The late spring weather has meant some more fabulous walking along the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, which opened in 1970 and has been well trodden ever since.
While this stage is not as torturous as St Dogmaels to Newport it is still challenging in parts.
From Newport to Cwm yr Eglwys is a dream walk, with pungent smelling bluebells and gorse and a bright blue sea.
Cwm yr Eglwys is a pretty little hamlet with the west wall of St Brynach church still standing after being abandoned following the Great Storm of 1859. We made time to sit and enjoy the tranquil setting – first snack break of the day.
You can from here take a short cut to Pwll Gwaelod but the WCP goes round Dinas Head, slightly more challenging but not difficult.
At Pwllgwaelod, we stopped at the Old Sailor pub for liquid refreshments – happy memories as a teenager, drinking in the Sailor’s Safety, as it was previously called, after a game of tennis in nearby Dinas Cross. The Old Sailor dates back to 1593, and those walls would have witnessed some smugglers in their time. In the 1980s, the locals became curious about a bunch of strangers, who were flashing the cash, by paying for drinks out of bags full of money. There had been tales of some strange movements in Slipping Bay near Moylegrove. The local curiosity and gossip led the police to investigate and it led to the arrest eventually of a large global network of drug smugglers – Operation Seal Bay still gets talked about in pubs.
WPC leads you up an incline in front of the pub, from here to the Old Fort in Fishguard the path gets particularly convoluted, especially after exiting Fishguard Bay caravan park. At the right time of year though, there will be loads of bilberries, ready for the picking on this stretch.
The Old Fort built around 1751 released canon fire on the French during the 1797 invasion forcing them to seek a landing further west.
Lower town Fishguard looked pretty in the afternoon sun – parts of Under Milk Wood featuring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor was filmed here.
A bit of road walking takes us down and then up the hill towards Fishguard turning off to access Marine Walk from Bank Terrace. This is a pleasant stroll into Goodwick.