We Must Be Mad: Day 67: Dale to Milford Haven

Our wanderings today took us from Dale to Milford Haven across two sets of tidal stepping stones. From Dale we followed the road round to Gann Flats where we had our first tidal crossing across the River Gann.

Gann Flats

Following the causeway at Gann Flats

Lake side cottages at Glann Flat

Gann Flat

Gann River at low tide

Beyond the crossing, our route took us along a rocky shore below a low cliff before eventually making our way to a narrow green swathe of the coast path heading out round Musselwick Point.

Rocky shore at Dale Roads

Looking across Dale Roads to Dale Village

Following the low cliffs, we came upon a number of deserted or ruins of buildings. The first of these was a folly known as the Malacov, named after the Malakoff fort off Sebastopol. Further along we came upon old WWII buildings on Watch House Point. More interestingly, across the water we could see Stackrock Fort, clinging to a rock in the middle of the estuary. A 3-gun fort was built on the rock between 1850 and 1852, and then upgraded in 1859 with a new building that completely encased the original gun tower. The fort is now listed as a Grade II building.

Dale Village as viewed across the bay

Ruins of Malakoff Fort

World War II bunkers and buildings

Stack Rock Fort

Greg and I were fascinated by Stack Rock Fort and on further research we discovered that the fort is privately owned and currently on the market for £400,000 (https://www.housebeautiful.com/uk/lifestyle/property/a21093983/entire-stack-rock-fort-island-wales-for-sale/)! We spent many hours day-dreaming about the possibility of owning our own fort in the middle of Milford Haven and the opportunities this would present, provided you had another million pounds or more to renovate it!

The cliffs around Lindsway Bay and Butts Bay

The path continued around the low cliffs of Lindsway Bay and Butts Bay to reach the estuary at Sandy Haven where we had our second tidal crossing and stopped for lunch.

View across to oil refinery on other side of Milford Haven

Tide is out at Sandy Haven

Sandy Haven

Looking back towards Sandy Haven

From Sandy Haven the path climbed up through bracken around the perimeter fence of a decommissioned Esso oil refinery, now a natural gas terminal. In the past day or so we have noticed a change in the landscape particularly in terms of built structures. This part of Pembrokeshire is dominated by the oil refineries, pipelines, docks and power stations of Milford Haven, Pembroke and Pembroke Dock.