St Govan's Head.

Start. St Govan's Chapel car park.

Route. St Govan's Chapel car park - St Govan's Chapel - St Govan's Head - Long Matthew Point - New Quay - Trevallen Downs - St Govern's Chapel car park.

Notes. Before tackling this short but rewarding ramble please check that our friends in the armed forces are not on maneuvers, if you don’t you may come up against a red flag and burly guard blocking the way, begging and pleading and even bribery won’t get you through. But if the flags not flying what awaits is absolutely breathtaking.

The walk started at the large car park at St Govan’s Chapel, whatever you do don’t ignore this tiny building tucked out of sight in a cleft in the cliffs. The story goes, way back in the 5th or 6th century's St Govan was legging it hotly pursued by bloodthirsty pirates, a crack in the cliffs opened up allowing him to hide, so impressed was he he decided to stay, building the tiny chapel living off freshly caught fish and drinking water from a spring below the chapel.

From the car park a good path and set of steps guide the way to the tiny chapel, legend has it if you count the steps on the descent then again on the ascent the numbers will differ, I lost count half way down and didn’t bother on the way back up. Once atop the cliffs we ignored the tarmac path leading to St Govan’s Head in favour of following the cliff edge, far more exciting.

We took our time, the coastal scenery in Pembrokeshire is quite stunning, knee trembling drops, spectacular rock architecture and the pulse of the sea, the heart beat of the planet. Eventually we reached the old Coastguard Station on St Govan’s Head, a great place to look back across the spectacular cliffs we had just traversed. Continuing above coastal cliffs we rounded Long Matthew Point before descending to a deep inlet, this inlet is New Quay blasted out by the military to enable tanks to get ashore.

After climbing out of the deep inlet we joined the tarmac path for the short walk back, our route passed a couple of Blockhouses, a kind of fort now home to a large bat population.

view route map.

home.

St Govan's Chapel a tiny hermits cell in a spectacular location.

Through the door is a small cave known as the Saints Cell, it if probably where St Govarn set himself up while building the chapel, apart from that this is it, one room.

With the sea behind me views to St Govan's Chapel.

Silhouetted on the horizon the precipitous cliffs of St Govan's Head.

Newton Down where cliffs plunge into the sea, St Govan's Chapel is hidden tucked under the cliffs of the far headland.

The path guided us onto Trevallen Downs part of a tank gunnery range, this long trough is one of two moving target trenches built in 1941, obviously out of use now.

Knee trembling views over sheer drops to the old Coastguard Station on St Govan's Head.

Viewing the long finger and high cliffs of Stackpole Head.

New Quay blasted out by the military to allow tanks to get ashore.

Blockhouses, a kind of fort now home to a large bat population, one of many across Trevallen Down.

back to top

back to list