up and down!” She hurried on to catch up with the others, and we wondered for the rest of the afternoon whether they ever got there.

Some people have no idea of maps, distances, or what hiking entails before they set out on a walk, and then they wonder why they get into trouble. 

At Bullwell Bay we had to walk round a little inlet, but thankfully it was all on the level. Part way round we passed another lime kiln. There are so many of them around the coast in this area, it must have been big business in the old days. 

We then cut away from the coast going uphill because the path cuts a corner of Angle Bay, missing out an old fort. The roar of the oil refinery was much less here because the hill was now in the way. Looking back there was a fine view of the estuary, and I decided to take a picture of Colin with that behind him.

But he was bent down taking a picture of a caterpillar, and before he stood up a group of hikers coming the other way had caught up with me and got in the way. They all stopped further down the path to watch an Irish Ferries ship sail through the view — so that is the picture I took, not at all like the picture I had originally intended. 

These hikers told us that further up the path was a “funny kind of barrier” which blocked the way. They had taken a detour all round the fort in order to get past, but it was”a bit of a long way round”. Oh no! That's all I need when I am so tired and weary! As a parting shot one of the men said, “We couldn't see a reason for the barriers, I expect you can ignore them though you'll have to climb over them!” I'm not very good at climbing over things with my stiff back and metal knees, so we continued in some trepidation. 

We could see the fort to our right, and soon we came to a road and the barriers. They were obviously only for traffic, not pedestrians, and were easily moved aside. We got past without any climbing. Halfway down the barred off road was a fractured culvert which had obviously been replaced. The concrete over it was still setting, so that was why they didn't want cars going down there. We were able to step over it without touching. People panic too much about such things and don't stop to ask, “Why?” I was very glad we didn't have to detour round the fort. 

We were now in Angle Bay, and rather disappointed. From the map we thought we would be walking a path along the top of the beach looking at the bay. Instead we were on a tarmac road between hedges for over a mile! There was hardly any traffic, but we didn't relish walking along a boring tarmac road towards the oil refinery once again. The roaring noise was getting louder too. I found my walking poles useful for power-walking, to get this boring part of the Walk over as soon as possible. 

Where the road at last turned away from the beach there was a car park — well, a space for three cars. I had earmarked that spot for our last rest and chocolate. I was hoping for a seat there but there were none, so we sat on a stone. 

The path led on, and it really was a path this time, along the top of the beach all round the bay. Colin was keen to walk on the beach instead, and I stupidly followed him. It was OK for a bit but not marvellous. Then it got stony, slippery and sinky. We couldn't get back up on to the proper path because there was a sheer wall. Colin said, “There's a slipway over there, we'll get up there.” It wasn't a slipway, it was a piped stream outlet. 

I climbed up that!

We carried on slipping and sliding. There was a break in the wall with natural rocks instead of bricks. This looked a possibility. There were 'sort-of'' steps in the rock, then an earth cliff which we could dig into — at least that was the theory. Colin had to haul me up because I hadn't the strength to pull myself up. The final straw was an electric fence. We both got two belts off it before I sat down and rolled underneath. And I got stung in the process. Then I couldn't get up — my legs are not strong enough to push me up and I cannot kneel on my artificial knees. Colin had to haul me up to standing. Really, we are too old for such high jinks! Colin did admit that walking on the beach today was not one of his best ideas. 

We still had about a mile to go and it seemed interminable. We walked through field after field, all with a pair of gates at each end — and none of the gates were kissing gates! Between one of the pairs of gates was another lime kiln, the third we passed on today's Walk. 

The last bit of the Walk, into Angle, was through trees and it was rather pleasant.

The path turned into a tarmac drive, but we walked on the grass at the side.

There were pictures of birds and animals on the signposts, in the fields and on trees.

It was like a child's fairyland. 

We met an old lady who was local, and she asked us about our Walk. She said the local bus driver was very good, he even stops at the public toilets and waits for anyone who wants to go! (Now that's my kind of bus driver!) 

Later she came back and stopped to chat again. She said she had met a man who planned to walk the entire Pembrokeshire Coast Path in 72 hours so he could claim the 'record'. I said he must be a nutcase. She strode off, faster than we could walk. 

At last we came into the village of Angle. A car slowed down and a woman called out from its window, “I think we all deserve a beer!” It was the Welsh couple who had walked from Pembroke and passed us twice — only they had also walked on to West Angle Bay where they had parked their car. We came to the village church. 

 

That ended Walk no.388, we shall pick up Walk no.389 next time at the village church in Angle. It was ten to six, so the Walk had taken us seven and three quarter hours. We went on about a hundred yards to where our car was parked. We drove to the car park at Freshwater West where we had some biscuits and tea from our flask whilst looking at a beautiful view across the sands. Then we drove back to our caravan at Freshwater East. 

Are we getting too old to continue the Round Britain Walk? Today's Walk was only nine miles, the terrain was quite kind, but we're both knackered! 

We had intended continuing the next day, but the monsoon-like weather returned and dictated otherwise. The following day we returned home, having completed only half the walking we had intended this trip.