Pembrokeshire Coast Path Day 11 - Pembroke to Angle –
8/13/19 – 13.8 Miles
[If this reads like a diary entry full of personal
details – you’re right! It’s my story. Some info may be helpful for your trip
planning, there’s an abundance of photos because everything was so beautiful,
and I believe food and drink and human connections are the secret sauce of
traveling. As they say, “Take what you need and leave the rest.” Enjoy!]
Breakfast at 8:00 a.m. because we have fewer miles today.
I was utterly seduced by the generous spread – add sausages and a fried egg – I
have forgotten my lesson from Day 6 leaving Solva. Why all the food photos? So I can
taste it again when I read this in my old age.
My favorite time for walking is in the soothing cool of early
morning. There are very few people about, and fewer vehicles. The streets seem
safer and easier to navigate. Today I hoped not to be vexed by the many twists
and turns and carried the guidebook pages in my front pocket for frequent
reference (spoiler alert: we still made a wrong turn at…)
Morning reflection
The P’shire leads us around the base of Pembroke
Castle
Hmmmmm…
A street in Monkton, the village next door to Pembroke – a nod to the days when streets
didn’t have signposts but everyone knew what you were talking about
didn’t have signposts but everyone knew what you were talking about
Outside of Monkton, we entered a sweeping valley of small
pastures and densely wooded paths lined with those extraordinary ferns. I was
reminded of the Tanawha Trail section of the Mountains-To-Sea Trail that Danny
and I hiked together years ago near Blowing Rock, NC. Down one of those shady lanes a lone hiker named Annette caught up to us and we
leapfrogged a few times until she moved on ahead. We’re all staying at the same
B&B in Angle tonight.
The International Appalachian Trail appears again
This plant has turned up a time or two on prior days,
but today it was a frequent presence –
is this my “flower of the day?” But what
is it? It’s very much like the fruit of
a jack-in-the-pulpit back home.
At Lambeth Farms, we walked through the barnyard and onto a
paved lane. This didn’t seem odd, as we had been on similar paths today. Walking
and chatting, we covered about a mile and arrived at an intersection with no
trail markers – and when was the last time we’d seen one? As we puzzled over every
angle of our map, a car came along (of course it did – we’re in Wales!) The
driver kindly told us to return to the farm and look for a trail sign near the barn.
Grumbling and grousing at our mile-long walk back, sure enough, we had missed a
fingerpost pointing away from the lane and across the fields. In our defense, it
was not remotely obvious, we had to walk all around the barnyard to find it. Through
a fence and a muddy field churned up by hooves, the P’shire
unapologetically continued past the Pembrokeshire Power Station towards the Valero
Energy refinery.
A charming surprise: Pwllcrochan Church (erected in 1342, restored in 1897) knocking on the back door of the oil refinery. Just another church, you say? No! In fact, it's now owned by the refinery and operates as the Environmental and Community Centre, a primary school education project. The surrounding marshlands feature boardwalks and activities for wildlife and aquatic studies.
Pwllcrochan Church – note the flares from the
refinery burning off waste gas
As close as we’re going to get
In hindsight, we should have stopped for lunch back
at the environmental centre. The sun was
relentless in the open fields alongside the refinery. Over each crest we were
discouraged to see more fields lined by fences on either side and little shade.
Move over, sheep friends, we’ve got to take a break.
Sharing shade with the locals
Yesterday we were over there looking over
here
The P’shire passes under the jetty –a
bit eerie, no people - it did not feel like
“under the boardwalk” at Myrtle Beach
Hunkering down on the shoreline is former Fort Popton, an 1860’s Victorian defence site, also active during the Second World War. In
modern times the building has been used as a research center for oil pollution
studies. Now it’s part of the Valero Energy property.
At the parking area overlooking Fort Popton we met a gentleman sitting in his car reading a newspaper. He introduced himself
as Stewart, said he was relaxing with the view before going on his daily
10-mile cycling route this afternoon. Royal Navy retired, policeman retired,
former head of security for one of the refineries – Stewart has earned his leisure
time. Notice the twinkle in his eye to go with that beaming smile!
Looking out over the curve of Angle Bay, there was no
respite from the afternoon sun. A long stretch of road walking between high
embankments obstructed the breeze and the view. Re-entering the open air on the far side of the curve felt
like Dorothy and friends in the Wizard of Oz emerging from the poppy fields at
the edge of the Emerald City. Lo and behold, we looked back to see the refinery
which had been hidden from view.
The extensive mudflats of Angle Bay are hospitable winter
feeding grounds for wading birds such as lapwing, golden plover, greenshank,
godwit and snipe. (If you’re working on that life list and planning a visit to
Pembrokeshire, read more here and here.)
I wouldn’t know any of those species if one walked up and
introduced herself – but I was privileged to watch a white swan in the bay
swimming gracefully to join a black swan. (See the two dots in the water? If you blow the photo up times a thousand, they really are there).
The black and white swans were my favorite part of Day 11.
The black and white swans were my favorite part of Day 11.
Only a mile to go to our destination for the day, Danny and I
stopped to watch the harvesting of a field of potatoes. After the vegetables
were uprooted by the potato harvester, workers quickly sorted them onto a
conveyor belt which dumped them into a truck pulled alongside. Seemed to me
that lots of potatoes were rejected and tossed back into the dirt. What happens
to those? Does someone else come through the field to glean what remains?
Angle Bay B&B is
the first home on the bay at the edge of the village – hooray! They have just
two rooms, one for us and the other for Annette whom we had met earlier. The establishment
had a resort feel, a serene view of the estuary from our bedroom bay window, a raised
bed vegetable garden, and common areas for relaxing. Yes, I’d love tea and
biscuits while the host does my laundry!
We took a walk along the main street of this tiny village, past a
mixture of homes and businesses, the omnipresent St. Mary’s Church, and a small
playground (part of St. Mary’s? part of a school?). Apparently we missed “the
remains of a supposed nunnery on the south side of the road” mentioned in our
guidebook. What do you suppose a “supposed” nunnery is?
St Mary’s Church in Angle
Were there enough children in Angle to support a school? I learned
later that, after 155 years of operation, the local school was closed in 2018
and the children assigned to a regional school in Hundleton (near Pembroke). A
local news report described the farewell end-of-an-era celebration: “Past pupils, teachers, staff and parents
were invited to the school, where the pupils of Angle School began the ceremony
by singing three songs, followed by the school's ukulele group playing ‘Don't
Worry, Be Happy’.”
Makes me smile
and feel sad at the same time.
Two choices for dinner in Angle; we opted for the Hibernia
Inn. The menu was limited (chicken, peas and carrots, jacket potatoes with
cheese sauce) but the cider selection was extensive. Meet my new friend, the Woodpecker.
As we were finishing our meal, Annette came into the restaurant. Beyond
the miles we had done, she also hiked the northern part of the Angle Peninsula
in anticipation of rainy weather forecast for tomorrow. Hmmmm…
Although we’d walked some extra miles today, the big elevation
gains of earlier days were gone. Earlier days…the Witches’ Cauldron on Day 1 seems
like a long time ago. What do I remember about it? Enjoying the present moment
and the desire to preserve memories is a paradox I struggle with every day. On our
P’shire adventure I’ve made notes and taken photos and I look forward to experiencing
it again and again.
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