D178: ABEREIDDY to STRUMBLE HEAD
Sunday 14th September 2025
Today miles: 16.7 Total miles: 2922.3
As I looked out of the rattling bunkhouse window this morning at 6am I could see from the bend in the trees that the wind was still blowing strong. Thankfully the rain had temporarily eased off. I spoke briefly to John before leaving the hostel and he stated because of the bad weather conditions he wouldn’t be walking today. I set off at first light in the hope of getting as many miles done before the heavy rain returned. The first section today is along a reasonably dry dirt track which meanders around the coast towards Abereiddy. There’s a solid concrete harbour at Abereiddy, a small shop, a pub and a public toilet, sadly these were all currently closed. There’s also another noisy seal pup on the beach, waiting for its mother to return with a fishy breakfast. Later today I’d have a lengthy conversation with the local bus driver about this particular pup. The route onwards climbed out of Abereiddy and across fields and gently sloping hills. I noticed dark clouds gathering and deliberately picked up the pace along the flat sections. By the time I reached Porthgain some of the local facilities had opened for business. I dropped into a cafe for a quick coffee and a bacon/egg buttie. As I sat in the cafe the rain began to fall and the wind began to pick up even more. I also noticed, despite the crappy weather that there were a dozens of (crazy) people in their swimming costumes taking a dip in the sea. Must be a thing to do in Porthgain.
I climbed out of Porthgain and by the time I had reached the hill top the rain was coming down pretty heavily. I was happy that the route remained fairly flat and any downhill sections were taken with great care. I did slip on several occasions but always managed to stay on my feet. I couldn’t see very much through the rain and the cloud so just put my head down and carefully put one foot in front of the other. At one point I did manage to see a couple of people in front of me and I caught up with them after scrambling to the top of Ffynnon-Bach. At 140mts above sea level this would be my highest point for today. We spoke briefly about the amazing Welsh weather and I quickly moved on. I also noticed one of them wasn’t wearing any waterproofs.
I pushed on for another mile in the hope of a little respite at Garn Fawr youth hostel. I’m aware that the youth hostel is currently closed but there was a functioning water tap and a dry doorway for me to hide under. I quickly checked the weather forecast and as a result I decided I couldn’t camp out and that I’d try and catch the bus back to Celtic camping bunkhouse. The last bus leaves around 4pm which gives me three hours to walk the remaining two miles towards Strumble Head lighthouse. I’m also aware there’s a large, popular bird watching hide close to the bus stop where I can shelter while I wait.
I once again stepped out into the wind and rain and walked alongside the edge of the pavement avoiding the flowing roadside rainwater. The coastal path then leaves the road and descents down towards Strumble Lighthouse. Unfortunately, the flat terrain is waterlogged and mossy and I can’t avoid even more sodden shoes. It seems to take forever to complete the last mile. I could see the Lighthouse in the distance but it never seemed to be getting any closer. I did eventually reach the headland and managed to take a few quick photos. The bird hide was only a few minutes away and it was nice to finally get out of the rain. Over the next two hours I spoke to several avid bird watchers who were regular visitors to the hide. I was educated on sea birds. I now know that there’s lots of different gulls but no such variant as a seagull, who knew. I was also fortunate enough to experience seeing a pod of dolphins hunting for fish in the water.
The bus arrived and I was the only passenger for the entire one hour journey. The driver was really chatty and we spoke about lots of different issues. Michelle has driven past the seal pup at Abereiddy hundreds of times during the last few weeks. She now has a bit of a soft spot for the noisy young seal. I was placed into a different room tonight at Celtic Camping. Once again it was great value for money and more importantly I was safely out of the wind and rain.
Werewolfandflump UK Coast Path 