Newport Bay

Newport Bay

Route: Newport Bay

Area: Pembrokeshire

Date of walk: 26th September 2020

Walkers: Andrew and Gilly

Distance: 5.0 miles

Ascent: 800 feet

Weather: Sunshine and clouds, very strong winds

Today’s walk was a linear one, made possible by the local bus service. We left our rented holiday cottage at Ffynnonofi Farm (which we can highly recommend) and walked along the lane into the nearby village of Dinas Cross. Anyone following this walk would need to park in the village. The ‘Poppit Rocket’ bus offers a more convenient alternative, starting from Pwllgwaelod, but only operates at certain times. Either way, it’s best to check availability and timetables before setting off (especially in these Covid affected times). With linear walks, it’s always preferable to take the bus at the start if possible, as this avoids a potential long wait at the end or, even worse, missing the last bus home

The 9.29am bus arrived bang on time and 10 minutes later we disembarked in Newport at the start of the walk. We headed down the road to Newport Parrog (the Poppit Rocket service stops there when in service). The tide was out, and we were able to walk along the beach before climbing up to join a footpath, part of the Wales Coast Path) leading out of the village. There were various species of wading birds on the sands, and it was a pleasant surprise to see a kingfisher working its way along the rock pools. I’ve always associated these birds with freshwater locations

The path climbed up to the cliff top, giving good views back over Newport Sands. We continued along the cliffs (care is needed in places as there are sheer drops close by), and on two occasions were able to descend to deserted shingle beaches at Aber Rhugian and Aber Fforest

Eventually we arrived at the small coastal hamlet of Cwm-yr-Eglwys, which we’d walked through two days ago on our circuit of Dinas Island. It was tempting to walk around the island again (it is in fact a promontory), but we decided instead to walk across its neck. A short stroll along the easy path brought us to the end of the walk at Pwllgwaelod, where the Old Sailors’ Pub provides refreshments. From here we walked back to our holiday cottage. Anyone catching the bus from Dinas Cross would need to follow the road back into the village

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)

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