Ilkeston Cam On Holiday 2002 - South West Wales
Part 02 - Stackpole Estate
The photos on this page were taken on Sunday 14th July
The National Trust is Britain's largest conservation organisation
committed to preserving the countryside and coastline as well
as buildings, gardens and landscape parks. This area of coastline
on the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path not only lies within one of
Britain's National Parks but also in the Trust's Stackpole Estate.
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From the same headland I looked in the opposite direction down
to the Information Centre and Tea Room at Stackpole Quay.
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And looking across the Quay to the cliff tops, a steady stream
of people could be seen trekking westwards along the Coastal
Path. I decided to follow them and descended to Stackpole Quay.
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Down at sea level, here is another view of the Quay but notice
also the tilted rock strata on the left. I ascended the cliffs
to the right and at the top an information board provided the
following information.
"Stackpole Quay
is on the boundary between the Old Red Sandstone cliffs which
stretch to the east and the grey Carboniferous Limestone to the
south and west. The limestone layers were tilted into a vertical
position by the collision of two continents about 290 million
years ago. This tiny harbour was constructed by the Cawdor family
more than two hundred years ago. Several hundred tons of limestone
were formerly shipped from here each year and enormous amounts
of coal were imported by boat to provide fuel for Stackpole Court.
Coal was also used to burn lime in the nearby limekiln. Today
the harbour is used by local boatmen."
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I read the board whilst gathering my breath after a stiff climb
up a number of steps and then a short walk over the cliffs brought
me in sight of the secluded Barafundle Beach. Grazing cattle
looked perilously close to the edge of the cliff above the crevices
and caves of the coast and I wondered if any of them ever ended
up in the sea!
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But it was now time to return and in the courtyard of the Information
Centre where morning coffee was being served, large pots of plants
enhanced the already pleasant surroundings. I thought that this
rope had also been put to excellent decorative effect.
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