Above: Slate Mill Lodge campsite, Pembrokeshire.
Above: Broad Haven South
Above: Church Doors Cove
Above: Barafundle Bay
I would love to say that these photos are from a huge adventure we had this year – but ashamedly, they’re actually from last summer, and I just never got round to editing the photos, never mind actually writing the post. Ahh, life!
At the end of August last year we packed ourselves into the car and travelled for four-and-a-half hours up to Pembrokeshire, dropping my Mum off at my Aunt’s house on the way. With three adults, two children, a huge bell tent and a load of camping equipment, it’s fair to say that the car struggled to even make it across the toll bridge; but after what seemed like forever, we unfolded ourselves out of the car, sticky and crumpled, at Slate Mill Lodge campsite in Haverfordwest.
The site was ace, and really rural looking; we were in the lower field which had a stream running through it, and the pitches were all separated by bushes and trees. There were wildflowers and blackberries for picking, and we did love it – but the toilet block was in the upper field, and as nice as the meandering paths were, they weren’t great for midnight loo trips! You also couldn’t park next to your pitch, which was fine when we arrived in the beautiful sunshine, but less fun when we had to pack everything up and wheelbarrow it back to the car in the pouring rain….
We stayed for three days, and basically spent the entire time on the beach; Broad Haven was beautiful, and the first one we went to – you have to walk down some pretty steep steps to get to it, but nothing major. We were met by acres of warm golden sand, stretching out to meet a sparkling, blue ocean, and the kiddos spent a very happy three hours running in and out of the water, screaming with delight. Church Doors Cove was probably my favourite though; once you reach the bottom of the metal stairs, you’re faced with large rocks to scramble across, and plenty of gaps in the cliff to explore. It’s wonderful to photograph, and ideal if you like your beaches with a bit more than just sand and sea. We went to Barafundle Bay on the last day, and it was definitely the most difficult to get to – after a long (long!) walk across the cliff, we staggered down some pretty steep stone steps and collapsed on the sand at the bottom. It’s worth noting that there are no toilets or shops for miles – so if you ever decide to head there, make sure you visit the loo in the National Trust carpark before you set off on your trek!
One thing I had wanted to do was visit Skomer Island to see the puffins – but unfortunately we’d mistimed it massively, as they usually all leave by the beginning of August, so we were almost a month too late. Hopefully next year we’re going to go back in the May half term, when they’ll still be around.