Coast Walking (Wales): Milford Haven to Pembroke 17 June 2015

From the Tesco car-park we walked east along the A4026 and then minor roads closer to the sea, where in a small park two statues emerged from the mist - one of a fisherman (representing the former industrial base of the town) and the other a convex oval mirror. The latter was a memorial to four workers killed in an explosion in the oil refinery in 2011. We followed rubbish-strewn footpaths through housing near the estuary of Castle Pill and eventually to Black Bridge to cross it. We continued up the B4325 (past both round-leaved and shining cranesbill), despite a lack of walkways for much of it, until we could diverge right along a footpath across farmland. We had to wait, however, for a herd of cows to pass, being moved from one field to another. Although the paths through uninteresting vegetation gradually moved us closer to the sea, we were kept away from the coast for a long time because of various industrial sites and a large oil refinery. Little was seen of the water as we traversed metal bridges and subways, emerging eventually at the stony muddy beach at Wear Point, which gave us a few shells but had a less than salubrious smell.

A short section of low cliff brought us then along the front at Llanstadwell, a muddy beach, but above it a road of well-kept colourful houses and an abundance of flowers, including many garden escapes, including masses of Mexican fleabane, which showed off particularly well against painted garden walls painted in pastel colours. Among the many escapes here (like love-in-a-mist and night-scented stock) was the rare variety quinquepartita of large bindweed, with strikingly lobed white trumpets. After this was the road along the front of Neyland, curving north beside another inlet, Westfield Pill. The front here was dominated by marinas and boatyards. Taking Ferry Road off to the right (unfortunately not signed as the coast path) we reached a path through woodland bordering the river. This wood had an abundance of ancient woodland indicators such as wood melick, wood millet, great woodrush, and wood anemone. This led directly to the A477 and yet another bridge over the water. Bridges were certainly a major feature of the day, with the largest by far being that whereby the A477 crossed over the wide Milford Haven inlet to Pembroke Dock (a toll bridge). High up and exposed, the wind blew a gale here as though we were on top of Everest; we had to hang on to our hats grimly and fight for breath.

From the next roundabout we could leave the main road for the back streets of Pembroke Dock, a town that did not exist before 1814 when the first five houses were built, three of which were pubs. Although cut off from the water by port buildings we eventually came close to where we could see the Irish Ferry setting off upriver and then turning laboriously round to head for Rosslare. There was a Martello tower here, too, at the bottom of Pembroke Street where we also passed wall plaques commemorating the history of the port and its industry, and an old stamp machine under glass, and on uphill to a wild park and eventually the southern suburbs of the town. The path turned east along the north bank of the Pembroke River, about a couple of hundred metres from shore, through improved (boring) grass pasture and over several streams until we reached water’s edge right below the imposing Pembroke Castle opposite.

Another bridge, this time on the A1439, crossed to Pembroke and up to the Main Street leading from the castle, passing large street posters again harking back to some more glorious past, in this case in relation to tourism.

We had time for a coffee and cake at Williams before catching the bus beside the castle back to Milford Haven’s Tesco. We drove back to Pembroke to stay at the B&B Penfro, an old Georgian house, at the eastern end of the Main Street. We had dinner at the Old Kings Arms, also in Main Street, apparently the only part of the town with any shops and facilities.

We saw very few birds today, but jackdaws were abundant in large raucous crowds everywhere we went. Similarly, the day being overcast and misty, we saw few insects, but the striking thick-kneed flower beetles Oedemera nobilis continued commonly as on previous days on most flower-heads, particularly those of ox-eye daisy. These bright green beetles whose males have swollen thighs like footballers are very distinctive and seem to be more common this year than we have ever seen.