Cycle Pembrokeshire

A picturesque long distance trail which explores the north west coastal area of Pembrokeshire and visits St Davids, Britain’s smallest city, on the way. It starts and finishes on the sea front at Goodwick next to the Irish Sea ferry port. This is also the start/end of National Cycle Network Route 4 which runs for 432 miles to/from Greenwich, London. On the Dewisland Trail you will be rewarded with stunning inland and coastal views, a number of pretty villages, a disused Second World War airfield, woollen mills, nature reserves and a number of attractive coastal inlets, historical sites and viewpoints. The trail links directly with the Preseli Hinterland, Settlements, Last Invasion, City West, and St Davids Airfield trails

 Fact file

Highlights	Discover the stunning inland and coastal beauty of north-west Pembrokeshire, formerly known as Dewisland and home to Britain’s smallest city. This longer distance ride will take you through an area of scenic and cultural interest, with roots extending back to and beyond early Christian and Celtic times Grade: Active
Distance	50 miles (80km)
Time	All day - including time for brief stops at selected points of interest
Start/Finish	The Parrog Car Park, Goodwick (Grid Ref SM946380, Sat Nav SA64 0DE). Charges apply from March to October. On the A40 road at Goodwick seafront, turn at the roundabout towards the ferry terminal and turn right again at the nearby roundabout. The car park is on the left. An alternative free car park is available on the other side of the A40 road behind the filling station
Nearest Station	Fishguard & Goodwick 200 yards. A cycle path leads down to the start of the trail
Terrain	Mostly on quiet country roads with short sections on the A487 at Solva and St Davids. Gradients are generally shallow but are steeper in places particularly near the start of the trail and especially at locations where the trail passes through small coastal communities. None of these hills should provide a problem for anyone used to cycling. However you may wish to push your bike up some of the steepest sections if you find them at all difficult, and take particular care on any steep downhill sections. In reality dismounting on steep hills will not add considerably to the duration of the ride and will provide a short break from cycling and an opportunity to take in the views
Elevation	Total climb (sum of all uphill sections) - 905 metres
Refreshments	Goodwick, Solva,Middle Mill, St Davids, St Justinians, Whitesands, Porthgain, Trefin, Tregwynt (seasonal availability only at some)
Toilets	Goodwick, Solva, St Davids, Whitesands, Porthgain, Abercastle plus some customer facilities along the route

 

Trail Directions(distances in miles)

0.0 Start. Join the promenade path in front of the car park and turn right. The Trail follows National Cycle Network Route 4 (NCN4) initially so the signing for this will help with directions. At the end of the sea front follow the cycle path up the hill, cross the main road and continue up through and beyond a wooded area until you reach the junction with NCN47. Continue straight on along NCN4

1.3 Turn right under a bridge then immediately left onto another fairly steep cycle path. At the top of the hill the path runs alongside a main road before linking with a side road. Cross this side road (leaving NCN4), then cross the main road and continue to the right along the path

3.0 In the village of Scleddau cross the main road again and continue to the left for 30 yards before turning right into a minor road alongside The Gate Inn. After nearly ¹/₂ mile turn left at the ‘T’ junction. Continue on this road under a railway bridge and up the hill. Turn left at the 2^nd crossroads 1¹/₂ miles beyond the railway bridge, i.e. the junction opposite a farm. After passing through the small hamlet of Llangloffan with a chapel on the left, continue down the hill and over the narrow Llangloffan Bridge. On your left you will notice one of the pedestrian access points into the Llangloffan Fen Nature Reserve. Continue along the road and up the hill to Castle Morris

6.9 Continue straight ahead at Castle Morris crossroads following the sign for Haycastle Cross. Once out of the village, ignore the road junctions on either side at Penfeidr Farm and Cottages. Continue on to a crossroads and turn right. Follow this road and ignore a junction to the left and a junction to the right a little further on. Follow the road around to the left at this second junction and continue to a ‘T’ junction just beyond a small cottage.

10.1 Bear left at the ‘T’ junction and follow this road around to the right after 100 yards. Continue for ¹/₂ mile and then turn right (signed for Solva). Carry straight on at the next crossroads (again signed for Solva) and continue for a further 2.7 miles ignoring all side turns. Turn left 250 yards beyond Birtwick Park (again signed for Solva). Continue straight on at the next crossroads

15.2 At the ‘T’ junction with the main A487 road turn right towards St Davids. Cycle with care down the fairly narrow and steep hill into the village of Solva, over the bridge and along the main street and into the car park on the left.  After an optional stop to explore the harbour, turn right out of the car park and back along the main street. Turn left before the bridge (signed for Middle Mill). Continue on this road for 1 mile until you arrive at the small hamlet and Solva Woollen Mill on your right

17.1 After an optional stop, continue on the same road up the hill out of the hamlet. Turn left at the next ‘T’ junction and after about ¹/₃ mile you will notice a parking area alongside the road on the right. Go through the adjacent gate and follow the path around the perimeter of the disused airfield keeping the stone circle to your left. Turn right when the path rejoins the road. Ignore the first left turn (to Fachelich) and turn left at the second junction and continue until you arrive at a ‘T’ junction at St Davids

20.9 Turn right at the ‘T’ junction and cycle with care along the A487 road, go straight ahead at the small roundabout and down into the city. You will pass Oriel y Parc on the left. Keep left at the lower end of Cross Square following the sign for Porth Clais. Continue out of the city centre passing a side road junction on the left signed for St Nons (an optional ¹/₂ mile round trip to see the birthplace of Wales’ patron saint, St David). 100 yards beyond the St Nons junction turn right down the hill and then left at the ‘T’ junction (St Davids Cathedral and Bishops Palace are down a short lane on the right). Continue down over the bridge and up the hill the other side for ¹/₄ mile

21.9 Turn left following a sign for Treginnis. At the crossroads turn right following a sign for St Justinians and at the next ‘T’ junction turn left and continue to St Justinians

23.9 Turn around at St Justinians and head back on the same road. After passing two junctions on the right, turn left at the next junction signed for Whitesands. After about ¹/₄ mile continue around a sharp bend to the left. Continue on this road towards Whitesands and at the next ‘T’ junction follow the sign to the left. Then after nearly ¹/₄ mile turn right off the Whitesands road following a Youth Hostel sign (an optional ¹/₂ mile round trip down to Whitesands Beach may be made for sightseeing and a toilet/ refreshment stop)

26.7 After turning into the side road signed for the Youth Hostel, ignore the next sign for the Youth Hostel and carry on along this same road until you get to a ‘T’ junction. Turn left, and left again at the next ‘T’ junction ignoring other side road junctions to the left. Continue on this road for over 4 miles until you enter the hamlet of Llanrhian

32.9 At Llanrhian turn left following a sign for Porthgain. At Porthgain bear left at the red telephone kiosk. This takes you down to the harbour. Continue around the loop until you pass the telephone kiosk once again and return along the same road up to Llanrhian crossroads. Turn left

36.0 At the bottom of the hill you will pass the short path down to Aberfelin on your left. Continue up the hill to the village of Trefin. Bear left towards the end of the village following a sign for Abercastle. About a ¹/₃ mile beyond the village is a lane on the left leading to Longhouse. A short optional diversion from the trail (500 yards) will take you to Carreg Samson dolmen in a field on the right from the farmyard. You will need to walk a short distance along a public footpath from the end of the farm driveway to Carreg Samson itself. Once back on the trail, continue down the road to the seaside village of Abercastle

37.4 At the bottom of the hill in Abercastle, access to the harbour is via a 100 yard long cul-de-sac on the left. Then continue up the hill and beyond until you arrive at a crossroads. Turn left following a sign for Abermawr.  After about one mile and at the bottom of another hill you will notice a path leading off to the left on the outside of a bend by some cottages. (If time allows a short optional diversion may be taken along this path on foot through Pen-yr-allt Woods to Abermawr beach - distance ¹/₂ mile). Continue along the trail past the cottages and up the hill to a ‘T’ junction. Turn left

41.1 Go straight ahead at the crossroads and left at the next junction following signs for Tregwynt Woollen Mill. Follow the road around to the left just beyond the mill and turn right at the ‘T’ junction and up the hill

43.5 Turn left at the ‘T’ junction and immediately left again following the sign for Pwllderi and Youth Hostel. Following a brief stop at Pwllderi, turn around and follow the road back to the first junction on the left by the side of a cottage. Turn left at this junction, and then left again at the next cottage. Continue on this road for just over 1¹/₂ miles ignoring the left turn to Strumble Head

46.6 Turn right at the junction signed Rhos-y-caerau. Ignore the next junction on the right and continue to the ‘T’ junction. Turn left and then right at the next junction

49.2 Go straight ahead over the main road onto a lane signed for Ivybridge. Once under the old bridge join a cycle path on the left and follow this all the way to the sea front path at Goodwick taking care whilst crossing the main A40 road. Turn left and follow the path back along the promenade

50.0 Finish at Parrog Car Park

 

Points of interest along the way

Goodwick

Once a small fishing village, now home to the Irish Sea ferry terminal and the Sea Trust’s marine wildlife exhibition at the Ocean Lab alongside the trail. Goodwick Sands is where the defeated French invasion force assembled prior to their surrender in 1797

Llangloffan Fen Nature Reserve

This 50 acre site with boardwalks and information panels is one of the largest surviving valley mires in Wales – a rare habitat for many species only found here in Pembrokeshire. Sometimes closed for ecological reasons

Solva

A delightful little fishing village with a stunning harbour and a host of interesting craft shops, galleries and eating places

Middle Mill

A small cluster of pretty buildings on the River Solva including the oldest working woollen mill in Pembrokeshire

St Davids Airfield

A disused World War ll airfield used as a RAF Coastal Command base during the Battle of the Atlantic. Now restored and landscaped as a wildlife    habitat

St Davids

Britain’s smallest city with its Cathedral, Bishop’s Palace and other early Christian and Celtic heritage sites nearby. The historic city centre is filled with galleries, gift shops and cafes. Be sure to visit Oriel y Parc landcape gallery and visitor centre as you enter the city

St Justinians

A stunning location with two lifeboat stations and a ruined the medieval chapel marking the reputed burial place of the 6^th Century St Justinian (on private land)

Whitesands

A wide expanse of fine sand overlooked by the imposing volcanic outcrop of Carn Llidi. It is said that St Patrick set sail from Whitesands to Ireland in    the 5^th Century after having a vision to convert Ireland to Christianity

Porthgain

A popular little harbour village, once a busy industrial port shipping out slate, bricks and road stone

Aberfelin

A rugged little cove with a ruined grain mill

Carreg Samson

A 5000 year old Neolithic dolmen standing in a magnificent location overlooking the bay

Abercastle

A pretty little village with a beach set in a sheltered cove. The harbour was the landing site of the first single handed Atlantic crossing (west to east) in 1876

Pen-yr-allt

A lovely short diversion on foot through magical bluebell woods to Abermawr Beach, site of Brunel’s proposed trans-Atlantic port and railway terminus which never got off the drawing board

Tregwynt Woollen Mill

An interesting working mill with shop and cafe

Pwllderi

Idyllic cliff top setting offering superb coastal views along the Dewisland coast down to St Davids