A new edition of Wild Guide Wales has recently been published. Authored by award-winning travel writer and photographer Daniel Start, this beautiful new compendium explores the hidden parts of Wales and the Welsh Marches.
Among the locations Start singles out for adventure are several in Pembrokeshire, easily reached from St Brides Castle.
The Blue Lagoon at Abereiddy (pictured above) is just a 22-mile drive to the north, much of the journey describing the arc of beautiful St Brides Bay. The lagoon is an erstwhile slate quarry, active until 1910 when it was abandoned and flooded, and many relics and remnants of its industrious history are still in evidence. It’s a great spot for coasteering and kayaking, and to walk along the clifftop is to be guaranteed great views; but for the adventurous the main attraction of the Blue Lagoon is its depth. The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series visited the Blue Lagoon in 2012 – the first time the event had taken place in Britain – and again the following year, and in 2016. Sadly the venue is not on the itinerary for this year; but the old wheelhouse (centre-right of picture) provides three platforms from which those with the nerve can jump or dive into the luminous pool below.
Not to be confused with the Broad Haven that lies about six miles north-east of the holiday site (and which itself boasts a Blue-Flag beach, described in a previous blog), 24 miles to the south-east of St Brides you’ll find Broad Haven South beach, near Bosherston. When the tide is out the beach is huge, with soft sand perfect for children to play in; but strong swimmers will find much to their liking too. You can swim out to Church Rock and back (centre of above picture), and/or explore the blow holes of Saddle Point’s limestone cliffs, to the east of the beach. The really adventurous will find themselves in Box Bay, a secluded beach surrounded by steep cliffs, where it really is just you, and nature.
Though if the attractions of Broad Haven South begin to pall (hard to see why they should), be sure to check out Skrinkle Haven beach near Manorbia, just 10 miles further east along the coast. There are actually two beaches here: Skrinkle Haven itself, for many years off-limits to the general public due to its proximity to Manorbia’s Royal Artillery Range; and neighbouring Church Doors Cove (pictured below), so named because of the monolithic headlands that border it to both sides. Skrinkle Haven is best suited for children; but at low tide it’s possible to walk round the nearest headland and into Church Doors Cove. As an aside, astronomers might also want to pay Skrinkle Haven a visit: the car park serving both beaches is listed as a Dark Sky Discovery Site.
Giving more information on these and hundreds of other attractions to be found in the Principality (including, but not limited to, further beaches), and including many gorgeous photographs, Wild Guide Wales is published by Wild Things Publishing. Details can be found by clicking here.
