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TENBY, ST DAVIDS AND THE PEMBROKESHIRE COAST PATH 17TH-24TH MAY 2025
Monday 16th June 2025
Sue Peachey
On a Saturday in May six pilgrims gathered in Tenby, ready to explore the beautiful Pembrokeshire countryside. Following an evening meal together we walked down to the harbour and shared evening prayer on the harbour beach. A great start to the week!
Sunday saw us walking on the coast path to the nearby village of Penally, with a wonderful view of Caldey Island, to where we would be travelling the following day. The weather was lovely and we hoped it would continue so that we could make the crossing to Caldey.
Monday dawned bright but breezy and we made our way to the boat for Caldey. What is normally a 20-minute journey became twice that length due to prevailing winds, but it was worth it to get to such a special place. We were met there by Father Gildas, a good friend of Journeying. We were able to attend a service in the Abbey and then explore the island, not forgetting to buy some fudge and chocolate from the island’s little (and famous) chocolate factory! A welcome cup of tea in the café garden was followed by a walk to Calvary where a life-size crucifix stands with the sea as a backcloth – very moving – ‘When I survey the wonderous cross’… Our return boat trip was very peaceful.
On Tuesday we walked the coastal path to Saundersfoot, again in beautiful weather, and had time for an ice cream in the village before returning to Tenby by bus. After our evening meal we gathered in St Julian’s Fisherman’s Church by the harbour. From there we individually did a Prayer Walk, centred around the harbour and Castle Hill. A time to simply talk with God and reflect on our surroundings.
On Wednesday morning we travelled by car to the Bosherston Lily Ponds. Again, the sun shone and we enjoyed walking around this Nature Reserve and seeing various birds and dragonflies and, of course, the beautiful lilies floating on the surface of the ponds. Crossing a little wooden bridge at the far end of the reserve we spent a good hour or so on that most picturesque of beaches, Broad Haven South, with its amazing church-shaped rock complete with steeple, just a little way off shore! Later in the day back in Tenby there was time to simply chill among the shops and quaint streets, or maybe just sit on the beach. Tenby is a magical place. It can be (very) busy but somehow never loses its charm and there’s always a quiet space to be found with a sea view and probably an island too…
On Thursday we drove to St Davids, where we were given a personalised tour of the Cathedral by Janet, Pilgrim and Education Officer and another good friend of Journeying. This was accompanied by some wonderful singing, as someone in the background was practising for the Music Festival which was to begin the following day. Our tour concluded with Pilgrim prayers at the shrine of St David - very special. We then walked along the coastal path to Porth Clais. The sun shone and the sea sparkled! At St Non’s we paused in a field close to the cliff top. It was here, in the year 500, that St David was born during a storm. What a place to stand and touch the spiritual… An outdoor café at Porth Clais offered a most welcome cup of tea, before walking back to St Davids – I wonder how many cups of tea we drank during the holiday!? How many ice-creams did we eat as well!? Walking the same stretch in both directions is always good – you get totally different views, don’t you? Returning to Tenby later that afternoon, we enjoyed a splendid fish and chip supper from an award-winning fish and chip shop – Oh, I do love to be beside the sea!
Our final day together brought more good weather and the longest walk of this particular holiday, eight miles along the coastal path from Tenby to Manorbier. A lovely walk, with a few steep climbs and great views. Turning one corner on the final leg, Manorbier Bay complete with castle and whitewashed church comes into view. We learnt that the castle was used in the filming of C S Lewis’s ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ and the church most probably acted as a reference point for passing ships, in days gone past. And then just a little further along the path and to one side; King's Quoit, a Neolithic burial chamber. How those early folks manoeuvred these great stones into place is a wonder!
On Saturday, having shared a final Celtic blessing, we departed on our various journeys home. A glorious week!