The entire route represents an impressive physical challenge to the walker, including 35,000 feet of ascent and descent, whilst for those who would prefer something a little less demanding, it offers a tremendous variety for shorter day walks.
Wales’ first long distance route, the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, was opened in 1970, since then it has been extended to cover 186 miles of the most spectacular coastal scenery in Britain.
Much of the route is at cliff-top level, providing superb views of the cliffs, beaches, and offshore islands, with their wealth of marine and bird life.
Elsewhere it follows gentler shorelines, including the outer reaches of the Milford Haven estuary, one of the finest natural harbours in the world according to Admiral Nelson.
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The entire route represents an impressive physical challenge to the walker, including 35,000 feet of ascent and descent, whilst for those who would prefer something a little less demanding, it offers a tremendous variety for shorter day walks. |
With its diversity of scenery and wildlife, its colourful blaze of clifftop wild flowers each spring, and its wealth of cultural and historical diversity, stretching from the Iron Age to the present time, the Pembrokeshire Coast Path provides something for everyone - and a surprise around every headland.
The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority has the job of directly caring for the path. The fact that the path runs along the majority of the length of the coastline of the National Park reflects the magnificence of the landscape through which it passes. Only areas of landscape of the highest quality are designated as National Parks.The path has been split into three manageable stretches from St. Dogmaels to Carmarthen Bay, maintained by four teams of two people. With money from the Countryside Council for Wales these four teams are employed to look after the path with additional people working on it during the summer months. Summer duties consist mainly of cutting back vegetation which can be up to eight feet tall in places if left unchecked! Work is also done on emergency repairs to stiles, fences and gates, whilst during the winter regular repairs and schemes to improve the path take priority.
In the event of the path becoming unsafe, through erosion either by the sea or by people, the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park considers the possibility of running it along a different route. The intention is always to keep the path as natural as possible and retain an element of challenge. Wooden steps, for instance, are only used where essential, whilst throughout the length of the coast path signposting is by wooden signs designed to be as unobtrusive as possible.
Maintaining the Pembrokeshire Coast Path is clearly a year round job and the National Trail Officer at the National Park offices in Haverfordwest would welcome information from walkers about any access problems encountered on the route.
Each Spring the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park organises a two-week-long guided walk of the Coast Path, led by National Park staff and voluntary wardens, which gives a unique opportunity to do the whole path in the company of other walkers and experts on the area. The walk coincides with the colourful spring flowering of many of the cliff top wild flowers and the nesting of many species of seabird.The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park also organises a variety of guided walks incorporating sections of the Coast path throughout the year. Details of all organised walks are available from the Education Services Team of the National Park.
Walkers who complete the whole Coast Path will have had the opportunity to pass through 17 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), one National Nature Reserve and one Wildlife Trust - West Wales Reserve. They will also have passed the first Marine Nature Reserve in Wales - the waters Around Skomer Island. The SSSI are areas of national wildlife importance which contain a wide variety of habitats including sea cliff, sand dunes, estuaries, heathlands, woodlands and scrub.
Further Information can be obtained from the following associations :
Education Services Team - Pembrokeshire
Coast National Park
Llanion Park
Pembroke Dock
Pembrokeshire
SA72 6DY
Tel : (0845) 3457275
Wildlife Trust - South &
West Wales
Cwmplysgog
Cilgerran
Cardigan
Tel : (01239) 621212
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