Sun and hail, sea and fields, and alpacas too
ON Saturday, December 19, Carolyn and Dennis Hills led a pleasant 7.5-mile circular walk in the Amroth area.
The walk incorporated a short section of the coast path along the seafront in Amroth and then a network of footpaths and tracks through forestry, farmyards and farmland with a visit to a huge wind turbine near the highest point of the walk.
The weather forecast for the day predicted strong winds and light rain showers, although they were blessed with bright sunshine most of the time. The temperature was 9C, just above the average for the time of year.
The walk started from the main car park in Amroth from where they walked towards Pendine under a clear blue sky for about three quarters of a mile on the coast path that runs along the seafront, enjoying the sights and sounds of the choppy sea as the tide – which was fully in – crashed against the sea wall.
Just after the castle caravan park they left the coast path and turned northwards inland along a forestry track that ran steadily uphill through Factory Wood for just over half a mile to reach a country road at the entrance to Trelessy Farm.
Here they turned westwards into the drive that led them into the yard of Eastlake Farm, then through the woodland beyond to reach St Elidyr’s church.
Turning northwards they left the road to walk through Graigy-borion Wood on Little Craig-yBorion for over a mile to reach Horsemanstone on the A477 main road to Pembroke Dock, where they encountered a couple of interested alpacas.
After crossing this busy road, they passed through a campsite and into a network of fields still heading northwards towards the now disused Blaencilcoed Quarries. As they approached the electricity pylons, they met the Landsker Borderlands trail and stopped for lunch at the highest point of the walk at 149 metres, only to be caught in a short, sharp hail shower.
In the afternoon they turned westwards along the trail and enjoyed some coastal scenery as they walked for about half a mile through some soggy fields to the foot of a lonely wind turbine just before they reached the Knights’ Way Trail.
This was the start of the return journey, which now headed south along the Knights’ Way on Rosemary Lane to cross the busy A477 again into a bridleway with a gentle descent through the beautiful Craig-y-borion Wood following a stream for over a mile until they reached the National Trust property of Colby Lodge.
They stayed on the Knights’ Way for the final one-mile stroll through Colby Woodland Garden back to the car park.