Walking The Pembrokeshire Coastal Path - Part 1 By Steve Rudd

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Get out of the city and into the country, sooner rather than later. A great many people genuinely have no idea how scenically diverse and breathtaking some swathes of countryside are in the UK, and such a fact is a great shame, because while they might be spending all their spare time in dirty and cramped urban environments, there's often fresh air and inspirational places very nearby indeed.

In the South-West corner of Wales there is Pembrokeshire, and for those people who enjoy long-distance hiking there is the mighty 186-mile Pembrokeshire Coastal Path walk to keep them entertained.

I'm fresh back from walking the beauty from start to finish, and it's one of the most exhilarating treks I've ever done, and almost as exciting as walking in Nepal in some sections. It took me a hard nine days of walking to get from the tiny village of Amroth (a little east of Tenby) in South Wales right around to St. Dogmaels village - just outside of Cardigan - in the north, but every step was worth it.

One of the major reasons that the majority of British folk are reluctant to stay in the UK for holidays is, quite understandably, due to the unpredictable climate and God-forsaken weather that comes with it. It's not uncommon to hypothetically experience four seasons in one day in upland areas in particular, such as in the Highlands of Scotland or amongst the lofty Pennine hills, so if you prefer sunbathing and taking things easy, walking in Britain is naturally not really going to appeal to you when it comes to deciding what you're going to do for your next holiday.

But forget the weather for a moment and simply concentrate on the wealth of amazing places to see in the British Isles, and then get yourself down to Amroth and start heading West. Following the Pembrokeshire Coast Path is that easy, and due to the route being a recognised 'National Trail' it is way-marked throughout by Acorn symbols that you find on the many stiles and gates that you have to pass through en-route, that are often infuriating for walkers with large backpacks. I routinely get trapped in kissing-gates just about every time I encounter their tight confines.

Just like cows take a shine to me the second I step foot in a farmer's field, usually proceeding to chase me from one side to the safe sanctuary of the other. Never mind though - for all the petty inconveniences that might come with walking, either short-distance or long-distance, the rewards far outnumber them.

Another contributory factor to the fact that most Brits prefer to religiously holiday abroad comes down to our public transport network. For a start, to get from Yorkshire (for example) down into Pembrokeshire isn't an easy thing. In the time it took me to travel from Driffield to Tenby by train, it would have been feasible to fly from Manchester to New York. The nasty thing is that if there is any train delay during your journey and you have onward train connections to catch, plans can get severely messed up.

Continued ... next page

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