This part of Pembrokeshire,
in south west Wales,takes in mainly the area around St. Davids
and to the south. It has a spectacular coastline with rugged
cliffs broken by broad, sandy beaches and narrow inlets. Twisting
(and sometimes very narrow) country lanes join small villages and
coastal bays.
In Spring and early Summer the verges and hedgerows are brought
to life by many different types of wildflower, and on sunny days
the sea is a deep, Mediterranean blue.
There are few towns of any size in the area. Haverfordwest
occupies a more-or-less central position and has a reasonable
range of shops. It has improved a lot since we first started to
visit Pembrokeshire, many years ago. Further south the town of
Milford Haven has long been dominated by two large oil terminals
with refineries because the water in its estuary is very deep.
However, these refineries are now less active than once was the
case and part of the old harbour area is being redeveloped to
give it a more 'marina-style' feel with shops, offices
and places to eat.
St. Davids (said to be the smallest city in the UK) is small and
a little touristy: it is at the centre of an area popular for
surfing and diving with wonderful, wide beaches. The cathedral is
very small and worth a visit - it has an oddly sloping floor. The
nearby village of Solva has a number of craft shops and a
generally 'artistic' feel. The small, coastal village of
Porthgain to the north of St. Davids is dominated by the
strangely-attractive remains of what was once a busy stone quarry
and stone crushing complex. During the first half of the
20
th Century it was caught up in a road-building boom
and from its tiny harbour crushed stone was once exported to many
places in Europe; now it is a picturesque village with several
art galleries and local artists. There is also a good pub - The
Sloop - that dates back hundreds of years and is well known
locally.
For most visitors to Pembrokeshire the main attractions are
probably the beaches and the coastal views. The Pembrokeshire
Coastal Path runs around most of the county, and is a splendid
way to see the shoreline and to reach a number of otherwise
inaccessible beaches - good examples being Musselwick Sands or
Marloes Beach.
Our favourite seaside village is Littlehaven, still largely
unspoilt and with wonderful views out to sea. At low tide it is
possible to walk on the sands around the rocky headland to the
neighbouring (and larger) village of Broadhaven.
A great day out (depending to some extent on the time of year) is
a landing trip to the island of Skomer, a short boat ride from
the mainland. Skomer is the largest of several islands nearby and
a permanent wildlife sanctuary, home to many types of seabird. We
saw gulls of all shapes and sizes but our favourite must be the
puffins nesting in burrows along the edges of the cliffs. Reach
the island from the landing stage at Martins Haven.
We stayed at Creampots Caravan Site, close to Broadhaven. Very
good.
© GDS 2004
