D173: PEMBROKE DOCK to HERBRANDSTON
Tuesday 9th September 2025
Today miles: 13.7 Total miles: 2844.9
I arrived in Pembroke Dock around 9am after a non stop seven hour drive from Northumberland. I’ve pre paid a month in advance to park in the Pembroke Dock Tesco car park. After finding a parking space I grabbed my backpack and locked up the car hoping that it’s still going to be there and undamaged in twenty six days time. It’s raining as expected and I was wearing my waterproof jacket and over-trousers as I set off walking. Minutes after leaving Pembroke Dock I was crossing over the Cleddau bridge over Milford Haven estuary. The coastal path then skirted adjacent to the main road around the Northern side of the estuary until I arrived at Neyland. The route then passes through a narrow and short copse of trees. I’m happy that the trees are dense enough to give me some temporary relief from the persistent rain. There’s a short climb before the route skirts past a heavy industrial area and oil refinery for around two miles. There’s more thick wooded areas planted along the route so the industrial factories and other huge buildings couldn’t spoil my view and my walking experience. I entered Milford Haven via Black Bridge and headed towards the Marina. The rain had increased and low cloud had now covered the area ruining any further views. I chanced upon a McDonald’s restaurant close to the Marina and decided it was the perfect place to get out of the rain. I entered the restaurant, ordered a hot drink and found a dry place to sit.
I’ve only got three more miles to walk. It was still fairly early so I rested for around two hours and attempted to dry out before moving off again. Prior to leaving I sincerely apologised to the staff for the substantial pool of water that I’d deposited on the restaurant floor. Thankfully the rain had eased off a little by the time I left McDonald’s and the cloud had risen so I got to see the route ahead. There’s another huge oil refinery to skirt around near Gelliswick before reaching another Milford Haven fort. This one’s located at South Hook Point and has some decent views out towards Stack Rock.
The last two miles prior to reaching the campsite at Sandy Haven was further wind and rain along a wet and muddy track. When I arrived at my campsite I found a spot somewhat sheltered from the wind and then hid inside the campsites toilet/shower block for a couple of hours. The rain eased up enough for me to pitch my tent and I scrambled in as quickly as I could. I left my waterproofs in the warm(ish) toilet block in the hope that they would dry out overnight. The weather forecast for this first week in Wales is expected to be unsettled with high winds and lots of rain.
Werewolfandflump UK Coast Path 