We Must Be Mad: Days 63-64: Broad Haven to Marloes

Our guidebook recommends walking this leg in one day however we decided to split it into two days, as Greg had come down with a cold (‘man flu’) and this way we would not be so knackered at the end of the day and would have more time to see the sights.

From Broad Haven we followed the road over a small headland to the small seaside village of Little Haven where we stopped briefly for a hot drink in a café.

Shore-line cottages at Little Haven

From Little Haven we followed the cliff top path round to Borough Head where it was a treat to walk through coastal woodland containing mature oak, ash and hazel trees. The steep vegetated slopes with its small bays reminded me of the Marlborough Sounds.

Looking northwards from Musselwick Bay

The coastline beyond Borough Head

Tangled woodland along the track

The path meandering through the woodland

Leaving the woodland, the narrow clifftop path ambled pleasantly along, the cliffs turning to sandstone for the first time along the low intricate shore towards St Brides Haven. Coves with names like Dutch Gin and Brandy Bay hark back to a history of smuggling.

Sandstone cliffs

Sandstone sculpture along the path

The view towards St Brides Haven

Coming into St Brides Haven we could see a large manor house in the distance but our day finished at the church dedicated to St Bridget who is thought to have travelled with St David from Ireland in the 6^th century. We investigated the headstones in the cemetery and discovered a few were former Barons who owned the large manor house: St Brides Castle.

St Brides Castle

St Bridget's Church, St Brides

Gravestones, St Bridget's Church yard

The next morning, we followed the boundary wall of St Brides Castle to rejoin our coast path along the cliffs to St Martins Haven, a narrow but very popular little beach where they launch boats to visit Skomer Island.

Looking towards St Brides Haven

St Brides Haven with St Bridget's Church and historic lime kiln

Coastline between St Bride's Haven and Musselwick Sands

We detoured off the coastal path to walk around the headland which took us out to Wooltack Point and The Anvil as well as offered stunning views of Skomer Island. The sea between the headland and the Skomer Island was boiling in the channel where the currents met. As we made our way around the headland, we could see ancient earthworks, evidence that the site was previously the site of an Iron Age fort.

Wooltack Point and Skomer Island

The headland known as The Anvil with Skokholm Island to rear

From the headland we re-joined the path around Deadman’s Bay and rugged cliffs to another Iron Age fort and nearby Gateholm Island – a site that was inhabited since at least the Bronze Age and probably earlier. Coincidently we had viewed a ‘Time Team’ episode on ‘Youtube’ where they investigated these two sites, so we were familiar with the history. The archaeologists were finding all sorts of pottery dating them to the Roman period and earlier so with our heads down we soon found a small piece of pottery and a bit further along discovered a larger piece.