Walk 8 - approx 8.5 miles (+ a detour)
The most noticeable thing about this walk was the background noise. I've got used to the sound of waves smashing rocks, birds screaming and whistling, even the guns of Castlemartin. Usually however there has been general all-round silence on my trip so far. This walk along the Milford Haven waterway (River Cleddau) was anything but silent. The Chevron refinery vibrated metallically; on the river there were continuous loud sounds of whatever is done when oil is unloaded from a tanker into a pipeline; eventually I neared the construction site for the Power Station and heard intermittent sounds of metal hitting metal and general clattering. One of my guide books suggests missing the river walks out, but this would be missing a vital part of Pembrokeshire (and a large chunk of the overall total mileage). The jetties, refineries, chimneys, gas tanks and different sorts of tankers do not add up to a glamorous sight, but they are an integral part of the county and bring great wealth to Pembrokeshire.
Having convinced myself thus, I set off from East Angle bay in the direction of Hundleton, a small village about 2 miles from Pembroke. Scattered across the first bit of beach I crossed were lots of bits of bricks, a legacy from the Angle brickworks. The path followed the river shore through a number of fields, some recently silaged, another with barley ripening nicely in the sun. All the time I was heading towards the vast refinery chimneys and other buildings.
Between the refinery and the river stands yet another Victorian military fort, Popton, restored in the 20thC by BP, who owned it at the time. (It is at the far right of the pic.) Now it's the property of Chevron. Most of the fortifications dotted along the river and coast in this area were built when Britain was almost paranoid about the danger of a French invasion. By the time the string of forts, turrets, look out posts and so on were complete, history had moved on, and many were scarcely used. Some were adapted during the First World War, but generally they are a rather endearing, if not very pretty, anachronism.
It seemed to take forever to get round the refinery site. I played a game of tortoise and hares with two girls who are also walking the whole path. Together we had to cross a field of Friesian heifers with their attendant Limousin bull. I was very happy to leave that field.
At Pwllcrochan (where I saw these rather diseased looking bulrushes), my two companions jumped ship, as it were, into a car and I went on alone only to find that the path ahead was closed. I plodded off along the road on the recommended detour. The reason for the diversion, which seemed to take forever, became plain - the construction site of the new Pembroke Power station. I passed countless entrances to the site on my trudge along this undulating road and arrived in Hundleton with a few minutes to spare before the Coastal Cruiser bus would whisk me back to Angle.
For the second time on my coastal journey one of my Welsh learners appeared from across the road, opposite the bus stop - this one a day-course attendee, who I've only met twice. Clearly I can't expect to go round Pembrokeshire incognito.
Walked so far: 50.5 miles
You can find more information about the military history of Pembrokeshire on:
http://www.experiencepembrokeshire.com/history-archaeology/military-heritage
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