Nevern Short Walk

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Nevern Short Walk

SCALE: 0 200 400 m KEY DISTANCE/DURATION: 2.3 miles (3.8 km) 1 hour 30 minutes •••• Circular Route PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Service bus on A487 412 Public Right of Way CHARACTER: Wooded valley, country lanes, fields and livestock, path is narrow with steep gradients between Parking Coed Glandwr and Allt y Cudyll Bus Stop LOOK OUT FOR: Pilgrims Cross • Nevern Church • Celtic Cross in churchyard• Castle Public House/Hotel PLEASE NOTE: Parking is provided by the kind permission of the Trewern Arms, please do not consume your own food and drink in the car park

COUNTRY CODE! • Enjoy the countryside and respect its life and work • Guard against all risk of fire • Leave gates and property as you find them • Keep your dogs under close control • Keep to public paths across farmland • Take your litter home

Castle

Pilgrims Cross Church

A487

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes 13th century, although it is thought that it overlies an earlier site. You can Click on the icons below for a local Length: 2.3 miles (3.8 km) legend, or go to find out more about its history from www.pembrokeshirecoast.wales/legends Public transport: Service bus on the booklet available inside the A487 412. church. Grid ref: SN082399 The Pilgrims’ Cross A short way down the path, on the A walk through woodland and right, you can see the impression of a along a river. cross carved in the rock which is thought to date from the medieval Look out for: Pilgrims Cross, period. Pilgrims on their way to St Nevern Church, Celtic Cross, Castle. Davids would have stopped here to pray. This was a popular route, for Semi-natural woodland like the two pilgrimages to St Davids were Nevern Valley provides ideal habitat said to equal one to Rome. You can for badger, fox, rabbit and weasel. still see the worn recess where these Where the path comes near the river early visitors would have knelt or Nevern watch out for otters, and perhaps stepped up to touch the cross. salmon, sea trout (sewin) and brown trout in the river. Heron, dippers and Geraint Harries, North Sector Senior wagtails also feed in the river. Ranger for Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, says: “This is The Bleeding Yew (at Nevern my favourite walk. You get a real Church) feeling of history around Nevern – As you make your way through the that you are walking in the footsteps of avenue of ancient Yew trees see if you the pilgrims.” can find the ‘bleeding yew’ whose seeping sap is blood red. Legend has The remains of nearby Nevern it that the tree will only cease to bleed Castle are also worth a visit when a Welshman is once again lord Perched high above the Nant of the castle on the hill. Gamman stream with a steep sided natural gorge to one side and views The Nevern Cross over the surrounding countryside, this This fine Celtic cross dates from the site has been an important defensive early 11th century and is one of only location for centuries. While the three of its kind found in remains of the motte and bailey castle Pembrokeshire (the others are at that you can see here today probably Carew and Penally). It has two date from Norman times, it is possible inscriptions on its shaft, HAUEN, that the site has been occupied since probably a personal name and DNS, the Iron Age over 2,000 years ago. meaning Dominus or Lord. You can get to the castle either by walking up the road or along the Nevern Church woodland footpath from near the This church is dedicated to the early church sixth century Irish saint Brynach, who is said to have talked with angels on nearby Carn Ingli, which means “Mountain of Angels”. Part of the present church dates from the 12th or