Are any of you old enough to remember Flanders and Swan? if so you will appreciate why we were singing the song “Glorious Mud”!! We have had a lot of rain recently but some paths were just taking the mick.

If that wasn’t bad enough I had a major serious moment when at the end of the walk I placed my camera on the car roof and forgot about it. The inevitable happened when I found it later crushed and ruined. As government spokesmen say after a disaster “lessons will be learned”

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So no pictures today.

I have to take full responsibility for this walk as it was one I had accompanied the “Navigator” on a considerable amount of time ago when I recalled walking through some disused quarries and seeing the water filled holes. Well since then the quarries have been reopened and “unauthorised” people are not allowed anywhere near.

Bearing in mind the walk was not that far from home and a lot of the paths are shown as trails (The Knights Trail and The Landsker Borderlands Trail) we thought this would be straight forward leading to an early finish. Signposting was at best intermittennt, which is unusual for Pembrokeshire. Early on when taking the path westwards from Crunware Curch (closed) we had to bushwack along it and  then clamber over an earth bank obstruction.

Further on we followed “The Landsker Borderlands Path” across a field which had no way through a recently erected fence – we managed to climb over it with a close eye on the barbed wire.

From there it wasn’t too bad but there was a sting was in the tail. The last footpath from about Trenewydd Farm back to Llanteg was  about an “11” on a scale of 1 to 10 in relation to mud. I was thankful I had had the foresight to wear gators. However we had to laugh as at the end of that path was a sign informing walkers the path was closed because it was unsafe!

Then to top it all I had the camera faux pas. Hey ho, the joys of country walking.

PS When I spoke to my home insurers I was told the camera was less than the excess.

By my request i had asked not to travel to far to this Monday walk and as usual the “Navigator” came up trumps (no, not that one).

This walk was all new to me and most was along green lanes and a dinner stop in the grounds of Narberth Castle.

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The Navigator had suggested that we tackle the Ten Tors. Seemed a long way to go for a  day’s walk but  he amended it to Ten Carns which we would find on the Preseli Mountains. He’s a wag.

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We parked the car just down the road from Penygroes and headed for our first carn of the day Carnalaw.

The Navigator leading the way

We then walked on taking in the rest of the carns, some mentioned by name on the map some not.

A fine man pose

T

Towards Foeldrgan

Trig point on Foeldrgan

From Foeldrgan it was downhill back to the car. Although this was a bank holiday Monday we saw few walkers.

As “The Navigator” had to visit a shed maker in near Pembroke the proposed walk was also to be in Pembrokeshire near Stacpole.

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We parked in a small car park in  Castle Dock Wood  and set off uphill on a minor road and had a coffee break in the churchyard of St Twynnells.

The tower of St Twynnells

From there we continued westwards hoping to cut south down to the coast at Stack Rocks but it became obvious from the explosions that Castlemartin range was in full use and as we approached the range we could see moving tanks in the distance.

At the viewing area there was a leaflet about a dedicated path which skirts the range, with  worrying markers in the shape of a tank!

A German Tank

Our route was now south easterly into the village of Bosherton. We came across a worked out quarry where we had an afternoon cuppa. I was sure that I had taught canoeing in the lake here but today there was little water.

From the village of Bosherton we headed north along side the Lily Ponds back to the car.

Bosherton Church

As we walked along there were a number of sightings of herons who seemed to take little interest in us.

Our little group are attempting to move to a Friday walk and it worked on this particular day. The “Navigator” had decided on an inland circular starting and finishing at Felindre Farchog just east of Newport.

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We headed up a minor road towards Pentre Ifan (not the burial chamber) and then into Pentre Evan Woods and on into Ty Canol Nature Reserve with lots of lichen covered trees. We did take an interesting route in the woods and somehow came out in Constantinople! This turned out to be the name of a property and not a foreign detour.

Bluebells galore

From here we followed the Afon Clydach north and into an area where there are those living an alternative lifestyle.

No visit to the brewery, bah!

More spring flowers

Curious goats

Shed envy

Even more spring flowers

The main A487 was crossed and our route took us near Llwyngwair caravan site to Pont Newydd where we crossed onto the north side of the Afon Nefyr (Nevern) and tracked the river into the village of Nevern. We had our afternoon break here before visiting the church grounds where we saw the bleeding yew and the Nevern Cross.

No comments about the “Navigator”

A very relaxed Daisy

Chris or is it Snozzle Durante?

Carn Ingli

Bleeding Yew

The Afon Nefyr was again followed back to our car at Felindre Farchog

Apparently Mr navigator was looking for a rest from tending his estate and a walk was called for. The destination was  to be Goodwick on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, but the walk was to be an inland one.

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A huge barn – renovation project?

We were soon on footpaths and heading for a strange object on the hillside, shown as “Beacon” on the ordnance map. We have seen this from various  viewpoints and at one time it remained a mystery but we now know this is a beacon for the transatlantic aeroplanes which they log onto when entering the UK.

The Beacon

A little later we met the farmer who had been feeding his sheep and although he had had a good lambing season the grass was slow in growing and supplementary feed was necessary.

Looking down towards  Goodwick

The Black Sea?

My assumption of as coastal walk was incorrect but shows that Pembrokeshire has good inland walks as  well

The decision for a walk today was to drive west for  the better weather that was forecast and our destination was the Treffgarne Gorge in Pembrokeshire.

Our route would take in a number of well sign posted footpaths and bridle ways and quiet lanes. “The Navigator” warned that gaiters may be a good idea and he was proved correct especially by gates where cattle or sheep tend to congregate.

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We parked near the tunnel which runs under the main line just off the A40 near Treffgarne. From here we walked north through the woods with good displays of daffodils and snowdrops. From the leaves just starting to grow this will be a good year for bluebells.

At Little Treffgarne Rocks there are excellent views across the valley towards Great Treffgarne Rocks, Maiden Castle and Poll Carn. Following a coffee break we continued north dropping down to Wolf’s Castle.

Hobbit House

Western Cleddau at Wolf’s Castle

More woodland paths saw us heading towards Sealyham Mansion, now an outdoors centre. There is more information about the mansion here.

We had lunch sitting in the grounds of St Dogwells Church before moving off north easterly over fields to join a minor road which turned south east and south and then west passing Garn Turne Rocks and Burial Chamber back to Wolf’s Castle.

St Dogwells

Bridge over Afon Anghof

Another bridge over Afon Anghof

Garn Turne Rocks and Burial Chamber.

This years brood

We were now on the west side of the gorge. Another bridle way took us into Treffgarne and onto the A40 where crossed over and back to the car which included walking through the above mentioned tunnel.

We had the best of the weather as it was clear as we headed back towards Carmarthen rain had fallen.