Pembroke Dock to Milford Haven

Wednesday 4th August - Stage 10 - 8.5 miles, 4hrs 15 mins. The Bridge Walk.

To celebrate my birthday, I decided to get the last urban section of the Path out of the way for good. So, in a light drizzle I made my way across the Cleddau, thanks to the windswept, exceptionally noisy bridge and then over the adjacent and equally unpleasant-to-walk-across Honeyborough bridge.

Brunel Quay in Neyland celebrates Isambard Kingdom Brunel's connection with the town - he chose it to be the embarkation port for his transatlantic crossing ambitions. This life size statue celebrates his two achievements for the town - the bringing of both the railway and the port - a steam ship in one hand and a railway engine in the other. I think it's his outsize hat which makes him look rather small.

Neyland went into a decline following the rise of Milford Haven docks, the closure of the railway station and, finally, the building of the Cleddau Bridge which by-passes the town. The newish Marina has brought a bit of prosperity once again.

Another mile or so on the road took me past Llanstadwell to Hazelbeach. I love looking into other people's gardens as I go along and am constantly amazed not only by the gorgeous plants and flowers, but also by the individuality and inventiveness I see.

A fireplace in the front wall - why not?? And top it off with some exotic succulent, why don't you.

All morning the smell of buddleia was intoxicating and the colour magnificent.

At last I left the road, and clambered back up on to a grassy path which circuited the Murco refinery (at Waterston) and a number of liquefied natural gas storage tanks.

On my way I passed an apple tree complete with windfalls, so I loaded up my pack with a few handpicked samples. The fields here were definitely set-aside, but no worse a view for all that. A gentle breeze brought a flurry of thistledown across my face.

Now the route became like the Bridges of Madison County. I expected to come across Meryl and Clint canoodling at any moment. I crossed 2 mesh bridges (one of them 'covered'), 1 metal covered bridge, 3 wooden footbridges and a bog-standard road bridge between here and Milford Haven. Being able to see through the mesh bridges to the ground beneath made me feel vertiginous, but I liked the way the kindly builders had considered dogs, and provided planks for paws to walk over along one side.

A dice with death on a minor road with fast-moving traffic, and then I was in Milford Haven with the next bridge in my sights. But I don't cross this one until the next walk towards Dale.

Total walked to date: 64 miles of 186