Walk 391 -- Freshwater West to Merrion

 Ages: Colin was 79 years and 40 days. Rosemary was 76 years and 182 days. 

Weather: Sunny with a light breeze. 

Location: Freshwater West to Merrion. 

Distance: 4 miles. 

Total distance: 3968 miles. 

Terrain: Mostly grassy paths parallel to the roads we thought we were going to have to walk. Also across fields. A little uneven in places. Very gently undulating. 

Tide: Coming in. 

Rivers: None. 

Ferries: None. 

Piers: None. 

Kissing gates: None. 

Pubs: None. 

‘Cadw’ properties: None. 

Ferris wheels: None. 

Diversions: None. 

How we got there and back: We were caravanning at Freshwater East. This morning we drove to Merrion and parked off-road by the fence of Castlemartin Ranges. From there we caught the bus to Freshwater West. 

At the end we came to the gateway leading on to the military ranges. The gate was shut and a red flag was flying. We walked along the road to where our car was parked and drove back to our caravan at Freshwater East. 

 

By today the swelling of my hand is reduced, and the blackness is fading. I can grip things better and it is not so painful. 

Today's Walk was entirely inland thanks to the Army who commandeered this beautiful chunk of the Welsh coast back in 1938 and have steadfastly refused to give it back ever since. They were out there today shooting away with their big guns and letting off smoky bombs. We thought we were going to be walking entirely on roads and neither of us were looking forward to it, but the bus driver on the way pointed out all the footpaths that have been put in parallel to the roads but behind hedges and sometimes across fields. 

We started at the Freshwater West car park. Freshwater West is a popular surfing beach, the waves come in to this shallow beach directly from the Atlantic. This morning there were a few surfers milling about in the car park but none in the water — I think the tide was too far out. When the tide is right, they are there in their hundreds, and surfing schools take place. We walked a few yards on the road in the wrong direction to start our Walk in order to access the first footpath

At first I wished I'd brought my poles because the ground was a bit uneven. I hadn't brought them because they are such a nuisance when walking on roads, and in the end I was glad I had left them behind because it left my injured hand free for the blood to flow and so reduce the swelling. 

When this path came out on to the road there was another gate almost opposite which lead us to a path parallel to the road but behind a hedge. So we were well protected from the traffic which tends to rush down this narrow lane towards the surfing beach. This path was along the border of the ranges so we could hear the gunfire quite close — it sounded as if we were in a war zone! We passed the occasional red flag and notices telling us to keep out.

Approaching a farm our path, which was well signposted, led away from the road and crossed several fields.

Despite the notice on a gate we didn't meet any bulls! We came across some cows at one point but they took very little notice of us. We eventually came to a lane leading into Castlemartin, and along there we came to a deserted children's playground with picnic tables. We went in there so I could have a sit-down because I needed a rest. (Today's Walk was so short we hadn't brought any food, just water.) 

Sufficiently watered and rested, we carried on up to the roundabout in Castlemartin. The road through the ranges, which we had driven along last Monday, was closed with a gate across. There was also a car parked in front of it. In a box next to it sat a man to stop anybody going through (What a job!) 

We took the road signposted “Warren”, and after a few yards there was a gate leading to a parallel path behind the hedge. This led gently uphill for about half a mile. 

At the top of the hill we came to a “Range Viewing Area” where you can see more or less the whole of the territory used by the Army. Several cars were parked there and one man was out with binoculars. But quite honestly there wasn't really anything much to see, it was more the sound of the booming guns that interrupted our peaceful Walk. 

From there our path led across several fields completely skirting the hamlet of Warren. It was actually a short cut. We eventually emerged on to a lane just a few yards north of the crossroads where a road leads off to Stack Rocks. A red flag was flying and a gate across the road was shut. We hope it will be open for the next Walk on Saturday!

That ended Walk no.391, we shall pick up Walk no.392 next time at the gate to the ranges near Merrion. It was ten past twelve, so the Walk had taken us two hours, forty minutes. We walked along the road to where our car was parked and drove back for lunch in our caravan at Freshwater East. 

Today was a bit of a bum Walk — we don't get much out of walking across fields and it certainly wasn't by the coast. But it was not as bad as it might have been, we hardly touched the roads.