Leaving the National Park

Rain today.  Drizzle was was forecast from 6am so I was packed and away by 6.15.  There were still a few places to explore before leaving the national park, but they turned out to be damp squibs:  in particular  Sandy Haven, which I later decided must have been a tidal ford.  There were a couple of houses;, and the road ended in the sea; that's all.

Sandy Haven

After Herbrandston, a different type of Haven appeared above the horizon: a forest of oil storage tanks.  I was entering the 'conurbation' of Milford Haven and Pembroke, which would host me for the next 30 miles.

Lumpy narrow lanes gave way to smooth oil-financed tarmac as I passed South Hook Liquid Natural Gas Terminal.   Both sides of the estuary were dotted with piers to allow tankers to unload.  Sticking to the coast led me past marinas, yacht clubs and some nice seaside properties,  but no cafés, which was really my only interest by now.  Milford Haven town is a bit inland, and didn't get a look-in.  

Soon I was on the Brunel Cycleway, part of NCN route 4, which took me across the river Daugleddau on a high-level Millau-style Cleddau Bridge. Still no cafe.  In desperation I followed my nose and found a Tescos cafe.

The rain has been patchy and light so far, but it was forecast to be heavy all afternoon.

Pembroke Docks and the Cleddau Bridge

Pembroke Castle

By 1pm it started raining heavily as I was still exploring  the various extremities and headlands of Pembroke.  Pembroke  has a strong military  history with a large docks, an Admitalty Road, a Defensible Barracks (good idea - I wonder what happened to the other one?).  But not many cafes.  My last call before heading back eastwards was the coastal village of Angle.  My mood and my expectations were low as I passed the Pembroke Refinery and the customary lumpy road surface reappeared, but I was in for a treat.  A nice village with two pubs (both closed) leads to the beautiful  sandy cove, and I was delighted to find a perfect cafe by the beach!  Lovely food and a proper Welsh welcome - something which has been a bit lacking in National Park Land.

After that, it was rain, rain, rain and wind.  Miserable until I was completely  wet, and then, sort of OK.  Heads down cycling eastwards (at last),  I took a 2 mile detour over an army firing range to see Elegug Stacks, so you wouldn't  have to.  They're  impressive, and the noise of the waves was thunderous.

Elegug Stacks

A succession of nice beaches followed as the rain gradually died away. Freshwater West, long  empty and wild; Bosherston, a sandy, wave-lashed cove, and Manorbier, another sandy cove with dozens of people actually in the sea, surfing.  In between was Freshwater East, not so nice. I didn't  see a beach but the way out was up a wall-like road soaring up to the sky - most unwelcome after a long day.

Bosherston 

View of the coast to come

Manorbier

There was good and bad news on the accommodation  front.  More or less where I finished was a youth hostel, YHA Manorbier.   Bad news: no dormitory rooms (a 4 bed private room was an option at £39).  Good news: they have a camp site with proper showers, a drying room, somewhere  to charge stuff, and a cafe.  That was good enough for me.

Outside Manorbier  YHA

Manorbier YHA camping