Isle of Wight coast path

I have made several attempts to go to the Isle of Wight and finally I did it. My goal was to walk around the island on the coast path. It was a very varied walk, very windy and a quiet time of year.

14 May I took the ferry from Southampton to East Cowes and started out on the IOW coast path. At first it wasn't much of a coast path: a main road then a minor road and I stopped to shelter by a house for a downpour. I looked at a little church in Wootton with nice carved doorway, crossed an inlet at Fishbourne and checked out Quarr Abbey (Cistercian), the new red brick abbey built last century and ruins of the walls of the original 12th c abbey in a field. Wooded bridleways to Binstead, an inlet, then Ryde and I was almost on the coast but I was separated from the water by the railway line and hoverport.

Finally from Ryde, 14 kilometres in, I walked along an esplanade by Appley beach (pausing to watch the bowling at the bowls club while avoiding a shower) with the tide way out exposing a huge expanse of sand and Portsmouth across the Solent looking very close. I passed Appley tower on the esplanade (belvedere from a house that has gone)

and could see two forts in the water off the mainland. At Seaview I went onto the beach, quite rocky and pebbly at low tide, and went a long way around a wooded point with landslides to St Helens esplanade. A lonely ruined church tower by the beach.

From there I crossed a weird area called the Duver on a long stone causeway with slimy rock pools, marshes and patches of sea grass on both sides. Then back on a road passing a line of houseboats and a wooded lane into Bembridge where I bought food as it began raining.

The map showed a campsite nearby in a field but the gate was locked so I went on to the beach to seek out camping possibilities along the coast: nothing. Just then it started raining seriously and as soon as it eased off I went back to the field and put up my tent (later the owner called by). The rain got much worse and there was some thunder then in the night the sky was clear and starry. 27 kms

15 May Better weather. I went down to the beach and the tide was coming in; the beach looked more attractive with the slimy rocks covered by water but I had to be quick to get along the sand so as not to get stranded on a rocky promontory I could see. At first I had to walk over lots of seaweed and then tiny pebbles and I had to scramble a bit at the promontory (many landslides above and the wet clay soil covering the rock was slippery) but on the far side was a sandy beach and great view of Culver cliff, white chalk.

I went up onto the cliff top past a big caravan park and across grassy Bembridge Downs with good coast views ahead and behind. This is out of the Solent and facing the English Channel. I reached Sandown with a long sandy beach and walked along the esplanade. 

I continued on the esplanade beneath yellow cliffs, a continuous line of beach boxes, to Shanklin which was mostly on top of the cliffs, and went up on steps that were officially closed but possible to squeeze past the barriers. Then a couple of detours inland through grassy downs with sea views and I arrived at the top part of Bonchurch where I could claim to see France across the Channel at a viewpoint. There was a long descent on narrow steps between two cliffs, a break on roads and another similar descent. Another officially closed section where the barrier had been pushed aside. So much of the original coast path is closed, mainly due to landslides, it's a shame. I reached the water again and walked on an esplanade into Ventnor. The weather had become iffy and there was a cold wind. I had a cream tea. 

I was able to walk out of Ventnor close to the water passing a couple of coves then on nice grassy slopes but soon reached a diversion which took me up into a village, St Lawrence. I made the most of this by checking out the tiny 12th c church. I rejoined the trail and walked at the edge of fields on the cliff top; sometimes I had a view over the dense woodland of the undercliff with constant landslides. I tried a short distance on an open undercliff stretch: steep steps, overhanging crumbly rocks and thick vegetation. 

I could see bad weather coming and when the downpour arrived I stopped at a seat facing the way I'd come because the rain would have been blowing right in my face; I realised this would be the perfect place to camp so once the rain stopped I put up my tent. After the rain the sky brightened up a bit but the temperature plummeted. I lay in my tent watching ferries crossing the Channel. 24 kms

16 May I walked through the fields into Niton to get breakfast. Then I went off the coast path to go to St Catherine's lighthouse which meant a descent through the undercliff to the coast - ironically not the coast path - (and getting over a barbed wire fence at a path closure). The lighthouse was nothing special but beyond it was a lovely bay and several pods of dolphins not far offshore. I had good views of the chalk escarpment above the undercliff, which ended near here. I could also see in the distance the white cliffs leading to the Needles. I climbed back to the top with a much better angle on the lighthouse

and walked on the cliffs with a great view of the cliffs ahead as they changed in colour from grey near me to yellow further west to reddish and then white. 

I came down to go through the village of Chale and returned to the cliff top for a good stretch on the yellow cliffs above a long yellow sandy beach (no access)

punctuated by a detour on the main road which was not nice because it was petrol head weekend on the island with a steady stream of noisy cars going past. The headwind was strong and cold. More cliff top walking on flat grassland with plenty of wildflowers

and I almost reached the end of the yellow section. The rock was very eroded, the 40 metre cliffs often shelving gradually from the water, sometimes with a bowl of vegetation part way up, and looked extremely crumbly. I came off the top onto a pebble beach (ignoring a path closed sign) saw a farm campsite and stopped early.

I went into Brighstone, looked in the 12th c two nave church, bought snacks and got caught in the rain. So I returned to the church to shelter. My tent shook like crazy all night in the wind but it stayed up. 18 kms

17 May I walked into Brighstone and got breakfast at the shop; it's nice sitting on a bench in these little villages. Today was almost entirely without path diversions or closures. From the village I returned to the cliff top with lovely walking on grassy downs into a slight breeze; I was still on the yellow cliffs with improving views of the white cliffs ahead.

The yellow and red components began to merge. I descended to a valley at Brook and went back up. At another valley I came down to a beach and went up onto the white cliffs; there was no gradual change from yellow/red to white and these cliffs were totally different, perpendicular and sheer chalk and higher. The chalky path was along a steep hillside above the cliff and I could clearly see the white cliffs around Harry's Rocks in Dorset on the SWCP. I came to Freshwater Bay, guarded by two sea stacks, and had a break.

Then the part I had been looking forward to the most: out on the grassy downs of the Needles peninsula to the Needles. This was several kilometres of straight path with increasing views of the Dorset and Hampshire coastline on the mainland, also Hurst castle (a Henry 8th fortification) and lighthouse. The wind had become much stronger like yesterday. I passed the Tennyson memorial at 145 metres elevation. There was a line of froth where the English Channel met the Solent.

For something as famous as the Needles they were hard to find, the viewpoint hidden among military remains, and when I found them I was surprised how small they were, more like shards than needles. It was an impressive sight from above: the narrow beach beneath the high cliffs and a row of white shards trailing off the end of the cliffs, a striped lighthouse at the very end. Almost nobody there.

I soon had a view of Alum Bay, famous for its cliffs streaked red, yellow and white, and there were masses of people on the beach, because (as I soon discovered) there was a big tourist development above the beach and a chairlift for beach access.

I went on climbing to Headon Warren for a different angle on the Needles and Alum Bay - from this side I could see the north facing side of the bay and the cliffs were only white. 

I came down to the water at Totland and walked right by the water to Colwill Bay, all the trappings of a seaside resort but no sun or sand (at high tide). Then I had to go inland to skirt several ugly holiday villages before returning to the cliff top at wooded Fort Victoria Country Park just across the Solent from Hurst lighthouse; the Solent only a kilometre wide here. In the middle of the park I came to a cleared area among big trees that looked great for camping and was sheltered from the wind (while I could still hear it and a chiming buoy in the water that chimed all night). 27 kms

18 May I walked along the water towards Yarmouth and crossed a marshy area, and had breakfast in the town - a pretty place with another of Henry 8th's castles and a short pier. More Solent side walking beneath low eroded cliffs then woodland at Boudner behind a beach with many uprooted trees caused by cliff collapses

and I came to a diversion sign but decided to go through anyway. I had a mixture of fields, cow paddocks (at one of these the cows were very interested in me)

I saw a beautiful golden pheasant with yellow plumage and long tail

- and a pebble beach, before a long stretch across marshland interspersed with brown streams.

There was a lot of boardwalk and it had gaps or loose slats in many places which must be the reason for the diversion; I would not have wanted to fall into those streams. The weather had become gloomy. I had to get around the many fingered Newtown River estuary which was a big trip inland. I walked on a gravel road, crossed Ningwood Lake on the estuary with reedy islands

and then the main road into Shalfleet, a small place with an 11th c church with a big fat Norman tower.

I had already decided to stay in Newport tonight and I went inside the church while waiting for the Newport bus; when I came out it started pouring and I was lucky that the bus came slightly early because there was nowhere under cover to wait. 14 kms

19 May I went back to Shalfleet late morning when the rain seemed to have cleared. A lot of road walking to get around the estuary and a military area, interspersed with nice walking in medieval fields (good camping when I didn't need it) and Newtown, which had a town hall building but no longer any town, and a good tailwind.

I was back at the Solent at Thorness, a low lying wetland with a bit of beach; it was misty and I could barely see the mainland.

Then things got exciting: I had obviously not noticed a diversion sign and all of a sudden the path was blocked by a barrier. There were no other paths so I went down to the almost non existent beach and climbed back up to get past the barrier. At the next barrier I diverted over barbed wire into a field. There were several places where the low embankment that the path was on had collapsed to make the way impassable. At another barrier I walked across a field towards a line of houses and through a gate onto someone's property, I was spotted and a woman came out and said that the locals are still using the path so I could go on. I climbed the next barrier and the last two were 1. pushed aside and 2. lying on the ground. The very end of the path was completely blocked off by a high fence but luckily I found a way out. Ironically when the route was open again at a sea wall I couldn't get along because the wall was flooded.

Once in Gurnard the going was easy along a series of esplanades. The water was rough and it was very windy. I could see Osbourne House, Queen Victoria's summer pile, across the bay; the coast path was inland when I passed it six days ago. The way was built up continuously to West Cowes which seemed a quaint place and I was disappointed all the hotels were full. I got the ferry across the water to East Cowes, completing my lap of the island, and walked to a holiday park to camp. 18 kms

Total 128 kms, 6 days

Ceredigion Coast Path, Wales

After I finished the PCP I thought I would like to stay on the coast for a bit longer so I skipped a few kilometres north of Cardigan to walk most of the Ceredigion Coast Path northwards around Cardigan Bay to Aberystwyth and Borth. I wanted a break from carrying my pack and I worked out a plan to stay in Cardigan and then Aberystwyth and use buses to get to and from the trail.

9 May I took the bus from Cardigan to Aberporth and walked out of the village climbing above the sandy beach, a line of headlands ahead and the fog I had in Cardigan had lifted. The path undulated along the top and descended to Tresaith, a pretty village on a sandy beach. The path was seriously up and down, not a flat stretch although the cliffs were much less rugged. I came down to cross a little stream in a wooded glade with ferns and then climbed for a view over another Traeth Bach - a rock curiously slanted away from the main line of cliffs and two little sandy beaches.

More climbing and walking alongside unfenced grass and I came to Llanrannog descending past a statue of St Carannog surveying the beautifully scalloped cliffs. (The beaches along here were all sandy.)

Coffee break in the brief sunshine. The coastal villages seem prettier than in Pembrokeshire.

The path was very remote and steep after that, up and down and finally climbing to 164 m on heather clad slopes. More elevation changes than anything on the PCP with constant descents to sea level bridges crossing streams in valleys and back up to the cliff tops. To stay on top would have meant going a long way inland. I eventually descended in woodland to Cwmtydu pebble beach.

I thought it would be easier going now but after a brief respite the climbing resumed with constant returns to sea level and shingle beaches. The wind picked up and the sea was rough. There had been a lot of walkers earlier on but almost nobody here. I climbed a monster cliff and trundled along on top until I could see the colourful houses of New Quay far below. The descent was steep. With difficulty I located the bus back to Cardigan. 22 kms

10 May From Newquay I walked two kilometres along the beach, the wind was cold, and then some lanes and woodland. I returned to undulating on cliff tops but these were much lower cliffs and the valleys were not deep. The stream in one valley had little falls and there were sea caves. When I got to Aberaeron (brightly painted houses) I had an ice cream, but I was under time pressure because of the infrequent buses back to Cardigan.

The path was on very low cliffs above a shingle/pebble beach with silhouette views of peaks beyond Cardigan Bay. The sea was all churned up and brown. I went past a village, back to grass and low cliffs, and at the next village I had to make a long irritating detour inland because there was no coast path. When the path resumed it was a mixture of track through fields and cow paddocks and on a high pebble embankment behind the beach. I rushed along a minor road into Llanrhystud and made the bus in time. 24 kms

11 May I took the bus to Aberystwyth, dropped off my bag and took another bus back to Llanrhystud. I returned to the coast at a massive caravan park for a lovely few hours of walking mostly on grass with sheep for company,

starting on high cliffs with views of northern peaks and Mt Eryri. The wildflowers were good (thrift, bluebells, pink campion) and there were seagulls catching thermals as I've seen so often. Little chiffchaffs squawking. Looking back I could still see New Quay. There was a last set of high cliffs (Penderi)

before the cliffs were lower like yesterday's above rock platforms, but the path went high on the hillsides to avoid a few farms.

I descended steeply to a cabin park and then climbed onto a ridge where I soon had views of Aberystwyth, several headlands away. By now it was very windy, the wind was cold, and the extremely steep descent off the ridge wasn't enjoyable.

I reached Aberystwyth South beach, a long curve of shingle

where the pebble bank seemed to be mostly covered by sand, and then the harbour.

16 kms

12 May I waited until the weather cleared and visited Aberystwyth castle ruins then walked along the promenade towards a big hill, which I climbed. It was very windy. The path was again a roller coaster on high cliffs and crossing valleys with streams.

One larger valley held a cabin park and I walked along the shingle beach. It was low tide so further along I saw rock platforms from above and I watched oyster catchers diving out of the sky and circling.

After a while I could see Borth spread along a bay but I had several headlands to negotiate first; the terrain seemed steeper here than before.

There was a pebble bank behind the beach in Borth and I walked on it for a bit but the wind was so strong I found it nicer walking through the town. The trains weren't running properly but I got a bus back to Aberystwyth almost immediately. 11 kms

Total 74 kms

Pembrokeshire Coast Path, Wales

I aimed to walk from Tenby to Cardigan on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, a coast walk that comes highly recommended. I loved it; I had good weather; I was able to camp most of the time.

24 April A short first day. From the main street in Tenby I walked down to the sandy beach

and along to the port area at the end

did a loop back up past the castle remains and went down onto a longer beach facing Caldey Island. It was a beautiful day and the wind was behind me. There were plenty of people walking on the beach. At the end I climbed onto the cliffs and walked along a grassy path, lots of gates and wonderful views of sheer limestone cliffs.

Very slightly inland there were small villages of colourful houses.

Lydstep beach, next, was disappointing: a pebble beach and the entire bay filled with cabins. Beyond there I went around Lydstep Point for more great cliff views including a natural arch and not much further on I went steeply down to a pebbly cove where there was a tall rectangular arch in the rocks

; this was the middle cove of three, divided by wafer thin spurs, and inaccessible Skrinkle Cove was sandy. From there I went to Manorbier YHA to camp. From the hostel I could see Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel, the other side from seeing it on the SWCP. 12 kms


25 April I returned to the cliffs and walked along the grassy path, quite up and down, to Manorbier beach with the castle overlooking the beach. Then I was looking towards long Freshwater beach from the cliffs. The path went behind the beach through the dunes and climbed to a grassy high point with a hill fort (endless numbers of hill forts on this coast). The cliffs were dramatic

changing from limestone to brownish sandstone and often a sheer drop. Column like rocks and sea stacks.

The next beach, Stackpole, was packed on this sunny Saturday, a nice walk on grass then a stone archway and a descent to the sand. Back up onto the cliffs for more dramatic rock faces, sea caves and blowholes and deep chasms. I was getting very hot. Just before sandy Broad Haven beach I turned inland to walk alongside one of the Bosherton lakes in shade to Bosherton, pretty lake with water lilies, where I ate a scone at the tea rooms and had a break from the sun.

I took a little road back to the coast and rejoined the cliffs where I had to walk through an MOD firing range. The cliffs were spectacular: promontories with perpendicular drops, narrow chasms, craters inland and at the far end two tall sea stacks covered in razorbills squawking away.

I had wanted to camp along here but camping on MOD land wasn't a good idea. From the end of the section I went inland hoping to find something but the MOD land continued a long way inland as well. I saw a lot of tanks lined up. In Warren I thought about the churchyard and settled for the corner of a field with no MOD signs. A truck came into the field just before dark, did something and left. 31 kms

26 April Thick fog at night and when I got up. I had more kilometres along the perimeter of the military area before returning to the coast at Freshwater West, a big sandy beach with surfers. I had an undulating walk along the cliffs, again dramatic scenery, partly shrouded in fog. It was hard going because I didn't feel well and I hadn't eaten much yesterday. No other walkers but plenty of sheep and some Shetland ponies. I reached the entrance to Milford Haven harbour, the water was calm and I could see lots of chimneys at the oil refinery far up the big harbour. At West Angle there was a beach with a cafe and offshore Thorn Island with a fort.

After that I walked alongside the harbour on the Angle peninsula with not so nice views of shipping pontoons, the oil refinery and Milford Haven town across the water, until I rounded the point and met a quiet inlet leading to the village of Angle. The tiny village had three pubs (only one open) and a tower remaining from a castle. I slept a lot. 19 kms

27 April Sunny and warm. Completely different coastal scenery. I walked on around the inlet, the water was glassy and the tide far out and the oil refinery was the only blemish on the view although as I passed it none of it was visible. Past the head of the harbour and a prominent fort I turned inland and went through woodland then across cow paddocks and along lanes to pretty Pwllcrochan church (1342).

Bluebells. I walked above extensive mudflats with distant views of Pembroke. More lanes, woodland following a stream and I climbed high above the water, then a descent passing farms to Monkton where I popped in the priory church (partly 11th c, long nave) and had my first view of Pembroke castle. I walked a little by the river beneath the castle into the town centre. 18 kms

28 April Not the most exciting day. I walked across sheep paddocks and on roads to Pembroke Dock, an uninspiring grey place where I had to follow suburban streets to reach the Cleddau bridge across the Milford harbour. It was windy up on the bridge. Another inlet with a high bridge above a marina. I descended to Neyland, pastel coloured houses strung out along mudflats, and then went into woodland with streams. I had a long stretch on the water side of an LPG refinery (crossing the pipelines on fully enclosed bridges) and a wind farm under construction and I met a farmer who surprised me by saying there were walkers not far ahead of me. I hadn't seen any walkers for days. Then I walked on a busy road to an inlet near Milford Haven and finally into the town. I didn't see anywhere appealing to stop and ended up at Costa near a shopping mall on the outskirts.

I returned to the water and followed a bay out of town. Soon I was by the pontoons I had seen across the harbour two days ago and I passed under one of them at a sandy beach. I climbed back onto low sandstone cliffs with a view of Thorn Island again and another island fort, and there were fortifications hidden among the gorse on the cliff tops. I thought I was leaving all the industry behind.

I was undecided what to do next because I had missed low tide for today at the Sandy Haven estuary crossing half a kilometre away and the campsite there wasn't opening until May but I didn't want to detour inland only to not find anywhere to camp. I met a woman walking her dogs and she said I should go to the campsite anyway so I did: a great place on the cliffs. The estuary was completely full of water and hard to imagine ever being able to cross it. 26 kms

29 April Blue sky, freezing cold. I sat by the estuary until just after 9 watching the water flow out and miraculously a wide wooden gangway appeared. I climbed back onto cliffs, not high but huge sandstone slabs, and undulated towards the next estuary. I met some walkers on the way. There were the remains of a Victorian folly towering over a small beach. Pink thrift on the grassy cliffs. The Gann estuary was much wider and shingle, I walked on the shingle then crossed a narrow channel of water and walked into Dale. A horrendous wind. Dale was a pretty collection of pastel houses on a shingle beach and I stopped for morning tea.

I was best off camping in Dale so I put up my tent at a farm campsite and set off on the Dale peninsula. Although I was on fairly wild cliffs I could still see the industrial ugliness of Milford harbour. When I reached St Anns Head and a derelict lighthouse I was really at the end of the harbour. Unfortunately I couldn't immediately go along the sea cliffs because of a landslide. When I rejoined the open water on the grassy/gorse cliffs the scenery was great: reddish rock, many broken slabs of rock in the water, brilliant blue water, Skokholm Island, headland after headland.

I continued along to Westdale Bay, a lovely sandy beach and a view straight to the island.

On the inland side Dale was just across a cow paddock (frustrating in one sense that I hadn't moved forward much). I walked to Dale straight into the wind and went to the pub. The campsite was well sheltered from the wind. 23 kms

30 April I had to walk back across the peninsula to the other coast and then I headed along the cliffs (lots of sheep) looking forward to my breakfast stop since I hadn't been able to buy food in Dale. The gale was still blowing and pushing me towards the cliff edges. I had nice views of Marloes Sands, in several sections.

After crossing a gully I detoured off route to the cafe I'd been told about - there was no sign but I could smell food; I had a bacon and egg roll.

The weather had fined up and I stayed on the cliffs to reach a point where masses of people were getting a boat to Skomer Island. Around the point the scenery was less grand for a while and I was in huge St Brides bay. The highlight was the beautiful beach of Musselwick Sands bordered by high cliffs. The wind was taking the edge off my fun and the weather turned gloomy. I came to a Victorian castle and a picnic area and then the coastline became more interesting: a series of tiny rocky/pebbly coves with steep sides and chunks of rock debris, the cliff faces in vertical stripes of red, grey and brown in each cove.

Eventually I could see Broad Haven on a hillside at the head of the bay. Then the path traced around a few fields and went into woodland; on the far side I could see Little Haven as well, both places above their own sandy beach. Little Haven was a sleepy village but Broad Haven had a shop which was something I really needed. I ate a sandwich sitting by the beach as it rained lightly and went to the YHA. 26 kms

1 May The wind had dropped considerably. Back on the cliffs I had views around the bay but it was overcast. I passed a dramatic landslide (apparently active since the 1940s) and walked alongside fields until reaching a narrow inlet with a beach at Nolton Haven.

From the next cliff I had a view over the 3 kms of Newgale Sands - the beach looked enticing to walk on. Together with a group of Germans I scrambled down there; part way down on the loose dirt I got wedged into the hillside and my pack half came off, I had no option but to take it off and let it drop and it bounced further than I expected. On my way down I had to gather my belongings that had fallen out. The walk on the beach was terrific, the dark cliff along the beach completely impenetrable and the tide was way out.

There was a wide bank of pebbles behind the beach, all brought by the wind.

After Newgale I was back to a roller coaster on the cliffs with lovely views along the St Davids peninsula: bays, islands, grassy cliffs and the sun had come out. Inland were fields and a few farmhouses. It was quite hard work. In a while I got a sighting of my destination, Solva, slightly inland and high up, with sheer cliffs and coves in the foreground.

Solva was in two sections, the part where I stayed was at the head of the harbour inlet and the other (high) part was further up the road. 18 kms

2 May Solva looked much better with the harbour full of water

and this was followed by a great coastline: circular coves, islands, a particularly pretty natural arch on an island

and hazy headlands in the distance. Coming into Caerfai Bay the rock was sometimes purple.

I turned inland to go into St Davids on the road. I bought a lot of food for the next three days, had a long chat with a Welsh walker and went to see the cathedral. At the first sighting through an old archway it was quite stunning with its Norman tower, many gothic windows and some local purple stone.

Inside were many very old worn tombs and lovely curved patterned arches down the nave. Next door were the ruins of the bishops' palace, many windows and a lot of rooms on two levels.

From there was a good view of the reconstructed purple face of the cathedral.

I returned to the coast and PCP at the narrow inlet of Porth Clais and continued on the rugged cliffs. Many headlands, detached rock and little islands. I stopped at the top of the peninsula (most westerly point of mainland Wales) facing Ramsey Island before turning into Ramsey Sound. The water was very calm.

The rugged cliffs and coves continued as I passed the big island and reached the open Irish Sea. More little islands dotted about. Parts of the trail edges were covered with thrift.

I was quite tired with my heavy bag and glad to reach Whitesands, a wide sandy bay facing the little islands due west and a campsite. A German walker arrived at the same time as me with a Durston. The day's forecast rain only started when I was already settled in. 22 kms

3 May Raining lightly as I left (it soon stopped) and a climb onto St Davids Head for the start of the home stretch along the north coast. The area was suddenly moorland with heather and big boulders. The head was stony and bouldery and I could see a few more islands but it was too misty to get a good view. I was on this moorland terrain for a while, some small fields enclosed by brick walls and higher peaks around with their tops in cloud. Then open fields again backing the cliffs. Lots of bluebells. Ahead was a long line of headlands; I would go around a few on the cliff tops then descend to a gully before returning to the top for another batch. The sea was calm and I hardly met anyone. The rock formations were still dramatic (sharp shale spurs, sheer faced cliffs, angular slabs).

I passed some tiny shingle coves and could see Abereiddy in the distance and as I got closer I was pleased to see the refreshments van was there in the car park. I sat on the pebble bank behind the beach with a coffee and wondered why the car park was so popular.

The going was then much easier as I stayed on the top and soon saw the recent stone and brick ruins of the slate industry at Porthgain. The village was above an inlet and the tide was out. It was a strange place with one side of the inlet filled with ruined buildings covered in ivy. I went to the absolutely packed pub and had a good steak sandwich and when I looked outside it was pouring.

I left in lighter rain and did a bit more on the cliffs

before turning off the PCP for Trefin. This was a colourful village (with a pub) and I went to the campsite at the far end. 20 kms

4 May I waited until the rain stopped and I could dry out my tent under the hand drier then headed up the road to rejoin the PCP near Careg Sampson, a Neolithic burial chamber in a field with a very big roof rock perched on the standing stones.

From here the coastline was superb: lots of sea stacks off the rugged cliffs and one long stretch of sea stacks lined up parallel with the cliffs.

Several steep sided valleys to cross. Clearly a popular part of the coast for walking. I reached pebbly Aber Mawr beach and soon after a smaller pebble beach. The cliffs were less jagged for a bit until I came to a minute cove guarded by intricately worn rock faces.

Then a surprising patch of rocky moorland with a series of minor peaks to get over. I could see Strumble Head ahead with its lighthouse and many inlets; the sea had returned to its turquoise colour of my earlier days.

When I came to Pwll Deri YHA (a fabulous view westwards all the way to St Davids Head) I thought I would see if I could boil a cup of water inside and I could; the place had closed down and was in the process of being cleared out.

I went out onto the Strumble peninsula, crossing moorland and swampy grassland, some horses and I saw a ferry heading to Ireland. The lighthouse was flashing away.

After Strumble Head the wind picked up, coming off the sea so all the best views came with wind. I could see the wedge shaped Dinas Fawr promontory in the distance. I surprised a highly patterned adder on the path, it slithered into the bluebells. I went into a pocket of woodland and alongside sheep paddocks, looking for somewhere to camp but it was either too exposed to the wind or all brambles and gorse and the fields were well fenced. I settled for a tiny patch by the path that was sheltered from the wind by an embankment of gorse and I still had a view back along the coast. 25 kms

5 May I crossed some open ground and reached houses on the outskirts of Goodwick and descended to the town where I went to the supermarket. I ate a second breakfast by the beach and walked to Fishguard. The harbour area (as distinct from the main shipping/ferry port) was pretty with pastel houses. Then past some fortifications and back onto the cliffs with Dinas Fawr looking much clearer. There were as usual fields right to the cliff edge and deep valleys to cross. I went through a caravan park and next was above a lovely curved sandy beach below, of course, steep cliffs.

I went up and down by several more beaches, sandy or pebbly, and had a very steep descent to Pwllgwaelod where there was an isolated pub.

Not for me, though, I continued uphill on the flank of Dinas Fawr to reach the grassy summit with a great view of the coast east and west and inland green hills and villages of white houses. On the way down there was a cold wind blowing in off the water. I ended up at Cwm yr Eglwys where the church facade and belfry, all that remained of the 12th c church, stood oddly on the foreshore with a few gravestones.

From the summit I had seen the headlands and bays I had to cross to reach Newport; a couple of the bays proved to be inaccessible so I was able to stay on the cliffs but I still had to go down to several beaches and back up again. There were some large expanses of deeply etched rock platform. It was low tide when I reached the bay at Newport Parrog (a wide beach and a river estuary on one side) and not very attractive with lots of green slime in the muddy estuary. I went to a campsite before the town and then to a pub in Newport which specialised in curry. 25 kms

6 May I had a warm up leaving Newport with a few kilometres around the estuary, looking nice with lots of water. Warm and sunny and a slight breeze. After a couple of brutal climbs I was on the cliff tops for a long time although with plenty of ups and downs. Dinas Fawr was still prominent behind

and I was looking forward towards a long line of headlands. As always the route was dictated by the fields but much more obviously along here (a thin sliver of access land between the fields and a big drop to the water) and there was also a lot of unused land covered in gorse that had to be circumnavigated, pushing the path nearer the coast, a good thing but made the going tougher; a thousand metres of climbing today. I saw a delicate natural arch.

I passed a huge slab of rock almost detached from the coast and before descending I saw from above a truly amazing sight at Traeth Bach: the sea had worn a tunnel through the rock right under where the PCP passed over and sea water was entering a pool on the inland side of the path.

There were sea caves everywhere in the rocks. After a huge sea stack I came all the way down to Ceibwr Bay, a beach and another almost detached huge rock slab on one side.

The sky over Newport was black but my weather was ok, overcast. The undulations continued and then after one unexpected sharp climb I was going higher than before and I reached the highest point of the trail at 178 metres, above a couple of sandy but inaccessible beaches.

Soon I rounded the northernmost point of the path and turned into Cardigan Bay and the Teifi River estuary, with Cardigan Island off the opposite bank. I walked through the middle of a farm and joined a lane which took me down to Poppit Sands, a wide beach. The sun returned.

Then I was on a road to St Dogmaels. I had a look at the 15th c abbey ruins and some ancient inscribed boulders in the church and walked a bit by the river. More road to Cardigan, across the Teifi and into the town centre.

Finished. Amazingly I walked in less than half an hour of rain the entire way. 30 kms

Total: 300 kms, 8393 m elevation gain, 13 days