West Wales

There is something in Pembrokeshire for everyone -- castles to clamber around, beaches to laze on, the coastal path to hike, and the cycle trails to cycle. The highlights for me are the coastal path and its stunning scenery, and the castles, which have so much to do and see. Not forgetting, of course, St. David's, which is just amazing -- the acoustics are superb inside and you can feel the organ's bass notes shaking your body.

Quick Tips:

Visit St. David's Cathedral before 11am as that seems to be the time the coaches full of tourists arrive. Park at the tourist information centre and walk into St. David's -- it's not far . . . then walk back to the carpark along the coastal path taking in St. Non's.

Take water and a hat for the coastal path as some parts are miles from the nearest shop and there is little shade if the sun starts beating down, which it does, even in Wales.

Best Way To Get Around:

Pembrokeshire is vast and rural, so public transport is only useful for the large towns such as Haverfordwest and Milford Haven. After that, a car is the most practical option, allowing you to navigate the country lanes to the small coastal villages. Alternatively, walk -- the coastal path is a strenuous 186 miles of cliffs, but book your accommodation in advance as they get busy and there are few options in some of the rural areas.

A clean, new, single level building with plenty of parking and good facilities. The hostel is open all day to those who already have their key and from 3pm for those checking in. It is situated a five minute walk from the town, beach, and coastal path. It is clearly signposted by both road and coastal path. Many rooms are ensuite and are a good size.

There is a communal kitchen which is small but adequately equipped. The dining area offers fine views of the sea, as does the reading room and TV room. The hostel does do food and for £5-10 you can have a three-course meal. We had soup, chicken, jacket potato, peas, salad, bread, ice cream, and coffee, though there is a wide choice each evening. You can also purchase wine and beer at reasonable prices or bring your own. I'd recommend eating at the hostel as the only pub in town gets very busy unless you go early, though it too has great food.

The staff are very helpful and even double as staff at the pub! A great hostel for families, walkers, or passing tourists.

This is a superb hostel located about two miles inland from the Pembrokeshire coastal path. It is the only five-star hostel in Britain and offers great accommodations. It has the standard youth hostel equipment - a games room, self catering kitchen, annex block for school or family groups, etc. All rooms are ensuite and there is a double room available, plus all rooms have their own TV.

For £5 you can have a lovely dinner - we had cold turkey, potato salad, fresh green salad, coleslaw, and then raspberry cheesecake. The warden/owner Ken was very helpful and offered you more food, in fact he seemed upset we couldn't eat more. They also have a wide range of wines and beers for sale with your meal.

The hostel is a little remote and access without a car wouldn't be easy, the main road is over a mile walk away, along country lanes that would be very dark at night.

I'd recommend this hostel as a great base for exploring the surrounding area, with easy access to St. David's, Solva, and the beaches of Newgale.

This is easily the most spectacular youth hostel I have stayed in in Britain. It doesn't quite top having a view of Mount Cook out of your window, but it's a close second. This hostel is remote, but on the Pembrokeshire coastal path and is situated on the top of a cliff, with a great view down the coast almost to St. David's. Apparently July and August are the best times to visit to see seals and their new born pups in the coves below the hostel, however there are hundreds of birds to see at any time of the year.

The hostel is purely self catering and is small but adequate. The finest feature of the hostel is the conservatory overlooking the cliff view, great for sitting in with a bottle of wine and a bowl of pasta after a hard days walking. The staff are very friendly and helpful. My only word of warning is to book early for this hostel as it's popular with scout groups and other youth groups. This is one of those places that has to be visited just once, hopefully when it's clear and sunny as it could be bleak in the cold and wind !

Firstly don't confuse the location of this hostel, Newport for the Newport in Gwent, they'll no where near each other! This Newport is on the Pembrokeshire coastal path and is about five miles from Fishguard. The hostel has a car park and is 5 minutes from a street of shops, pubs and cafe's. Walking the other way brings you directly onto the coastal path and then along to the small beach area where there are more facilities and an great ice cream shop.

The hostel when we visited was being run by volunteers and so although they were helpful, knew nothing about the area since they were from Yorkshire. However, the hostel was converted from an old school in 1995, so everything is new and smart. The rooms are adequate and the showers hot and very powerful (I switched it on and was propelled into the corner of the shower cubicle!). This hostel is also self catering only but has a huge kitchen and with the local abundance of pubs and cafes, really only cooking breakfast is necessary. A great hostel for families as there is plenty to do in the surrounding area, the beach, Castell Henllys (Iron Age village)is near by as is the ancient burial chamber Pentre Ifan.

This is one of the few hostels to still be run in the traditional style and it was great to be checked in and left to get on with it. (Note: the current wardens retire in November 2003 and it may not stay so traditional after that.) We offered to do jobs as is customary at traditional-style hostels, but were refused. The hostel is small but ideal for walking. It's also not in West Wales, we stayed at it on the way back to South Wales so it's nearer Brecon than the coast.

The rooms are adequate and the toilet, shower facilities good. A cottage on the other side of the road offers a common room, further dorms and facilities. The kitchen isn't very large but manageable. The hostel is self catering only and the nearest pub is five miles away. From a walking perspective there are lots of forests and waterfalls to take in and you could easily use this as a base for a week's walking.

This is an extremely busy little cafe a few minutes walk from the bustling St. David's Cathedral. The walls are covered with samplers hence the name of the cafe and a card with details of the history of each is available. The menu is basic cafe food, though I must say I ordered peppermint tea and was amazed to discover it was made with fresh peppermint leaves from the garden -- a far superior cup of tea to that which comes in a teabag. We also had some sandwiches which involved choosing our bread and filling from a wide choice. I had waldorf filling which was soft cheese, apple, celery, and walnuts -- an interesting but very tasty sandwich filler. There was also a good range of cakes but I resisted those! The cafe also sells baguettes and loaves of bread though that isn't obvious from the outside. Ideally you should get here before midday to avoid the rush of coachloads looking for a cup of tea. The cafe is closed two days a week.

Th Galleon Inn is the only pub in Broad Haven and you can't miss it as it's painted bright yellow and is situated on the sea front.

We arrived about 6pm for food thinking this was early however at 6:15pm we grabbed the last table available in the upstairs 'Captain's Table Restaurant'. Although the upstairs is called a restaurant it's just a quieter area to eat the same food as you can order downstairs in the bar but since this is a small pub and very very busy, getting a table is tricky.

The food however is superb. In the restaurant we were served by a very helpful and nice lady called Sue. I had pork chop with red wine and cranberry gravy, fresh new minted Pembrokeshire potatoes and peas. Sadly the peas were tinned but the rest of the meal was wonderful. My partner had a beef and ale pie that was huge and came with potatoes and peas. We were too full to attempt dessert but there was a good range to choose from and Sue will fetch you extra drinks from the car if need be.

In summary, good food, reasonably priced with good service in a very popular pub.

The Cambrian Inn has a restaurant with a separate seating area and a bar area with a separate menu. We opted for the bar menu, the bar staff were very helpful in providing us with a table, a menu and advise on the local real ales. This was where I discovered Felinfoel for the first time, it's a smooth, non chemical tasting real ale and is gorgeous. The Welsh believe it to be expensive at £2-20 a pint however for those of us from England this is normal beer prices and those from London would consider this cheap!

The menu had a wide range of food but we both opted for a Welsh Black Beef Curry with poppodums, pilau rice and mango chutney. We smelt it before we saw it and it was divine. For dessert, I had the Cambrian speacial - blakc cherries wrapped in pancakes with icecream and a cherry and cream sauce - this was sheer heaven. My partner had a very nice apple pie an cream.

The food here is wonderful, the staff helpful and friendly and the whole atmosphere is laid back and pleasant.

This cafe is small, but pleasant and has the added luxury of an open plan kitchen, so you can watch your lunch being made. The menu is extensive, but all we had was paninis. You can have two fillings or, for a few pence more, three fillings. We ordered ham, cheese and pineapple, but they forgot to put the pineapple in -- it didn't matter because there was so much of the other two fillings that the cheese oozed everywhere -- beautiful. We also had tea, which came in a pot with a milk jug, cup and saucer, and a small chocolate flower.

A great meal and really friendly staff. It is clearly a busy place with the locals as well as tourists and I wish we'd had time to go back and try something else.

Words fail to describe the beauty and the feeling of being in the middle of nowhere.

The coastal path is superbly signposted and maintained with excellent maps for purchase too incase you want to meander off the path on circular trails or to places of interest. It's also the only coastal national park in Britain and arguably one of the best NP's.

You need to book accommodation ahead as it gets very busy and after a long day trekking up and down cliffs you don't want to find yourself without a bed. There are lots of youth hostels and B&B's along the route. Pwll Deri youth hostel is probably the most stunning on the path.

Also allow yourself time to visit some of the pretty villages, for exaple Solva is a great place to stop for icecream. You'll need to allow yourself time to see St. David's and the other intersting sites along the way.

The flora is wonderful, in May it was a mass of bluebells, soft green bracken, foxgloves and pink flowers with buzzing bumble bees everywhere. We even managed to see some seals and hundreds of birds.

The main fort at this site was built in 1093 and remained in use as a house until 1945. The massive walls enclose a large grassy courtyard area and it is possible to walk around almost the whole of the outer walls, there are some great views over the town and river from up there. Children love this castle as there are so many steps and towers to explore. The original keep is open for viewing and in the main tower at the entrance to the castle is an interesting exhibit of the uses and history of the castle over the centuries. The history behind the castle is vast, basically, it was the birthplace of Henry VII and was besieged twice in the civil war, with Cromwell finally taking command. Down a very steep and long spiral staircase is Wogan's Cavern, a large natural cave beneath the castle which would orginally have been used to take in goods from the river, though now the river is a considerable distance from the cave. It's very impressive and worth the climb down.

the castle is privately kept and is open from 9:30am-6pm April-October and 10am-4pm November to February. During the summer months the castle also hosts falconry displays and medieval exhibits.

Carew Castle is a huge and impressive castle looming over the River Carew. Sadly now they are just limestone ruins but there is enough of them left for you to imagine their former glory and to clamber around the towers and walls. The castle was built by Gerald de Windsor but was abandoned in 1690, so it's incredible so much of it remains in such good shape. The site also boasts a fine Celtic Cross built in the 11th century.

The tidal mill can be reached from the castle on a one mile circular walk which is clearly signposted and offers an all round view of the castle. The mill is Wales' only working tidal mill and one of only three in Britain. It has been restored by the national park authority. It works like this -- the tide fills the millpond twice a day and some of the water is released through a sluice gate which turns an underground wheel and drives the cornmill inside. The mill is displayed on 3 floors and each floor has a button to press for a description of what you are looking at and how it works -- this is particularly good and offers a good insight into the works of this unusual place.

You can buy a joint ticket for the castle and tidal mill for £3 and they're open from 10am-5pm Easter to October.

On your way past the tidal mill there is also a small shop (doubling as an art studio) which sells fantastic ice cream as well as homemade bara brith and other cakes.

Castell Henllys is visible fromt he A487 as an Iron age fortress on a mountain side. You follow the signs down some narrow lanes to a leafy carpark and then to the ticket office. Entry around £3. From there you can enjoy the leafy trails up to the fortress. Castell Henllys is a reconstructed Iron Age hillfort and has been reproduced based on archeological digs. There are several round houses on the site and each shows a different part of iron age life. The amazing thatch roofs are wonderfully constructed of reeds from the river. Positioned around the trails and buildings are boards explaining how iron age man would have used them. So, for example, the Iron Age used the river for water, but since it's at the bottom of the hill, they also collected rain water on the hill. There is also livestock and a herb garden as used by Iron Age villagers. The roundhouses are cool and pleasant and there are people around to answer your questions.

This really is an interesting and unique insight into how Iron Age man lived and would be enjoyed by adults and children alike.

The showcaves are situated about halfway between Swansea and Brecon just off the main A4067 and so are accessible from either direction. On arrival at the main reception area you buy your ticket and then follow the route around the caves and dinosaur park.

First stop is the Dan-yr-Ogof cave, discovered in 1912 by two brothers. You enter through a couple of sets of doors designed to keep the temperature and then follow the path through the cave, there are lights along the way and stalactites and stalacmites everywhere. There are also pools and rivers, it is beautiful and goes on for miles. You exit out the same way and continue on the the Cathedral Cave discovered in 1953.

The lake is fed by two large waterfalls and the noise of the water is wonderful, you can even walk between them and surprisingly not get wet ! Then it's on around the dinosaurs, hundreds of life size models all with name tags and informtation, this is the bit the kids love best. After that there is a climb up some steep steps to Bone Cave, so named as there have been 42 human skeletons found there, most dating back 3000 years to the Bronze Age. You need to put on a hard hat and bend down (not good if you have a bad back) and then enter the cave. Once inside you can stand up and view the spectacular exhibit and listen to the hostory around the cave.

Once you've finished with the caves then you can visit the Shire Horse Centre and for children there is Barney Owl's playground, which is inside a converted barn. The Showcaves have something for everyone and are amazing.

The walk starts at St. David's National Park Visitor's Centre just off the A478. There is a carpark here and you can park all day for £1-50. Coming on foot out of the carpark turn left towards Caerfai (visitor's centre is on your right). Follow the raod for about 1km until it ends at Caerfai Bay. At the carpark, turn right on to the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, following the acorn signposts and follow around the headland to the next bay.

Here you will find St. Non's Chapel. Non was St. David's mother (St. David is the patron saint of Wales). The Chapel is small, but pretty. Continue on along the coastal path to Porthclais Harbour.

Walk along the inlet road, then turn right and take the footpath immediately on your right beside the wooden gate. The views of the harbour are lovely. Follow the footpath through Porthclais Farm and on past Warpool Court hotel. (The path is between fields and the long grass can be very wet). Turn left onto the St. Non's Road and follow it into St. David's, turn right into Goat Street and follow it to Cross Square. Here is a good place to stop and visit the cathedral (which is down to your left) or have a coffee in one of the many cafes.

To get back to the carpark, continue up the High Street and the visitor's centre will be on your right.

Rhodiad-y-Brenin is on the B4583, pass through the village and take the minor road on the left, after 250 metres it bends sharply to the left. Park somewhere here on the verge but dont obstruct the bend. Once on foot take the small tarmac road to the right. Continue along it for 50 metres before turning right along Feidr Dwr (Water Lane) which really is wet and muddy. On reaching the next tarmac road, turn left and continue to Treleidr Farm, turn right in front of the hay barn (it's signposted) and follow the narrow path between hedgerows. (This can be wet too). Continue over the stile and bear left. A good detour here is to climb Penberry, it's on your right and best approached from behind, the view is stunning - you can see your car from here!

Once back down on the main path continue to the next stile and follow the coastal path westwards for about 2km. This is where you should keep an eye out for the rare chough -- they're black with red legs and make a strange noise. Also there are seals along here in the coves.

After you pass Porth-y-Dwfr, take the signposted track inland above the cove of Porth-gwyn and climb steeply (actually it's really very long and steep) between Carn Treliwyd and Carn Ffald. If you haven't collapsed at the top, continue down the other side to the settlement of Treleddyd Fawr. Walk through the farmyard, turn right and walk down the tarmac lane. Turn left at the lane and follow it round the edge of the settlement. Bear right onto the footpath past Ty Uchaf (a house with the name outside), cross the next field, turn right down the track to Trelewyd Farm and continue on to the road. Turn left on the road and follow back to your car.

I did this path earlier in the morning before most people were out and about and, for the first two-thirds of it, saw nobody - it was beautiful and peaceful. I'd recommend you take water and supplies as it is a bit strenous in places, but the views make it worth the effort.

St David's town is a small town but historically vital to Wales. St David was born to girl called Non (see walk including St. Non's Chapel) around 520. As he grew up he settled into ascetic life in the Celtic Church and founded his own monastic community at Glyn Rhosyn. The vale is supposed to have had no fresh water until David prayed whereupon a spring shot up at his feet. David died in 589 and his church became a place of pilrimage. It is said that two pilgrimages to St. David's is equivilent to one to Rome and three are equivalent to visiting Jerusalem. In the 18th century, St. David became patron saint of Wales.

The cathedral itself is hidden from view by the hills and you find yourself coming across it rather unexpectedly. The spectacular grey cathedral has been added to over the years but commands a beauty that surpasses most cathedrals. Inside the beauty of the columns and wooden roof give this cathedral an amazing feeling. Walk around slowly in the hope the organ will start off - the bass notes shake your body and St. David's is rumoured to have the best accoustics of any cathedral. The chance to see a concert here shouldn't be missed, details can be obtained from the tourist information office.

This is one of the finest cathedrals I have visited and shouldn't be missed. I plan to return at some point as the views and power of the place are quite extraordinary.

The Bishop's Palace stands in the same hollow as St. David's Cathedral and although it may be a ruin, it shouldn't be missed out. The palace was built mainly by Bishop Henry de Gower. He built the main hall in the 14th century. No expense was spared in the creation of the palace and there are lavish stone carvings, two complete sets of state rooms, a 30foot great hall, private chambers, another hall, a kitchen, chapels and a courtyard. The palace is also decorated with arcded parapets and chequered stonework. Even what remains of the palace can give the visitor a sense of the wealth and power that once filled this area.

Between the Palace and Cathedral is a pleasant little giftshop and the River Alun (a stream by some standards), but pretty nonetheless.

You need at least a half day to do full justice to the Cathedral, Bishop's Palace and immediate area, so allow for it and then perhaps take the circular walk in the afternoon taking in Porthclais and St. Non's (see separate journal entry).

Another word of advice would be to arrive early or later in the day as around 11am, the tour buses start dropping off their hoards and it starts to get crowded.

Basically the Rhondda Heritage Park is a mine tour and a very good one at that. In a previous life this was the Lewis Merthyr Colliery which produced it's last coal in the 1980's. On arrival you are met by a smart new building with a reception area, shop and gallery. After purchasing your ticket and being told the time of your tour (the tour takes about 1.5 hours), you can look around the displays of old miners houses and see how they used to live in the surrounding valleys. The Rhondda was a huge commercial area for producing coal and for a long time produced the best coal in the world. It was dug out around the clock and taken by train to Cardiff docks where it was shipped around the world. The Rhondda valley filled with people working in the mines and then over time coal was no longer so popular and extraction became more expensive. Thus followed the privitisation of the coal industry, riots, strikes and eventually in the mid-eighties the end of coal production in the area. Prior to this time, the miners had there own culture and the tour highlights the ups and downs of life as a miner.

Your tour begins with a short video in the lift wheel room. Then you follow your tour guide (a genuine retired miner) to a seating area for a second video. The wax characters in the room speak so hold onto small children who are prone to leaping from their seats at such things. Then comes the exciting bit - the mock up mine. In truth, you don't go very far underground, but you feel as though you have. You see and have explained to you how the coal was extracted and transported and get to ask lots of questions to which the guides know all the answers. Then it's off to a simulated ride back to the surface - it's a bit Indiana Jones-like, so again, hold on to the children, as they are likely to love this bit and scream, etc. After this is another short video explaining about the brass bands, the life of the miners outside of the mine, and the demise of mining in the area.

This is one of the best mines I have ever been to and far exceeds the slate mine tours in north Wales. This a must visit for anyone particularly those interested in the mining industry or the historical era of mining and the most famous valley in Wales - The Rhondda.

There are several ways to access Strumble Head, you can either drive from Goodwick and park in the small carpark or you can access it from either Pwll Deri or Goodwick via the coastal path (Pwll Deri is the shorter route). The whole section of coast here is rugged and in spring smothered in pink flowers and bluebells, a truly beautiful sight.

Strumble Head itself is a white lighthouse sat on an island linked to the mainland by a small bridge. (The lighthouse will blind you several times if approaching via the path from Pwll Deri so watch your footing.) There is a viewing point out to sea, just past the lighthouse. This area is a good viewing spot for passing whales and dolphins. Whilst I was sat retying my boot we spotted some porpoises feeding and were able to sit watching them for some time. Seals are also regular visitors to this area though we didn't see any, possibly because we were too absorbed with the porpoises or possibly because they weren't around.

Strumble Head is worth a visit whether you are driving or walking past, you never know what wildlife will be on view and if there isn't any it's still a beautiful spot.

Solva about five miles from St. David's and lies about the same distance from Newgale. The main road passes straight through the town and just before it goes up a steep hill there is a free carpark on the left. The carpark however is busy but if you drive around a few times a space is sure to appear. The car park overlooks the harbour and beach area and the stream/river that descends down from the hills into it.

There are several things to do here, the first is to take a look at the limestone kilns on the beach. Another option is to take the coastal path up on to the top for a full biew of the caostline and harbour area -- it's beautiful up here. If however, you've had enough coastal views the town has some lovely craft and arty shops as well as a number of pubs (see Cambrian Inn entry). There is a large Welsh shop selling touristy items as well as local craft items and a good range of maps and walking routes. A gallery further along the road hosts a surprisingly large cafe at it's rear and some lovely icecream, follow the small signs through the gallery to the back.

Solva was a surprise as it was lively and had lots to look at. A great place to stop for lunch if nothing else.