| Issue 7 | |
August 2001 |
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Yes the sun really can shine in Wales and for my recent trip to the Pembrokeshire coast it really excelled itself. For this long weekend I visited Manorbier, Marloes Sands and Broad Haven youth hostels. As the intention was to do some walking along the coastal path I left the car at home for once and let the train take the strain.
There are two surprises in store for the first time visitor to Manorbier youth hostel. Firstly, it appears to be guarded by a surface to air missile and two field guns ! Actually these are behind the fence of the Royal Artillery range whose entrance is passed a few hundred metres before the hostel is reached. The second surprise is the outside appearance of the hostel, an eye-catching modern design, the like of which I have not seen before. Judge for yourself from the photo below.
The inside of the hostel, while not as stunning as the outside is bright, light and cheerful. Another unusual feature is the conservatory quiet room and the general sitting area is imaginatively designed to cater for TV watchers and non watchers. There is also a spacious games room with table tennis.
In the evening after an enjoyable hostel dinner I explored the immediate surroundings. The hostel is situated near the edge of the cliffs, directly on the coast path and giving superb views over Caldey Island.
One small disappointment was that the main beach here, Skrinkle Haven is not directly accessible at the moment due to unsafe steps. A smaller cove known as Church Doors can be reached however and is fine for a quick look at the sea on an evening.
My original plan before leaving home had been to walk from Milford Haven to Marloes on the coast path. However the discovery of a conveniently timed bus to Marloes, coupled with some uncertainties about the path eg how to get across the inlet at Sandy Haven, soon persuaded me to take the easy way.
So in the morning I set out on the path past the military base, looking for, but failing to find the field path to the village. The coast path route I finished up taking was a long way round to Manorbier but was very pleasant, approaching Manorbier beach past the burial chamber known as King's Quoit.
The gently shelving, sandy beach is ideal for sunbathing or swimming and has a car park nearby. The imposing castle looked interesting but I had a bus to catch so had to make do with the view from outside.
The YHA Guide states that the bus service to Marloes is "infrequent-not daily". In fact this is misleading as in summer the Edwards Brothers service 316 runs twice daily except Sunday from Haverfordwest. I was aiming for the 13.25 service and having lunched and shopped I made my way to the bus station.
The sun had been shining from a clear blue sky all morning and by now it was getting seriously warm. The bus arrived and six passengers got on. It was soon apparent that the ventilation system in the vehicle was not designed for these conditions, there being no windows that could be opened. It is no exaggeration to say that the temperature in the bus was above 90°F. This journey would normally be a pleasant meander through the Pembrokeshire countryside but on this day it was like sitting in a sauna on wheels!
An hour later I thankfully parted company with my transport and made for Marloes village shop to buy the largest bottle of water I could find. Then down the narrow winding lane to the hostel, stopping frequently for rehydration breaks. The hostel does not open until 17.00 so I pressed on to the beach having abandoned any ideas of walking.
For the next two hours I relaxed on the beach, one of the best in the area, while the sun beat down with Mediterranean intensity - its a hard life.
Marloes Sands youth hostel occupies what was once a farm and is spread across four separate buildings. The dormitory names of "cowshed" and "henhouse" reflect the agricultural origins. Rest assured however that they have been fully converted to modern hostel standards with no traces of previous animal occupants. The one time farmhouse appears to be operated as a family unit and was proving very popular at the time of my visit.
Time to put away the bus timetable, today is the day for the walk to Broad Haven. Concerned about walking a long distance in blistering heat, with all water having to be carried, I had decided to make an early start in the morning. There was a slight mist as I left at 7.30 and the air was pleasantly fresh. Determined to cover as many miles as possible while the conditions were favourable I walked continuously until 10 o'clock, when Broad Haven came into view. In fact the feared heat never arrived, as the early mist turned to light cloud cover and a refreshing breeze sprang up from the sea - well that's British weather for you, always unpredictable.
Broad Haven YHA is open from 13.00 so I was able to enjoy a leasurely coffee in the members kitchen and leave my bag before venturing onto the beach. There is a particularly fine beach here, ideal for playing beach games and bathing and it was well used but not crowded on this sunny Sunday afternoon. While the sands are a big attraction and the coastal walking is good, there is little of interest in the village, the amenities consisting of two shops, two pubs and one basic cafe.
In the morning, more blue skies, more hot sun as I enjoyed a short walk on the path north from Broad Haven before catching the bus back to Haverfordwest.
The railhead and hub of bus services in this part of Pembrokeshire is Haverfordwest. From this attractive, busy town bus routes radiate to Marloes, Broad Haven and Manorbier. St Davids can also be reached from here.
Marloes: Two buses daily (not Sun), 13.25 and 17.05 from Haverfordwest Edwards Brothers route 316 Broad Haven: Two buses daily (not Sun), 10.30 and 14.30 from Haverfordwest First Cymru route 311 Manorbier Hourly service to Tenby via Pembroke (not Sun) Alight Skrinkle estate, just past Manorbier village First Cymru route 349An alternate route to Manorbier is to travel by train to Manorbier station (Cardiff to Pembroke Dock line), 2.5 miles from the hostel.
I travelled by train to Haverfordwest on the comfortable, medium paced Wales and West service via Cardiff.
A useful bus route for YHA members which I didn't get chance to try is the Puffin Shuttle. This runs along the coast from St Davids to Milford Haven and links St Davids, Penycwm, Broad Haven and Marloes YHA's. It makes two round trips a day, 7 days a week, leaving St Davids at 9.10 and 14.10. It operates until 30 september 2001. Summerdale Coaches route 400.
All bus services are subject to change, check before travelling
