Cycle Pembrokeshire

The Trail loops its way around that south-east corner of South Pembrokeshire, sometimes referred to as the ‘Welsh Riviera’. It offers spectacular views across Carmarthen Bay and allows you to explore the very popular and historically interesting resorts of Tenby and Saundersfoot. You visit the picturesque village of St Florence and have an opportunity to spend time at a special zoo nearby and two adventure centres offering a host of outdoor activities for the whole family

Fact file

Trail Directions (distances in miles)

0.0 Start. Exit the car park and turn left into Brookland Place immediately before the car park road joins the main road. You are now following the route of the old Saundersfoot Railway. After about 200 yards you pass the 1^st of two sets of bollards. Continue on past the 2^nd set of bollards

0.4 At the ‘T’ junction bear left following the road signed ‘Unsuitable for Long Vehicles’. (You will notice that to the right of this sign a side road continues for a short distance and joins a path leading uphill. This is the start of The Incline, a steep section of the old railway where fully laden drams of coal on route for the harbour pulled the empty drams back up the hill by means of cables operated from a winding house at the top). Follow the road to the left of the sign up the hill out of the village. After nearly 200 yards the Trail turns sharply left and gets even steeper. You will probably want to push your bike up part of this hill and admire glimpses of the view back down towards Saundersfoot on the left

1.4 At the junction with the main A478 road you need to cross over to the road opposite, signed as Devonshire Drive. The A478 is the main road to and from Tenby and can therefore be very busy so take extreme care when crossing at this point. Continue on Devonshire Drive for nearly 2¹/₂ miles ignoring any side turns

3.8 At the ‘T’ junction with the main B4318 road, the Trail crosses over to the side road opposite so again take care crossing this road. But before crossing you may want to visit Heatherton World of Activities to the left and/or Manor Wildlife Park opposite. Once across the road continue on the minor road signed for St Florence

4.2 At the ‘T’ junction turn left following a sign for St Florence. Once in the village, follow the one-way system to the left. Pass the church on the right and one of the village’s Flemish chimneys on the left. At the next ‘T’ junction turn left following a sign for Penally. You will be following National Cycle Network Route 4 for most of the remainder of the Trail and the signing for this will also help provide you with appropriate directions. Before continuing you may want to pause for a while to have a look around this pretty village

6.7 Junction on left for Ritec Valley Quad Bikes. If you make a visit, return to this junction afterwards and turn left to continue on the Trail. Otherwise carry straight on

7.7 At the ‘T’ junction turn left and join the cycle path. Follow this for about 100 yards, cross the adjacent side road and then cross the main road on the traffic lights. Follow the path for a few yards and turn right just before the house. After another 100 yards turn right and follow this road. On your right you will soon 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. Follow the road in front of the mini-market taking the 2^nd turning at the small roundabout, then take the 2^nd right, signed for The Beach, which will take you to a bridge over the railway line. Turn left after crossing the bridge and follow the narrow road between the railway line and Tenby Links Golf Course – regarded by many as the birthplace of Welsh golf

8.8 At the point where the narrow road ahead starts to rise follow the narrow path to its right which takes you through a barrier alongside a small brick shed. The path soon widens into a road alongside a row of houses. Beyond the houses turn right into the South Beach car park. Toilets and refreshments are available by the beach. The Trail continues on the seaward side of the cafes. Dismount and push your bike up the steep and narrow zigzag path, well used by pedestrians, to the top of the hill

9.1 Once at the top of the hill, continue to push you bike along the wide footway on the seaward side of The Esplanade. This allows you to take in the glorious views of the South Beach and Caldey Island beyond. It also saves you from having to cycle around a longer one-way traffic system in the town which can be quite busy. There are cycle stands at the other end of The Esplanade. This is a good place to secure your bike and take time to stroll around the very interesting heart of Tenby within its town walls, accessed via the nearby arch

9.3 Proceed on foot under the archway into the Walled Town, re-mount and cycle for a very short distance before turning left into Lower Frog Street. At the next crossroads turn right and follow this road around to the left until you enter Tudor Square, the centre of the Walled Town. Turn left past the church and continue on this road until you see Tenby’s North Beach on your right. Go straight ahead at the small mini-roundabout and follow this road for over ¹/₄ mile. Be careful because this road can be quite busy

10.0 Just after a sweeping left hand bend, turn right onto a road signed ‘Mayfield Drive leading to Slippery Back’. Carry on to the top of this quite steep hill which leads you through to a narrower bridleway path just beyond the cemetery. After about ¹/₄ mile the path widens. Continue past some houses and down the hill

10.7 Just before the junction with the main A478 road, turn right onto a cycle path and continue until it meets a side road leading up to New Hedges Village. Follow this side road up the hill and on through the village for about ¹/₂ mile

11.5 Just before the ‘T’ junction join a cycle path on the right. Follow this up for a short distance, cross the road and turn left. Continue on this cycle path alongside the road

11.8 Rejoin the road at the end of the path and turn right. After nearly ¹/₂ mile you will arrive back at Saundersfoot. Carefully descend the hill

12.7 At the ‘T’ junction with the B4316 road turn left. Take care as this next short section of road can be quite busy. After 100 yards turn left before the Tesco Express Store

12.8 Finish at Regency Car Park

Points of interest along the way

Saundersfoot

A fishing village located in the heart of the National Park and one of the most popular seaside resorts in the UK. Long ago it was just a few medieval cottages in a forest clearing used as a hunting ground by the Norman Earls of Pembroke. Then in the 19^th Century it grew into a thriving coal port and exported 30,000 tons annually from its harbour. When the coal industry vanished, Saundersfoot evolved into a seaside resort.

The Incline

Formerly part of the main line of the Saundersfoot Railway which opened in 1832 between the harbour and the coalfields to the north-west including Bonville’s Court and Thomas Chapel. The self-acting incline was some 300 yards long on a gradient of 1 in 5. The ruins of the winding house can still be seen at the summit of the Incline

Heatherton World of Activities

An award winning attraction with free admission (pay as you play). Open throughout the year from 10am. Check their website: Heatherton for daily closing times as this varies. The attraction is split into 4 different activity zones – family fun, adrenaline, play, and golf & bowls. Toilets and refreshments available on site

Manor Wildlife Park

Open every day 10am to 6pm. Fees apply – see website: Manor Wildlife Park for more information. A well laid out zoo which provides something a little different from other wildlife parks in that you can help feed the animals and even enter some of the very large animal enclosures. This allows you to interact more with the animals and their environment than would usually be the case.

St Florence

A charming and quaint little village dating back to Norman times with pretty cottages and ‘Flemish’ chimneys. There is also an interesting 12^th Century church dedicated to St Florentius. Once a small tidal port on the Rhydeg (now anglicised to The Ritec) until a barrier was constructed in 1820 across the mouth of the river to create new pasture land between Tenby and Penally

Ritec Valley Quad Bikes

If you feel like an exhilarating break from your leisurely cycling trail, have a go on a 4-wheel motorised sports bike. The centre has over 12 kms of quad bike trails in an area of over 100 acres including woodland, steep hills and flat fields. Check the website: Ritec Valley for opening times, fees and bookings

Tenby

A delightful picturesque harbour town and seaside resort which is steeped in ancient history and with its core area surrounded by medieval stone walls. Tenby still retains a strong sense of its rich and fascinating heritage. The ruins of Tenby Castle can be seen on the headland overlooking the harbour. There is so much to see including the Museum and Art Gallery, the Tudor Merchant’s House and St Mary’s, one of the largest churches in Wales