At Skrinkle Haven

After our morning in Tenby, we headed off towards Pembroke via the coastal route, turning off the main road at the sign for Manorbier. Another left turn before reaching the village took us directly to the gates of a fenced area of land on top of the cliffs used by the Ministry of Defence. The only option here, apart from returning the way we had come was to turn left again and follow a lane to a Youth Hostel that I have seen described as "a grotesque futuristic building that is completely out of touch with its surroundings". I am inclined to agree with that description but after passing through narrow gates and over cattle grids still heading back in the direction of Tenby, we arrived at one of several parking areas where the views compensate handsomely for the approach. It was here above Skrinkle Haven that we enjoyed our lunch, finished off with one of those Welsh Cakes purchased in Tenby.

There are steep paths down to a sandy cove beneath the crumbling cliffs at Skrinkle Haven but I chose to walk in the opposite direction after lunch towards Lydstep Point to view some of the spectacular scenery that this part of the Pembrokeshire coast is renowned for.

Standing above this cleft in the coastline it is easy to see why the area has been designated a National Park.

The sandy beach and the headland in the distance seen from here are actually on Caldey Island and the rock formation in the foreground is Lydstep Point.

Skrinkle Haven lies on the boundary between old red sandstone and carboniferous limestone and movements in the earth's crust have resulted in the vertical strata formations seen here today.

Erosion by the constant battering of the sea has also creation many caverns, caves and stacks and this is just one of several arches along this stretch of the coast.

This is just another view of the coastal scenery but shows the rocky promontory where I had walked to take some of the other photos above.

From almost back at the car park where a grassy spot has been transformed into a picnic area for visitors the beach on Caldey Island can easily be seen. Although the island can also be seen from Tenby, it is the other side and the beach area is out of sight. It is said that on a clear day, Lundy Island, way out in the Bristol Channel, can be seen from here. The specks in the sea in the middle of this picture were two small boats moving around Lydstep Point.