Click here to view route map. http://www.walkeryri.org.uk/Routes/maps/pemb2.shtml I found myself at the wrong side of this town, so i had to walk through it again to get to the coastal path. I didn’t find it particularly touristy, but busy. It’s definately a well presented town despite the tourism, and was pleasantly surprised. Beware though that there are no indicators I found in the town of where the coastal path goes. So making for the promontory the castle lies on, i eventually made it to the North Beach. Second mistake of the day was made by following the path alongside the railway and then a section of main road before returning to the shore. Walking the beach would have been much better.

Like Rhode Wood yesterday, it was on leaving this beach that the walk proper started. Giltar Point is an excellent viewpoint back to Tenby, and you need to scramble a little to get to the actual point. This is also a rifle range, Penally, which has a number that you can ring 01834 845950 to see if they are firing. Some rather large red flags are placed at entry points on firing days, so it should be pretty obvious that they’re active.

The coast here isn’t dramatic, but the views are good. Lydstep Haven is a large park for chalets, with a private bar for residents, so move on. Towards the end of the beach, take steps right and up the hill. The path junction left is pretty obvious, and the path continues in an up and down roller coaster over to Skrinkle Haven. There are steps leading down to this beach, and would be an ideal place to stop for a break. There’s also a youth hostel here (Manorbier), where peole were today playing many hand drums.

Further military presence must be passed, the Marorbier Camp, but again it’s all clearly signposted, and following a pleasant coastal path youre soon in Manorbier. It’s meant to be a quiet beach, but was packed today (the curse of the School holidays). A small diversion leads to the carpark noted on the map and there was fortunately a van selling welcome drinks, though expensive.

Pull up the hill, and through someone’s garden before continuing on to Freshwater East. There’s only Swanlake Bay, where I had to stop to tend to burning feet. It was something to do with buring my insoles on a woodburner the previous night, and having to use bog standard insoles wasn’t bearing well for my feet. It was a quiet beach, with plenty of jetsam washed up making it a little tatty. A final up hill took me up and over West Moor Cliff and then down to Freshwater East’s wide beach.

It was a little busy here, but my feet appreciated a cooling paddle. It was a much better walk than the previous day, and a quick look at the ongoing route shows that it gets much quieter from this point onwards. This initially busy section would certainly make you appreciate the wilder parts a lot more.

Gatekeeper Buterfly

Speckled Wood Butterfly

Click Here for route map. http://www.walkeryri.org.uk/Routes/maps/pemb1.shtml Walking the first section of this path over a couple of days was a right mixed bag. Starting in Amroth at the southern end of the National Trail, I felt optimistic. You are on the sea shore, and despite the road it feels good. You can see as far as Caldey Island, but you know that the nearer Monkstone Point is the main target of the day before ambling down to Tenby.

The’path’ then continued along the coastal road into Amroth itself and at the far end you felt the path was starting properly as you pull up into the trees. This feeling doesn’t last long as you’re then down through the suburbs of Wiseman Bridge and follow what amounts to a pedestrian road along the track of an old ore railway on the Miner’s Walk. It’s pleasant enough, but not what walking’s about for me. It’s all noisy holiday makers, you may as well be walking through a town anywhere. Through some tunnels, and you reach the busy seaside town of Saundersfoot. It began to rain, and had i found a bus, i’d have caught it to Tenby and given up.

Thankfully, i couldn’t find one and continued up the hill to the right of the harbour and the path was waymarked down through an estate of houses. We were pretty wet by this point, but once out of the houses realised that this is where the walk starts to feel like a coastal walk.

A mere 11km on the map, but with the ups and downs continually slowing us made it more difficult. Wet mud in the woods also made going difficult, but afforded some good shelter from the rain. In one of these valleys about a kilometer from Saundersfoot, we had a graphic display of how close this area really is to civilisation. Someone had left tent poles, rubbish and firemarks along with a tarp. It was raining too much to photograph.

Monkstone Point

Finally, Monkstone point was reached, and had I the time and the weather better would have descended to the pretty beach. Onwards we went instead, looking suspiciously at the hills that seemed to block our way to Dinbych-y-Pysgod. They did. Three minor ascents, including Monkstone Point, along predominantly muddy tracks with an eight year old doesn’t make for a fast walk.

Still, we were only damp. So the real rain showers opened up and a proper rainstorm saw us wet through. So heads down, and on to Tenby after a day I wished i’d gone to the pub. Not the most inspiring walk until you reach Rhode Wood, where beyond that it would have been a pleasant walk were it not for the rain!