2020 was certainly a year like no other, and forced me to look closer to home for holidays. During the summer, I’d booked a glamping pod on a farm on the Pembrokeshire coast for 3 days in late November. As autumn progressed and things got worse with the pandemic, I’d resigned myself to not being able to go. As it turned out, there was a short window here in Wales where we were able to travel. And so it was that I set out on a beautiful, crisp, late November morning from Cardiff, and a couple of hours later I stopped for a packed lunch on the beach at Newgale.
After lunch I headed a few minutes down the road to Solva and had a brief wander to the lime kilns, before hopping back in the car and carrying on to the small city of St David’s. I visited the cathedral (hence it being a city) as well as the ruins of the Bishop’s Palace.
After a very short walk around the town, I then headed approximately 10 minutes up the road to the farm where my pod was located, in the hamlet of Square and Compass (such a great name!). Whilst it looked as though there were hookups for caravans, there was no one else staying, and so it was a blissfully peaceful few days. The pod was super-cute, and you could just about glimpse the sea from the front decking.
I’d planned myself a little itinerary, and so the next morning, after making a packed lunch, I headed back to St David’s and across to Caerfai Bay. After a walk down to the beach, where I was the only person, I then set off west on the coastal path and arrived at St Non’s Chapel and Well.
It was a glorious late autumn day, and I carried on along the path to Porthclais Harbour, where I found myself a sheltered spot on the harbour wall for lunch.
After lunch I retraced my steps back along the coastal path, back to Caerfai Bay and my car. I then drove back through St David’s and out to Whitesands Bay. A lovely, sweeping bay, which looked evocative in the setting sun on a winters afternoon. I had a walk to the north of the bay, towards Porthmelgan Beach, and back again, before calling it a day and heading back to my little pod.
The next day it was a short drive in the other direction, to Aberreiddy Beach and the Blue Lagoon, a remnant from this area’s slate mining past. I was so fortunate with the weather, which really highlighted the blue of the Blue Lagoon. I then walked north along the coastal path to Porthgain. This part of the walk was spectacular, hugging the cliffs, and with a couple of detours down to secluded bays.
I arrived in Porthgain at lunchtime and found a picnic bench for my packed lunch, before making the return trip along the coastal path. I then drove to Fishguard (somewhere I’d return to when going to Ireland in 2022), before returning to my pod for a relaxing evening with wine and S1 of Ted Lasso.
This part of Wales is stunningly beautiful and I was so lucky with the weather in November and the ability to travel more than 5 miles from my home during the dark days of the pandemic. I really do recommend it.
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