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  4. Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire

Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire

Summary

A lovely coastal walk along rugged clifftop from Strumble Head to Trefin via Pwll Deri and the pretty Abercastle village. This walk takes in dramatic views and local wildlife. There is a bus available in Summer to the start point.
Difficulty:
Leisurely
Distance:
12.2 miles (19.7 km)
Walking time:
06h 00m
Type:
Linear

Start location

Strumble Head car park/bus stop SM895412

lat: 52.0292346

lon: -5.0702226

Map

Elevation

Route

1 of 0

Getting there

The excellent Pembrokeshire Coastal Bus Services - with user-friendly names like Strumble Shuttle and Poppit Rocket - cover the whole of the National Park’s coastline, enabling walkers to enjoy linear routes by catching a bus both out and back. While there are daily buses in the summer months to Strumble Head – the start of the walk - in winter they only run three days a week. But it’s just a few miles from Goodwick/Fishguard so a taxi could be used if need be.

Nearest national rail station at Fishguard Harbour. Strumble Shuttle bus 404 runs between Fishguard and St David’s via Strumble Head & Trefin (during winter the bus stops at the Strumble Head junction c.2km / 1¼ miles from Strumble Head). Richard Brothers bus 413, runs from Fishguard to St David’s via Trefin (0871 200 2233, http://www.traveline.info).

Waypoints

1

The navigation for this walk is very simple: facing Strumble Head, turn left and keep the sea on your right for the rest of the way! It’s just under 3 miles/4½km to Pwll Deri: wild, rocky terrain with bracken, heather and coarse grass. Pwll Deri’s Youth Hostel, situated directly above the cliffs, must take the prize for the most impressive location for a hostel in Wales – if not the whole of the country. Whether sitting out or in, the views are truly spectacular. This is another place to look out for seals.

2

If you’ve the time and energy it’s worth making a short detour to climb to the summit of Garn Fawr (which overlooks Pwll Deri), an impressive Iron Age hillfort with more superb views on offer. There’s a path to the top on the other side of the road. For the onward route, the Coast Path follows the road for a short distance, passing a memorial to the poet Dewi Emrys, before turning off right to continue on out to the Penbwchdy headland. South of here you begin to lose height as the cliffs get lower.

3

The shingle beach at Aber Mawr is just over the halfway point. Though the cliffs from now on are not as high and exhilarating as before, the scenery is still excellent. Continue along the coast path towards Abercastle. (B) Abercastle is a picturesque village with a harbour once used for trading; there is a limekiln to the south of the harbour and a ruined granary to the north. (C) Just beyond Abercastle, and a short diversion from the Coast Path, is Cromlech Carreg Sampson: a superb Neolithic burial chamber, worth making the effort to see.

4

Another hour or so’s walking from Abercastle brings you to Aber Draw; Trefin is just up the road. Alternatively you could turn off the Coast Path from the cliffs at Trwyn Llwyd before reaching Aber Draw. Trefin is served by both the Strumble Shuttle and a regular, all-year-round bus service so is a good place to finish.

Notes

Terrain: Well-signed National Trail coastal path along rugged cliff-top.

Maps: OS Explorer OL35; Landranger 157

Eating & drinking: The Refreshments available in Trefin and Porthgain. As this is quite a remote part of the coast, no refreshments are available en route.

Sleeping: B&B in Trefin; Pwll Deri Youth Hostel is on the route (01239 612936). Or contact the TIC below for more options. 

Visitor Information: Fishguard TIC (01437 776636, http://www.visitpembrokeshire.co.uk).

Local Ramblers Group: Pembrokeshire Ramblers (http://www.pembrokeshireramblers.org.uk).

Problem with this route?

If you encounter a problem on this walk, please let us know by emailing volunteersupport@ramblers.zendesk.com. If the issue is with a public path or access please also contact the local highways authority directly, or find out more about solving problems on public paths on our website.

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Join the Ramblers and enjoy

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  • a library jam-packed with thousands of tried-and-tested routes
  • a welcome pack teeming with top tips plus our quarterly Walk magazine
  • exclusive discounts from our partners
  • knowing your support is opening up more places to walk and helping more people discover the joy of walking
Join now for just £3.42 per month
Register for an account for FREE