Walk 394 -- Stackpole Quay to Freshwater East

(The bus times were so awkward today we decided to do this Walk in two parts instead.)

Ages: (a) Colin was 79 years and 44 days. Rosemary was 76 years and 186 days. (b) Colin was 79 years and 45 days. Rosemary was 76 years and 187 days.

Weather: (a) Fair-weather cloud. Breezy but warm. (b) Hot and sunny with a cooling breeze when we could get it.

Location: Stackpole Quay to Freshwater East.

Distance: 3 miles.

Total distance: 3981 miles.

Terrain: Grassy cliff paths. Undulating but steps at the beginning where needed, not at the end. 

Tide: (a) Coming in. (b) Out.

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. (a) We drove to Stackpole Quay and parked in the National Trust car park. (b) We didn't use the car at all today. We walked from our caravan down to the beach and picked up the cliff path towards Stackpole Quay. When we reached the halfway point, Greenala Fort, we turned back.

At the end (a) we came to what we considered to be the halfway point, Greenala Fort. We turned round and walked back to Stackpole Quay. After consuming a takeaway lunch at the cafe we tried to drive back to Freshwater East. But the road was closed due to roadworks and we had to go a long way round via Pembroke and Lamphey. A truck was stuck on the bridge at Lamphey which held us up for about half an hour. (b) We walked back to our caravan and had lunch there.

The next day we towed our caravan home to Malvern. 

 

 

 

I can't believe we have a grandson of 32!! Jamie was born on the 21^st June 1989, and we had a lot to do with him as he was growing up. We were very close at the time. But now he lives in Atlanta, USA, and we haven't seen him for three years. That's the way of the world! (The picture is of him, left, with his partner, Matt)

 

 

 

 

(a) We left Stackpole Quay on a steep cliff path, but at least it had steps cut into it. As soon as we got up high we went down almost to sea level again, but that seemed to be the order of the day.

There was a large rock on the rocky beach at that point which showed how the layers of rock had been wrinkled up and then eroded — a true piece of naked geology!

The views were wonderful for the whole Walk. We met a lot of other hikers on this Walk, the Pembrokeshire Coast Path is very popular. 

We passed a sinkhole and could hear the sea gurgling at the bottom of it. We inched as near as we dared to the edge, and could actually see the water at the bottom of the pit. 

There were a huge variety of wild flowers along the route with loads of insects buzzing around them.

A true wildflower meadow, but only for a narrow strip along the coast. 

We walked as far as Greenala Point which we reckoned was halfway between Stackpole Quay and Freshwater East. It is a rocky headland with the remains of an ancient fort on it. There we turned back. 

(b) We started at Greenala Point at the exact spot behind the fort where we had turned round yesterday. The views were spectacular and it was very clear.

At the top of one hill we climbed was a notice on a gate saying “Lundy View”. Sure enough, very faint on the horizon we could just make out Lundy Island which is in North Devon! Looking back we could see Barafundle Bay, in the sunshine today!

The slopes seemed even more steep on this half of the Walk, both up and down. But we coped — taking it very slowly. We saw a lot of rock falls and wondered how recent they were. 

At the top of Trewent Point we walked to the end instead of just cutting across like we had earlier on the way out. It was rather overgrown and underwhelming. I had hoped there would be a seat at the end so we could sit and soak in the view — but there wasn't so we couldn't. 

Freshwater East beach looked great from up there. We had to negotiate a long and steep path coming down to the beach, which was a great strain on my knees. There were no steps. But my knees coped with it, as did I. 

I took a photo of flowering succulents on a garden wall — a dazzling picture! We crossed the stream at the bottom, and that was the end of the Walk. 

 

That ended Walk no.394, we shall pick up Walk no.395 next time where the stream crosses the road at Freshwater East. It was twenty-five to two, so the Walk had taken us two hours forty-five minutes. We walked back to our caravan and had lunch there. 

The next day we towed our caravan home to Malvern.