Ages: Colin was 79 years and 43 days. Rosemary was 76 years and 185
days.
Weather: Drizzle which kept coming and going.
Location: Bosherston Lily Ponds to Stackpole Quay.
Distance:
3 miles.
Total distance: 3978 miles.
Terrain: A steep and difficult start over soft sand. Otherwise
gently undulating grassy cliff paths.
Tide: In.
Rivers: None.
Ferries:
None.
Piers:
None.
Kissing
gates: Nos.958, 959 and 960.
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 Stackpole Quay and parked in the National Trust
car park. The bus times were too awkward to use today, so we walked
to Eight Arch Bridge, then alongside one of the lily ponds to the
bench overlooking Broad Haven South beach.
At the
end we came to Stackpole Quay and drove back to our caravan at
Freshwater East.
We started today's
Walk by sitting on the bench at the end of the lily ponds overlooking
Broad Haven Beach where we finished the last Walk. We had just
completed a lovely saunter from Stackpole Quay via Eight Arch Bridge,
so we rested there and ate our lunch. The coast path almost
immediately left the lily ponds, which we have very much enjoyed
walking round over the past few days, and took us up an almost
vertical slope of very soft sand. Every time we put a foot forward
it slipped down again almost to where it had started — it was a
real struggle to get up to the top of the cliffs. But it was well
worth it for the views over Broad Haven Beach and the lily ponds.
It was a relief to
get on to a firm grassy path. We were both wearing our kags already,
but when the drizzle intensified we struggled into our overtrousers.
Then the rain practically stopped, of course! I took my overtrousers
off pretty soon because I find them too hot and I'd rather have wet
trouser legs. We walked round several inlets and a huge sinkhole
looking at the rocks. But when we got to Stackpole Head the wind and
rain intensified. It was really quite nasty out there, so we cut
across the 'neck' and missed it out. We were surprised at
the number of people out walking the cliff paths on this rainy day —
not what we're used to. But we Brits have come to appreciate the
natural world a lot more since Covid struck. Most of us have to
holiday at home this year because foreign travel is so difficult with
all the new rules and regulations which seem to change on a daily
basis. If you manage to get to your foreign resort for a holiday,
you never know whether you'll be able to get home without having to
spend over £1000 to isolate in a hotel for ten days. So all British
resorts are crowded out this year. As we descended to
Barafundle Bay the rain eased off, and we felt nothing under the
trees. Barafundle has been my favourite beach ever since I first
discovered it back in the 1970s. I had really been looking forward
to getting there on our Grand Coastal Trek, and I was mildly annoyed
that it was raining on the very day we passed through. The trouble
is that nowadays this remote and lovely beach, which is completely
undeveloped and can only be reached by walking across the cliff tops,
has been discovered by far too many other people. I was counting the
discarded plastic bottles, and Colin saw at least half a dozen
throwaway barbecues strewn on the sand. So sad. But the beach is
still beautiful! We walked across
the sand, then climbed the steep steps out of it. At the top we sat
down just to gaze at this amazing strip of sand to really appreciate
it. (If only we were there on our own, not having to share it
with about a hundred other people!) Eventually we tore
our selves away and walked a mile over the hill to Stackpole Quay
which is a tiny rocky harbour built in the 19th century
for the limeworks nearby. That ended Walk
no.393, we shall pick up Walk no.394 next time at the entrance to
Stackpole Quay. It was twenty to three, so the Walk had taken us two
hours ten minutes. We walked up to the car park and drove back our
caravan at Freshwater East.
No comments:
Post a Comment