Pembrokeshire Coastal Path

The Pembrokeshire Coast Path, also often called the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, is a designated National Trail in Pembrokeshire, southwest Wales. It was established in 1970, and is long, mostly at cliff-top level, with a total of of ascent and descent. At its highest point – Pen yr afr, on Cemaes Head – it reaches a height of 175m, and at its lowest point – Sandy Haven crossing, near Milford Haven – it is just 6ft above low water. Whilst most of the coastline faces west, it offers – at varying points – coastal views in every direction of the compass. The southern end of the path is at Amroth, Pembrokeshire. The northern end is often regarded as being at Poppit Sands, near St. Dogmaels, Pembrokeshire, where the official plaque was originally sited but the path now continues to St. Dogmaels, where a new marker was unveiled in July 2009. Here the path links with the Ceredigion Coast Path, which continues northwards. The Pembrokeshire Coast Path forms part of the Wales Coast Path, an 870mi long-distance walking route around the whole coast of Wales from Chepstow to Queensferry, which was officially opened in 2012. History of the pathFollowing the establishment of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in 1952, Welsh naturalist and author Ronald Lockley surveyed a route around the coast. Although there were villages and settlements on the coast, communication between these was largely by boats, and access in the region was generally poor. Lockley's report for the Countryside Commission in 1953 was welcomed and broadly adopted. Some sections of the walk were existing rights-of-way, but the majority were in private hands, necessitating negotiation. Most landowners were in favour, and many benefitted from the erection of new fencing. Even today, however, the path in places detours from the obvious line where landowners were unwilling to accept a new right-of-way across their land.

The Pembrokeshire Coast Path, also often called the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, is a designated National Trail in Pembrokeshire, southwest Wales. It was established in 1970, and is long, mostly at cliff-top level, with a total of of ascent and descent. At its highest point – Pen yr afr, on Cemaes Head – it reaches a height of 175m, and at its lowest point – Sandy Haven crossing, near Milford Haven – it is just 6ft above low water. Whilst most of the coastline faces west, it offers – at varying points – coastal views in every direction of the compass. The southern end of the path is at Amroth, Pembrokeshire. The northern end is often regarded as being at Poppit Sands, near St. Dogmaels, Pembrokeshire, where the official plaque was originally sited but the path now continues to St. Dogmaels, where a new marker was unveiled in July 2009. Here the path links with the Ceredigion Coast Path, which continues northwards. The Pembrokeshire Coast Path forms part of the Wales Coast Path, an 870mi long-distance walking route around the whole coast of Wales from Chepstow to Queensferry, which was officially opened in 2012. History of the pathFollowing the establishment of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in 1952, Welsh naturalist and author Ronald Lockley surveyed a route around the coast. Although there were villages and settlements on the coast, communication between these was largely by boats, and access in the region was generally poor. Lockley's report for the Countryside Commission in 1953 was welcomed and broadly adopted. Some sections of the walk were existing rights-of-way, but the majority were in private hands, necessitating negotiation. Most landowners were in favour, and many benefitted from the erection of new fencing. Even today, however, the path in places detours from the obvious line where landowners were unwilling to accept a new right-of-way across their land.