St David’s coastal trail
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SM756252 Start from the impressive Oriel y Parc Gallery and Visitor Centre car park (pop into the gallery and café here too). Exit the car park and turn left to walk down the main road (A487) through the pretty stone buildings of St David’s town centre. Fork left at the triangle of grass in the middle of town, turn left down Stephen’s Lane, turn left at the end along Bryn Road, then right down Pen Y Garn road. At the end turn right, then take the first, tree-lined path on the left, walking south following the footpath signs to the coast.
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SM752243 At the coast, look right (west) to St Non’s Retreat Centre, a small stone chapel, then take the path on your right skirting just below it to walk through the St Non Chapel ruins and the holy well before continuing south-west along the coast path. The clifftop path is super easy to follow all the way to Porthclais. Here, take a look at the historic lime kilns along the harbour before continuing along the coast path back out to sea.
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SM741237 Continue following the coast path, keeping the sea on your left as you curve round the headlands and bays. Admire the ever-nearing Ramsay Island across the water, and look out for seals, especially as you round the main headland at Porthtaflod which is where we saw several with pups at the end of September 2018.
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SM716233 A few hundred metres after Porthtaflod, turn right to walk uphill inland, through the buildings at Treginnisisaf, continuing down into Treginnis-uchaf and continuing along the path to a small road. Follow this road for 2km back towards St David’s, going straight on at a crossroads and stopping at a bridleway just before a tributary of the River Alun.
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SM742251 Turn right along the bridleway next to the tributary, towards the River Alan which you cross, then turn left and take a track towards St Davids until it meets a small road. Turn left at the road, take the left fork, go straight on at the crossroads and climb steeply up to St David’s Cathedral and Bishop’s Palace. Pop in for a look if you have time, otherwise turn right to follow the roads back into the town centre and back to the car park.