Around Pembrokeshire

Number 9 Timber Hill stands within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park; created in 1952, it is the only coastal National Park in Britain. The Park is a land of enchantment at the western edge of Wales, internationally recognised as an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

For both the serious and casual walker, the 168-mile Pembrokeshire coastal path is nearby. If you are interested in bird watching, then the nearby islands of Skomer and Skokholm are sanctuaries for breeding sea birds such as guillemots, razorbills, puffins and kittiwakes as well as colonies of seals.

The nearest beach is at Broad Haven, a 20-minute stroll through woodland, rich in bird life and wild flowers; alternatively, you can drive there in around five minutes.

Newgale with its large expanse of sand is a few miles north and is a famous for surfing, windsurfing and land yachting; you can hire equipment locally if you want to give it a go.

There are many other beaches in this area of Pembrokeshire; try visiting Nolton, Druidstone, Little Haven and Marloes Sands, each has their own character although all are excellent for sandcastles!

View over the Cleddau Estuary.

Pembrokeshire beach with sand dunes.

Little Haven is well worth a visit for its pubs and restaurants with a wide choice of food and prices to suit everyone; during the summer, you can buy fresh crabs, lobsters and mackerel.

Haverfordwest, the old county town of Pembrokeshire, is ten minutes drive away. It has a selection of small shops, a market hall and two large supermarkets. Just outside the town, there are two retail parks where you will find many high street stores such as M&S, Next, Debenhams and Laura Ashley, that you would only expect in a much larger city.

A little further north is St. Davids with its world-famous 6th century Cathedral and Bishop’s Palace. Whilst there, why not take a boat trip to Ramsey Island, an RSPB reserve surrounded by marine wildlife.

There are fifteen castles in Pembrokeshire with about half of these being open to the public. Rural crafts are in abundance with woollen mills, pottery, woodcraft, slate, stone and iron works.

There are several local cheese makers in the area, including the award-winning Pant Mawr cheese makers in the Preseli hills. There are also several farm parks in the area, most with both indoor and outdoor facilities.

There is a farmer’s market every Friday in Haverfordwest, where you can buy a wide range of excellent local food, including organic.

There are also many beautiful places to visit in the south of Pembrokeshire.

One of the main attractions of the town of Pembroke is its spectacular fortress, the birthplace of Henry Tudor. There are about fifteen castles in Pembrokeshire, about half of which are open to the public. Why not try a vast to Carew and Manorbier castles.

For a relatively gentle walk, why not try strolling around Bosherton Lake; in the early summer its display of water lilies is spectacular.

A little further south is the romantic monastery island of Caldey, accessed by a short boat trip from Tenby.

If you like the works of Dylan Thomas or even if you do not, a visit to Laugharne is well worth it. You can saunter up to his old Boathouse, bought by a wealthy benefactor, or around the beach, just to enjoy the peace and tranquillity.  The lovely two-mile Dylan Thomas Birthday walk is the setting for one of his best loved works, Poem in October, in which he vividly describes a stroll around Laugharne on his 30th birthday.

For the more adventurous, you can catch the ferry from nearby Fishguard for a day trip to Ireland.

The Tourist Information centre in Haverfordwest has plenty of information on the surrounding area as well as a selection of maps and books.