Day 66: Marloes to Dale

It was a drizzly start to the day as we made our way from Marloes to the coast path at Marloes Sands.  The beach features some fantastic rock formations including the Three Chimneys, three vertical lines of hard silurian sandstone and mudstone. There used to be four chimneys, but the fourth crumbled in a severe storm of 1954. Marloes Sands was also the filming location for ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’.

Rock formations, Marloes Sands

Rock formations with Gateholm Island to rear, Marloes Sands

Encrusted rocks at Marloes Sands

 From the beach we followed the steep path up the cliffs to the far end of the bay, where the path flanked the World War II airfield of RAF Dale.

North end of Marloes Sands

Looking south towards Marloes Sands

 The path continued away from the cliffs before dropping down steeply near Westdale Bay. From here we followed the pointed sandstone cliffs round several small headlands until the lighthouse on St Ann’s Head came into view. The rocks off St Ann’s Head were responsible for the grounding of the Sea Empress in 1996 and the subsequent spillage of 72,000 tonnes of crude oil in the waters around this coast.

Dale as viewed from Westdale Bay

Descending down to Westdale Bay

Looking southwards along the coast to Marloes Sands

Welsh ponies grazing the cliff tops

St Ann's Head 

From St Ann’s Head the path cut across some fields towards Mill Bay on the other side of the headland. Though this is a wild rocky bay, it is here that Henry Tudor (VII) came ashore before marching to Bosworth Field to defeat Richard III in 1485, he was born in Pembroke Castle and used his Welsh lineage to assure a safe passage through Wales.

Mill Bay with St Ann's Head in background

Settlement at St Ann's Head

The path continued along the edge of the fields to the navigation beacons and WWII fortifications at West Blockhouse Point before circling around the back of Watwick Bay, which according to our guide book is one of the most beautiful and secluded sandy havens in Pembrokeshire.

WWII gun emplacements at West Block House Point

Watwick Bay

We then followed the path round through the woods to Dale, a tiny boating village that is said to be the sunniest in Wales (although not the day we were there)!

Shore-line cottages at Dale