Elegug Stacks

Elegug Stacks

Route: Elegug Stacks

Area: Wales, Pembrokeshire

Date of walk: 7th September 2019

Walkers: Andrew and Gilly

Distance: 12.0 miles

Ascent: 800 feet

Weather: Mixture of cloud and sunny intervals

Today’s walk was a long one, but it was worth the effort for the varied scenery we saw along the way. We parked in the National Trust car park in the small village of Bosherston and followed a path through the famous Lily Ponds, well worth a visit in their own right. We could have lingered here for much longer, as this is a wildlife haven and home to a wide variety of animal life, including otter and pike 

After walking along the Lily Ponds, which occupy a large area, we arrived at Broad Haven beach, which looks out to the prominent formation of Church Rock. A stroll along the beach took us to some steps, which we climbed up to start the cliff top section of the walk. After 15 minutes or so we arrived at the steps which lead down to St Govan’s Chapel, an ancient hermit’s cell built into the rocks. According to legend the number of steps down is never the same as the number of steps back up. Gilly counted 74 going down and 75 back up, so it must be true

We continued along the cliff top, sometimes keeping to the main track and at others following paths closer to the cliff edge for better views of the scenery (take care, your best view could be your last). Eventually we arrived at our destination, the spectacular limestone rock pillars of Elegug Stacks and the huge rock arch known as the Green Bridge of Wales. After gazing in awe at these sights we retraced our steps back to the start, taking a shortcut near the end

It had been an exceptional walk, featuring the best cliff top scenery I’ve ever seen

Important note: much of the route lies within an MOD training area, which is in use for around 44 weeks a year, when access is prohibited. Weekends and holiday periods are generally free, but before setting off on this walk it’s necessary to ensure that there is unrestricted access. Recorded information is available by phoning 01646 662367 – we tried this but the message was incomprehensible. This link to the Castlemartin Firing Range is more useful

Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)

Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow

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