Cycle Pembrokeshire

The Trail starts at the coastal resort of Tenby and winds its way inland to visit a number of picturesque villages on route to Carmarthenshire and the estuary town of Laugharne, once home to Wales’ most famous English language poet, Dylan Thomas. It returns to Tenby along the spectacular coastal route passing through the resorts of Amroth, Wisemans Bridge and Saundersfoot

Fact file

Trail Directions (distances in miles)

0.0 Start. Leave the car park and turn left onto the main road. Continue straight on at the mini-roundabout into the centre of the town. Turn right just after St Mary’s Church and follow this road around to the right. Turn left into St Mary’s Street at the Three Mariners and at the end of this road turn right. Continue on through the stone arch and turn left. Follow this road which overlooks the beach and join the path through the bollards at the end. Continue straight on along this path passing a play area to the right (give way to pedestrians as you go) then follow the steep downhill section of road at the end of the path. At the bottom of the hill go straight ahead following a National Cycle Network Route 4 sign. After passing 3 houses on the right, bear left onto a narrower path and continue straight on after passing through a barrier. The route will take you alongside a golf course

1.5 Turn right over the railway bridge and turn left at the ‘T’ junction in the Kiln Park Holiday Centre. Bear left just after the mini-market and continue along this road. On your left you will pass the largest surviving Lime Kiln complex in Pembrokeshire which closed in 1902. It’s worth going in briefly to see the ‘cathedral’ like structure inside. Beyond the lime kilns the road turns to the right. Turn left immediately after this bend and continue to the main A4139 road. Cross this main road on the traffic lights, bear right on the traffic island and cross the side road following the Route 4 sign to the left. After 100 yds turn right onto a narrower side road and continue on this road for over 2¹/₂ miles until you arrive at the village of St Florence

5.0 Go straight ahead at the Give Way line in the village passing the old Flemish Chimney to your right, then turn right after 100 yds. After a further 200 yds go straight ahead at the junction. Follow this road for over ³/₄ mile ignoring side turns to the left and right

6.0 Cross over the busy B4318 road following the sign for Redberth

7.0 After crossing the bridge over the main A477 road turn right at the ‘T’ junction. Take the next left towards Jeffreyston and continue for 1¹/₄ miles before turning right at a ‘T’ junction. This will bring you to the outskirts of the village of Jeffreyston and you will pass St Oswald’s School on your left. At the Give Way line turn left onto the B4386 road and continue on this road for nearly 1 mile

9.7 Where the B4386 road bends to the left after a narrow bridge, take the side road to the right following the sign for Reynalton. Continue on for about a mile after the village of Reynalton until you arrive at a ’T’ junction. Turn left towards Yerbeston and at the next junction turn right towards Narberth

13.0 At the junction with the A4115 road go straight ahead towards Narberth. Then take the next right towards Templeton. After just over a mile you will arrive at Templeton. Turn right at the ‘T’ junction and then cross the main A478 road following the B4315 road to Cold Blow. After passing through Cold Blow continue for ³/₄  mile to the village of Princes Gate. For information this short section of road was part of a long-distance turnpike route 200 years ago. It led from London and Bristol to Ireland via packet ships which sailed from Milford Haven. Turn right at the crossroads in Princess Gate following the sign to Ludchurch and after nearly 1 mile turn left at the crossroads towards Tavernspite. On a clear day you will see Lundy Island and the north Devon coast on the right. To the left is the highest point in south Pembrokeshire and local legend has it that this was the final landing place for Noah’s Ark following the great flood. Some local names have an association with this legend. Continue on this road for nearly 3 miles until you enter the village of Tavernspite

20.1 Turn right at the ‘T’ junction beside the village pumps then take the 2^nd junction to the left following the sign for Llanddowror. After about 3 miles turn right alongside a property named Cnwce. This will take you onto a bridge over the main A477 road. Follow this minor road for nearly 1¹/₂ miles until you arrive at the Old Tenby Road Crossing with a café on the left. Turn left and immediately right following the sign for New Mill. Continue up the hill and beyond until you arrive at a ‘T’ junction

25.4 At the ‘T’ junction turn left towards Laugharne. Half way up the hill turn right and continue along this road until you reach the A4066 road to Laugharne. Turn right and take care cycling along this main road which is mostly downhill

28.5 On entering Laugharne you will pass St Martin’s Church on the left where the poet and writer Dylan Thomas is buried under a simple white cross. After a further ¹/₄ mile turn left immediately after Brown’s Hotel (the favourite watering hole of Dylan Thomas). Continue along this side road following signs for Dylan Thomas Boat House which will lead you into a cul-de-sac where you will discover his famous writing shed and boathouse home at the end. Both have been preserved with original furnishings and memorabilia. After an optional stop, return along the same route and turn left just after the cemetery. You will pass another former residence of Dylan Thomas on the right – the tall house known as Seaview. It was here that the poet entertained a host of personalities including T.S Elliot. At the ‘T’ junction just beyond Seaview turn right and then left when you arrive at the main road. Proceed down the hill into the centre of the small town passing the entrance to Laugharne Castle on your left. Continue on to the car park on the left for magnificent views of the castle overlooking the Taf estuary

29.7 Re-join the adjacent road turning right and immediately left past the stone cross in Grist Square. Continue out of the town on the winding, narrow and quite steep uphill road. This hill is about 1 mile in length and has the unusual name of The Lacques which relates to the lace that used to be woven by the many Flemish settlers to the area. Less able cyclists may prefer to dismount and push their bike up sections of the hill. This should only add about 10 minutes onto the total journey time and you may feel more refreshed for the remainder of the Trail. Once at the top of the hill carry on cycling for a further 3 miles ignoring any side road turnings

33.9 Continue straight ahead at the cross roads following the sign for Amroth. After 1¹/₄ miles turn right at the ‘T’ junction and follow this road for 4 miles until you arrive at the seafront village of Amroth. At the end of the village follow the road up the hill for 300 yds and take the first junction to the left which is signposted a No Through Road. After a further fairly steep 200 yds you will pass through a gate onto a cycle path with glorious coastal views to the left. Continue along the whole length of this path which was once a road linking coastal villages until sections of it collapsed into the sea

40.2 Proceed through the gate at the end of the path and down the hill, bearing left at the ‘T’ junction. This will bring you down to the small seaside hamlet of Wisemans Bridge. At the end of the beach follow the road around to the left and turn left through a line of bollards onto the Dramway path (formerly used for a railway carrying ‘drams’ of coal from local mines to Saundersfoot Harbour). Continue on this elevated path until you reach a tunnel. A bit further along there’s a second tunnel which takes you out alongside Coppet Hall beach and the ‘Coast’ building. Follow the path around the land side of the car park into a third tunnel. Cycling in these tunnels is not allowed so please dismount and push your bike through to the other end. Also this section of the Trail can be very busy with pedestrians so take care. When you exit the third tunnel you enter the coastal resort of Saundersfoot. Carry straight on along the road past a number of shops and where it turns go straight ahead alongside the edge of the harbour car park. After about 50 yds you will pass the old Saundersfoot Coal Office building on the right. Adjacent cycle stands are available if you wish to stop and take a stroll around the village

41.9 Just beyond the old Coal House turn right at the car park exit and then left onto the main road. On the sweeping left-hand bend on the hill, enter the centre lane and turn right. This can be a difficult and slightly uncomfortable manoeuvre for less confident cyclists who may prefer to dismount before the start of the hill and push their bikes along the adjacent footway up to and into the side road junction on the right. Continue up this side road and out of the village

42.9 Join the cycle path on the left immediately after the entrance to Sandyhill Nurseries and before the junction with the main A478 road. Follow this path around to the left at the nearby roundabout and cross the B4316 road just beyond the junction signed for New Hedges. After about 50 yds the path will link with the road leading down to the village of New Hedges. Continue on this road through the village

43.7 At the far end of New Hedges join the path on the left immediately before the road links with the main A478 road. At the end of this path turn left onto a minor road. After a ¹/₄ mile the road leads into a path. Follow this path until it widens into a minor road once again which takes you down quite a steep hill to a junction with a main road leading into Tenby. Take great care as you approach this junction on the hill and turn left onto the main road when all is clear. After a short distance turn left following the sign for North Beach Car Park.

45.0 Finish at North Beach Car Park

Points of interest along the way

Tenby

A delightful picturesque harbour town and seaside resort steeped in ancient history and with its ‘Old Town’ protected by medieval stone walls

St Florence

A charming and quaint little village dating back to Norman times with pretty cottages and ‘Flemish’ chimneys. Once a small tidal port prior to the construction of a barrier between Tenby and Penally in 1820

Reynalton

A small quiet rural village which is quite a contrast to 100 years ago when fine quality anthracite was mined here. It even had its own mineral railway linking back to the harbour at Saundersfoot

Laugharne

A small picturesque riverside town in the County of Carmarthenshire, best known as being the home of the poet and writer Dylan Thomas. Amongst all the pretty houses there is also a ruined 13^th century castle and the world famous Boathouse where Dylan Thomas lived and where so many of his great creations were inspired

Amroth

A half mile long, flat, sandy beach with the remains of a petrified drowned forest visible at very low tide. Prior to the building of sea defences, severe winter storms caused major erosion sweeping away homes and businesses on the seaward side of the road through the village

Wisemans Bridge

Another little village behind a broad sandy beach with interesting rock pools. Anthracite from local coal mines was once loaded onto sailing ketches on the beach bound for cities such as Bristol, Swansea and Cardiff. The Wisemans Bridge Inn was visited by Winston Churchill and Allied commanders in 1943 when the beach was used as a training ground for the D-Day landings

Saundersfoot

A small seaside resort with a large golden sandy beach. It is more compact than Tenby but with a charm and character of its own. The harbour was originally developed as a coal port but the local mines that supplied it closed down over 70 years ago