Walk on Wales

Freshwater East to Saundersfoot

These 2 days of the walk were rather different in a number of ways. The most important difference being that here I had company. There is a team of Welsh Guards, ex-Welsh Guards, colleagues, friends and supporters who are currently walking the Wales coast path for the Welsh Guards benevolent fund and the charity “Combat stress”. Back in August I saw them on their way at Chester racecourse, and here, Freshwater East, is where their walk reaches the stage I have got to, and as I am free for the next 2 days, our paths can cross here.

Having left the car at Lamphey station, I met up with the walkers back at Freshwater East where we walked along the bay and then headed onto the cliffs. Some of the towns and villages came and went pretty quickly, there was a chance to get our breath at Manorbier, and, about 4 miles further along the coast, a coffee stop at Lydstep. Unfortunately, by this stage, one of the walkers had suffered a sprained ankle and had to continue on the journey by car. The last I heard was that it’s nothing too serious, and he is recovering well.

Another few headlands later, and there were views of Caldey Island from Penally. I don’t know much about the island other than it is the home of a monastery and a community of Cistercian monks. Perhaps a retreat there at a later date might be an option, but I have no plans for that at present.

Another view offered from here was the view across the sands to Tenby. 

To say that I was last here when I was 12, it didn’t bring back as many memories as I thought it might. I remember the holiday, but from what I saw of the town, no, sorry, there wasn’t anything that jogged my memory further. Walking across the sands reminded me of the opening to “Chariots of Fire” I don’t know why it should, we were walking, not jogging and that part of the film was made in Scotland, not Wales, but all the same, the vast expanse of sand was not dis-similar.

Lunch had been provided by one of the cafés (thank-you), then, after a visit to the lifeboat station, there was a slight detour from the official coastal path to go through the High Street.

For the second time in as many stages of the walk, someone stopped me and said “Are you a Methodist Minister?” I can’t go anywhere without being recognised. This lady attended one of my colleague’s churches in Liverpool when I was in another part of the circuit. She was visiting family in S Wales, but all the same, it was quite something for us to both be in Tenby High Street on the same afternoon.

Actually, I was quite glad of the diversion away from my fellow walkers for a moment or two – and I say that for the best of reasons. As the walk passed through the High Street, a record shop played “The British Grenadiers” and “Men of Harlech” through its tannoy. That led to the good people of Tenby applauding the walkers – and very well-deserved applause it was too. Given the stories that I had heard that day, I was happy to be a step removed from the walkers. What reason did I have to receive applause? OK, the walk around the coast path is quite an achievement, but unlike some of the fellow walkers, I haven’t served in Iraq or Afghanistan, I haven’t lost a son in the Falklands It was good to be spending 2 days walking with them, but it was also good to step aside for a moment and join in the applause of them as well.

There had been some hills along the coast path this morning – this is Pembrokeshire after all! There was one particularly steep hill to come for the final push into Saundersfoot. Not only was it steep, but there were a number of steps added to the path. I’m sure these did help, but it was an extra effort. It was very pleasant to make the descent to Saundersfoot where yet another café offered coffee to the walkers. Thank-you.

From there it was a lift to Saundersfoot station (which is nowhere near the town centre!) for the train back to Lamphey before spending a final night at the Travelodge, Pembroke Dock

Day 2 - Saundersfoot to Laugharne.

I began the day by driving to Laugharne and meeting up with the Walk on Wales minibus for the journey back to Saundersfoot.

After meeting my fellow walkers, some of who had joined today, the walk began with a relatively flat stretch to Amroth, which isn’t a big place, but it was emormously significant. It is the town which marks the end of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. After 13 months, over 180 miles and goodness knows how many feet of ascent and descent along the cliffs, I had done it! It was a great sense of achievement, but this was not even the end of today’s stage of the walk, much less the end of the Wales Coast path, There are still about 200 miles to cover between here and Chepstow.

Anyway, it is an achievement, so there is cause to celebrate. However, celebrations are short-lived, as 3 killer hills to welcome you to Carmarthenshire. Now this is one place where there was a distinct dis-advantage to being part of a large group. It is, of course, only right and proper that we all wait for the slowest walkers before getting too far ahead. 

Unfortunately, the group spread out by quite some way over these hills, causing quite a wait for the faster walkers after hill number 2. I was about mid-way, so I simply took advantage of the time to get my breath back, but I could sense a bit of unease. Some were keen to get on, and  have to admit, had I been walking on my own, I would not have been here for this length of time. However, we all met up again eventually, and one of the slower walkers who was also suffering a bit from asthma decided to call it a day and support from the car for the rest of the day.

From hill number 3, there were stunning views of Pendine and the sands. That was followed by a lovely drop down into the town and lunch.

It looked as if the easiest way to continue the coast walk was to simply walk along the beach. Unfortunately, the sands are MOD-owned, so there had to be a diversion inland. It began as a good pavement alongside a road, w hich was not too bad, but then it turned to muddy fields – including cows walking with us at one point (!) and then a short stretch on a road with no pavement, some blind bends and some quite hairy moments with the traffic.

Eventually, though, there came the final turn off for the path. There had been a bit of an incline on the road, and we thought that was the hill which the leaders had been talking about earlier. Unfortunately, no, that was still to come, but it did offer great views of Laugharne.

Yesterday, the weather was lovely. Today was a mixture of sunshine and heavy showers. To be fair, that was better than the forecast which promised non-stop, torrential rain. Unfortunately, they were the conditions which greeted us on arrival in Laugharne, so it was some very brief goodbyes, then into the car to dry off and start the journey home.

That will almost certainly conclude the coastal walk for another year. I am actually slightly ahead of schedule, which was to finish the Pembrokeshire coast by Christmas. There will be more to come, and, all being well, the conclusion of the journey round Wales in 2014