Another opportunity for a winter afternoon walk, and a Wednesday so we drove to Newgale (only 15 minutes from home) and caught the coastal bus to Broad Haven. There was warmth in the sun, releasing the plummy fragrance of the gorse flowers. It was a little hazy but calm and peaceful, just what we needed after an upsetting couple of weeks (Ian’s mum Winnie died in Scarborough Hospital last Friday).
The path climbed out of Broad Haven then headed more or less due north along the inner sweep of St Brides Bay. The land continues to erode with great chunks slumping down towards the sea. We met ponies (they help keep the undergrowth down) at Haroldston Chins, and saw one of the resident pair of peregrine falcons.
At Druidstone we had to skirt inland round the Druidstone Hotel, with good views of the modern ‘Tellytubbies’ house beyond. The beach is lovely but the tide was high – we will return at low tide and explore, and see if the hotel is less eccentric than on previous visits. We sat on a rock and enjoyed tea and a gorgeous pork pie brought all the way from Yorkshire.
Back up to the top of the cliff and on to Nolton Haven, a pretty little inlet facing south-west. We didn’t linger but continued northwards, with Rickets Head dominating the view. We were back onto the coal seam, the path dark grey and gritty. Apparently the unusual shape of the head is a result of coal having been mined from the shoulder. We had a steep climb up Black Cliff, then the path continued to swoop and soar past an old colliery and on towards Newgale, a couple of miles of sand backed at the northern end by a steep shingle bank.
We got down on to the sand as soon as we could, with the tide retreating, and walked the last mile or so under a beautiful sky – a nearly full moon shining brightly, lots of criss-crossing con trails, the sun slowly sinking towards the sea with a little rainbow each side – Wikipedia tells me it was a sun dog. We finished with a quick drink in the pub where we’d parked, hoping for a spectacular sunset but that too was gentle and faded away quietly. RIP Winnie.
6.9 miles in all.
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