Ramblers Routes Ramblers Routes Britain’s best walks from the experts Britain’s best walks from the experts Wales Wales 05/08/2014 16:50 05 Bosherton, Pembrokeshire 06 Strata Florida, Ceredigion l Distance 14km/8½ miles l Time 4½hrs l Type Coast l Distance 15km/9½ miles l Time 6hrs l Type Hill and river NAVIGATION LEVEL FITNESS LEVEL NAVIGATION LEVEL FITNESS LEVEL walk magazine autumn 2014 autumn magazine walk walk magazine autumn 2014 autumn magazine walk Plan your walk Plan your walk l Aberystwyth Aberystwyth l STRATA FLORIDA Fishguard P l CEREDIGION TRO L ENWICK R PEMBROKESHIRE l AR M B Brecon A A N Swansea O l Swansea Newport BOSHERTON l HY: FI HY: l HY: WILLI HY: P P WHERE: Circular walk from WHERE: Circular walk from the village of Bosherton via Pontrhydfendigaid, visiting PHOTOGRA the lily ponds, Stackpole the ruins of Strata Florida PHOTOGRA Quay, Broad Haven and Abbey and the Teifi Pools. Situated just outside the 1. START As well as information This western part of Mid Wales is VIII, has little but its striking St Govan’s Head. START/END: The Black Lion southeastern boundary of the boards with maps showing the mostly upland moor that extends archway and foundations intact. START/END: National Trust car Hotel (SN732667). MoD’s Castlemartin Range, on the network of paths around the lily for miles over the Cambrian park in Bosherton (SR967948). TERRAIN: Grassy field and south coast of Pembrokeshire, is ponds, you should also find Mountains, an environment 1. START From The Black Lion TERRAIN: Surfaced paths hill paths with some stiles the charming village of Bosherton. displayed at the car park a notice described by 19th-century travel Hotel car park (SN732667), turn R alongside lily ponds, track and gates, and a section It’s famed for its lily ponds (above), giving details of the Castlemartin writers as the Desert of Wales. down the main street. Follow the across fields and cliff-top of upland walking on which are, in fact, artificial lakes Range firing programme. Do check Though beginning in farmland, road sign for Pontrhydygroes and paths. Access to St Govan’s rough terrain on an created by the Stackpole Estate in this before setting out. Should the you’ll quickly see the head uphill to the school just Head depends on firing times. undefined path, briefly the 18th and 19th centuries by footpath from Broad Haven to transformation in the landscape outside the village. Go R into the MAPS: OS Explorer OL36; requiring a compass. flooding three narrow limestone St Govan’s Head be closed, you’ll as you head uphill, moving into car park and cross the cattle grid, Landranger 158. MAPS: OS Explorer 187; valleys via a series of dams, weirs obviously have to omit this section. untamed heather-filled moorland. heading down the lane for 20m GETTING THERE: Coastal Landranger 147. and sluices. Today, the lakes are a Come what may, you can still enjoy Hidden at the highest and halfway until it veers L, where you instead Cruiser bus service (387/388) GETTING THERE: The T21 haven for wildlife and famous, of an excellent walk via the ponds point of this route is a clustered continue straight on to the old from Pembroke Dock/ bus links Pontrhydfendigaid course, for their water lilies (hence and coast as far as Broad Haven. set of deep lakes known as the farm track. Follow this along the Pembroke to Bosherton, daily with the nearest train the name). The gentle, sheltered Follow the stepped path from the Teifi Pools, the source of the River bottom of three fields and, as you May to September, Thursday station at Aberystwyth. lakeside paths are ideal for car park (SR967948) down to the Teifi, which continues on 76 miles enter the fourth, head L uphill to and Saturday, October to EATING AND DRINKING: walking at any time of year, lakes and turn L and then R to to the sea at Cardigan. The route the field’s top L-hand corner. Cross April (✆ 01646 683143, www. The Black Lion Hotel, and make a good stroll for those cross a long footbridge over the then returns, following a steep- the stile and turn R, then turn L pembrokeshiregreenways. Pontrhydfendigaid with young children. This route western arm lake. Turn R and sided valley, until eventually after crossing the next one. Follow co.uk). Arriva trains to (✆ 01974 831624, www. combines them with a fine stretch continue along the north side of meeting with the Teifi and the track for 30m, then turn R over Pembroke Dock/Pembroke blacklionhotel.co.uk); of coastline along the impressive this lake, the path rising gently following alongside it back to the next stile. There’s a short climb from Cardiff The Red Lion Hotel, limestone cliffs via beautiful (bear R for a better view over the Pontrhydfendigaid village. Two straight uphill to the trig point on (✆ 0871 200 2233, www. Pontrhydfendigaid Barafundle Bay, to provide a walk lakes) before dropping down to sites of historical interest along Pen y Bannau fort (SN742669), for traveline-cymru.info). (✆ 01974 831232, www. of very contrasting scenery. cross another footbridge over the the way are the ancient hillfort of views of the Mid Wales hills and EATING & DRINKING: redlionhotel-bont.co.uk); Access to St Govan’s Head is central arm. At the next fork you Pen y Bannau, with its panoramic Cors Caron plain nature reserve. St Govan’s Country Inn, hot and cold drinks at usually available at weekends and can go either way: the L turn takes views of the Mid Wales hills, and Bosherton (✆ 01646 661311, Strata Florida Abbey (www. on public holidays, and is well you on a higher alternative route Strata Florida – a former Cistercian 2. Pass the trig point and continue www.stgovanscountryinn. cadw.wales.gov.uk/daysout/ ▲ ▲ ▼ above the west side of the monastery that, thanks to Henry over the hill eastwards, ▼ worth exploring. 53-54 walk 44 ramblers routes WALES.indd 1 53-54 walk 44 ramblersroutesWALES.indd 2 Ordnance Surveymap Ordnance Surveymap 3 ping ©Crowncopyright2014OrdnanceSurveyMedia048/14 Map not to scale. ping ©Crowncopyright2014OrdnanceSurveyMedia048/14 Representation of 2 OS Landranger MAP 158 1:50,000 www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk 3 2 START 1 FINISH 1 START FINISH 4 4 Map not to scale. Representation of OS Landranger MAP 147 1:50,000 www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk Continued... To download this route and hundreds of others, Continued... To download this route and hundreds of others, visit www.ramblers.org.uk/routes visit www.ramblers.org.uk/routes webeden.co.uk); Ye Olde strata-fl orida-abbey). World Café, Bosherton (✆ eastern arm, while the R turn splendid cliff scenery. Once round SLEEPING: Black Lion Hotel 01646 661216); NT Boathouse keeps alongside the water. Both Saddle Point, the path turns inland through a gate, bearing L path back down through the (see before); Penrhiw Uchaf Tearoom, Stackpole Quay lead to the Eight Arch Bridge. at Broad Haven – a wide sandy afterwards to go behind the dramatic Nant Egnant valley. campsite, Ffair-Rhos (✆ 01974 (✆ 01646 672687). bay, as its name suggests. farmhouse. Follow along the 831408, www.penrhiwuchaf SLEEPING: B&B at St Govan’s 2. Turn R over the bridge and woodland edge, going through 4. After a mile following this path, caravansite.co.uk); Red Kite Country Inn (see before). follow the track (a permissive 4. Assuming the path to St Govan’s another two gates, until you reach turn R at the marker post and cross self-catered cottage, Other B&Bs and self-catering path) across fi elds to reach the car Chapel is open, cross the a concrete bridge to cross a stream. the bridge eventually to join a Ffair-Rhos (✆ 01974 831540, accommodation in Pembroke park and Boathouse Tearoom at footbridge and head up through quiet country lane. Turn R and www.redkitecottages.com). and along the coast, such as Stackpole Quay. The tiny harbour, the dunes to the car park and carry 3. After the bridge, follow the follow it for just over a mile VISITOR INFORMATION: Pinewood Holiday Park and built in the 18th century, is one of on along the Coast Path – with a track briefl y towards the farm but, downhill to St Mary’s Church, Aberystwyth TIC, Terrace B&B (✆ 01834 811082, www. the smallest in Pembrokeshire. detour out to St Govan’s Head – before reaching it, go diagonally around which the road bends L Road (✆ 01970 612125, pinewoodholidaypark.co.uk). to the car park above St Govan’s L to head to the side of the to pass Strata Florida Abbey www.visitmidwales.co.uk). VISITOR INFORMATION: 3. Bear R up a fl ight of steps to Chapel, which you’ll fi nd tucked buildings. With your back to them (SN746656, refreshments available). LOCAL RAMBLERS GROUPS: Pembroke Information Centre reach the grassy cliff top and into a cleft below. and facing eastwards, head up the From the abbey, head back up to Aberystwyth Ramblers and Library, Commons Road follow the well-signed Coast Path steep slope. Cross over the gate the bend in the road by the church (✆ 01970 820166, www. (✆ 01437 776499, www. southwards. Before long the path You can then follow the road back into open moorland. There are lots and climb the stile to enter a fi eld. aberystwythramblers.org.uk); visitpembrokeshire.com). descends to beautiful Barafundle into Bosherton from here. of small crags to go in between Cross over the wooden bridge and Lampeter Ramblers GUIDEBOOKS: The Beach, voted the best in Britain Otherwise, from Broad Haven, here, so it’s helpful to follow an bear L.