Now that the dust has settled on our walk and our aching limbs have started to recover, we wanted to take this opportunity to look back at some of our vital statistics!
So here goes...
Number of miles walked: 186 (not 18, as was published in local paper 'The County Echo)
Number of gates and stiles encountered: 593 (we didn't count...this is what it said on the internet!)
Number of blisters: 1 (a small one, on Dan's toe!)
Number of pubs visited: 25 (thanks to Steve and Tim Wise who have each sponsored us an extra £1 for each pub that we visited!)
Number of pints drunk each: 65 (approximately!)
Number of times we went in the sea between us: 3 (2-1 to Dan on this front!)
Number of people who joined us on the walk: 18 (thank you to you all for the company!)
Number of dogs who joined us on the walk: 3 (Cindie, Archie and Mims - all very well behaved!)
Number of times emergency toilet roll had to be used in conjunction with a large bush: 1 (we are not telling you which one of us it was!)
Number of old ladies in bed accidentally walked in on whilst looking for some milk: 1 (don't ask!!)
And most importantly...amount of money raised so far: £4918.61 (£5847.11 with gift aid)
With money still to come in, we are confident we will reach our £5000 target. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated or help us raise money-we really do appreciate it.
And finally a big thank you to our families and friends, and to everyone who has supported us along the way!
Tight (but slowly recovering) calves!
Dan and James
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Day 15: We made it!!
Day 15: Newport to St Dogmaels
Well, we did it! Finished on schedule and without too much trouble in the end. Our eagerness to reach the end was growing and when we woke this morning, after once again having a couple of beers to many, we were ready to put this to bed.
Heading North, the final stretch, as people keep repeating, is the most arduous. We had been quietly confident however that it wouldn't pose us too many problems (we can say this now we have done it!) as it is coming at the end of the walk when, all being well, we should be at our fittest.
After checking out from Mrs. Breeze's B&B in Newport and meeting up with Ben, Dan's brother who was to join us for the last day's walking, we made our way to Newport Beach and joined the path proper again.
Ben, as has been alluded to into previous posts, is fit. He goes to the gym and eats well. He understands the phrase "moderation". We on the other hand don't, at least not to his high standards.
We warned Ben not to rush ahead or beat us to the finish line. We've enjoyed his company, but there was no way, having come this far, he was going to be allowed to waltz in here all nimble footed and slender calved, making a show of us.
As it turned out, he was patient with us. The path was hard and some of the more remote we have walked. In places it rises and falls quite regularly and along this stretch you also come to the highest point on the path - about 175m. Facing some of those hills, which rise to this height from sea level and take about 15 minutes to climb (water breaks included here!) was daunting, but a great sense of achievement all around once the summit had been reached. This sense of achievement was heightened with a quick glance at Ben, sweating slightly and breathing heavily!
We passed through some beautiful landscape, including up and around the Witches' Cauldron, and also some of the most treacherous, without wanting to sound dramatic. As the path rises higher and higher, the cliff edges are more threatening; nature hiding these deadly drops under a blankets of green, lush bracken. We weren't to be fooled however, and had long ago developed an unwritten code of conduct for the lead walker (most of the Coast Path does need to be walked in single file), which includes the task of warning about the thousands of snails, slugs and bumble bees littering the path (this may sound wet, but it would have been carnage otherwise) and also warning of emerging sheer edges. A system that worked also as a form of pace setting. "To the back please Ben!".
As this stretch is more remote, there are warning signs explaining that there are no escape points along the vast majority of the route, and that there are no places to eat, drink or use the loo. There was however one familiar face that we saw-James' dad Nigel, who passed by in his fishing boat and shouted words of encouragement (at least we think that is what they were!)
Being hardened walkers of course, this tough landscape was not a problem (arrogance creeping in), but the closer we came to the finish line, the more the feet hurt and muscles ached. This has to be a purely psychological condition; dreaming of beer and warm beds does nothing for the next 1/2 mile that needs negotiating.
As we arrived at Poppit Sands, we were met by Jody and Shelia (Dan's sister and mum respectively), and Cindy the dog, that latter two both regulars on the walk of course.
We walked to Poppit where there was some debate over where the path officially ends, and so another couple of miles to St. Dogmaels and the reassuringly inconspicuous sign, confirming the finish and the milage travelled.
We had not expected much from the finish line, no parties or bunting and with swollen feet and sun burnt faces, we drank some well deserved medicinal pints at a local pub.
So, as we come to the end of the last post, it is worth reflecting that despite the time away and the aches and pains, along every bit of the route, the views, scenery and people you meet force you to keep your head up and to appreciate the experience, no matter how trying it can occasionally be.
And of course having made our small contribution with your help to the Lifeboats and Ty-Hafan, having met so many lovely and generous people along the way and spent time with old friends and family, it really is true that it is the journey that matters, not the destination.
Tight Calves!
James & Dan
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Well, we did it! Finished on schedule and without too much trouble in the end. Our eagerness to reach the end was growing and when we woke this morning, after once again having a couple of beers to many, we were ready to put this to bed.
Heading North, the final stretch, as people keep repeating, is the most arduous. We had been quietly confident however that it wouldn't pose us too many problems (we can say this now we have done it!) as it is coming at the end of the walk when, all being well, we should be at our fittest.
After checking out from Mrs. Breeze's B&B in Newport and meeting up with Ben, Dan's brother who was to join us for the last day's walking, we made our way to Newport Beach and joined the path proper again.
Ben, as has been alluded to into previous posts, is fit. He goes to the gym and eats well. He understands the phrase "moderation". We on the other hand don't, at least not to his high standards.
We warned Ben not to rush ahead or beat us to the finish line. We've enjoyed his company, but there was no way, having come this far, he was going to be allowed to waltz in here all nimble footed and slender calved, making a show of us.
As it turned out, he was patient with us. The path was hard and some of the more remote we have walked. In places it rises and falls quite regularly and along this stretch you also come to the highest point on the path - about 175m. Facing some of those hills, which rise to this height from sea level and take about 15 minutes to climb (water breaks included here!) was daunting, but a great sense of achievement all around once the summit had been reached. This sense of achievement was heightened with a quick glance at Ben, sweating slightly and breathing heavily!
We passed through some beautiful landscape, including up and around the Witches' Cauldron, and also some of the most treacherous, without wanting to sound dramatic. As the path rises higher and higher, the cliff edges are more threatening; nature hiding these deadly drops under a blankets of green, lush bracken. We weren't to be fooled however, and had long ago developed an unwritten code of conduct for the lead walker (most of the Coast Path does need to be walked in single file), which includes the task of warning about the thousands of snails, slugs and bumble bees littering the path (this may sound wet, but it would have been carnage otherwise) and also warning of emerging sheer edges. A system that worked also as a form of pace setting. "To the back please Ben!".
As this stretch is more remote, there are warning signs explaining that there are no escape points along the vast majority of the route, and that there are no places to eat, drink or use the loo. There was however one familiar face that we saw-James' dad Nigel, who passed by in his fishing boat and shouted words of encouragement (at least we think that is what they were!)
Being hardened walkers of course, this tough landscape was not a problem (arrogance creeping in), but the closer we came to the finish line, the more the feet hurt and muscles ached. This has to be a purely psychological condition; dreaming of beer and warm beds does nothing for the next 1/2 mile that needs negotiating.
As we arrived at Poppit Sands, we were met by Jody and Shelia (Dan's sister and mum respectively), and Cindy the dog, that latter two both regulars on the walk of course.
We walked to Poppit where there was some debate over where the path officially ends, and so another couple of miles to St. Dogmaels and the reassuringly inconspicuous sign, confirming the finish and the milage travelled.
We had not expected much from the finish line, no parties or bunting and with swollen feet and sun burnt faces, we drank some well deserved medicinal pints at a local pub.
So, as we come to the end of the last post, it is worth reflecting that despite the time away and the aches and pains, along every bit of the route, the views, scenery and people you meet force you to keep your head up and to appreciate the experience, no matter how trying it can occasionally be.
And of course having made our small contribution with your help to the Lifeboats and Ty-Hafan, having met so many lovely and generous people along the way and spent time with old friends and family, it really is true that it is the journey that matters, not the destination.
Tight Calves!
James & Dan
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Days 13 & 14: Almost there!
Day 13: Pwllderi to Fishguard
Day 14: Fishguard to Newport
Two days for the price of one in this entry. What good value!
Days 13 and 14 continued through some stretches of the path that are relatively familiar to us both, taking us around the lighthouse at Strumble Head, past Goodwick and Fishguard, and on further north towards Newport.
The two days were very contrasting in terms of weather-hot sunshine on Thursday, followed by rain (quite heavy at times) on Friday. Strangely enough, it was the rain that we both found more enjoyable to walk in - far more refreshing!
We were dropped off at Pwllderi on Thursday morning by Maggie and Jonathan, who, along with Lorna, then drove onto Strumble Head and walked back to meet us.
We had lunch with them on a grassy slope overlooking the lighthouse, and they continued walking on with us for a short while, before turning back. They did however leave us with a mission, to find the stone that marks the place of the last invasion of the UK, close to Fishguard. We succeeded - photographic evidence below!
We soon dropped down into Goodwick, where we stopped for a quick drink at the Glendower (pub number 17), before making our way up the hill to Fishguard, and to James' parents Nicola and Nigel's house, where we were staying tonight. After a brief visit into town to The Royal Oak (number 18) to catch up with The Bear (Matthew Griffiths), along with his mum Breda and his two little cubs Joseph and Grace, we returned to a lovely meal cooked by Nic (in the same way that we have found with Dan's mum Sheila, you can't beat a bit of home cooking!), and took the opportunity to bore her and Nige, along with James' brother Josh and his girlfriend Jo, with some of the inane videos that we have taken during the walk.
The next morning, after bacon and eggs prepared by James, we set out in overcast and drizzly conditions towards Lower Fishguard, where Dan spotted 'Sanity', his Dad's old sailing boat, sitting in the harbour. With its mast up, it looked like it was being well used and well looked after by the new owners, which was great to see - he would have wanted it to go to a good home, and for someone to get as much enjoyment out of it as he always did.
We followed the road up the hill and past the fort, as the weather really started to close in and the rain became heavier. We had our waterproofs on though (both on us and our bags!), and as we mentioned earlier, it was actually quite nice. We don't think that the groups of people huddled in small caravans at the cliff top holiday park we passed just after Fishguard would agree with this observation however!
We stopped off for a quick pint and to dry off at The Sailors Safety in Pwllgwaelod (number 19!) where we bumped into Dean Drummond, an old school friend that we hadn't seen for a few years, and when we came out, the rain had stopped. We continued to the pretty village of Cwm-yr-Eglwys, where we enjoyed a lunch of meat pie and ham rolls prepared by Nic.
At this stage, our destination of Newport was already in sight across the bay, but it was a little deceptive and it was about another 3 or 4 miles (complete with lots more of these ups and downs that we are getting accustomed to!) over the headland and past the seafront and yacht club into the town.
Whilst Dan enjoyed a long soak in a hot bath, James took the opportunity to go and visit his Nan, who lives in the town.
We ended the day with a few drinks in The Castle and The Royal Oak (numbers 20 and 21!), where we also had a curry. The Oak has a good reputation for specialising in Indian food, but we found it overpriced and not brilliant - average food that took over an hour to arrive, and then they had to refund our money for the naan breads we had ordered as they had run out.
Also in the Oak were a couple that are also walking the path, and who we had bumped into a number of times before over the last few days. It was nice to have a chance to sit down and have a chat with them properly and compare stories and experiences from the walk, although it did mean that we went to bed a little later than planned given the long day tomorrow.
Well, we are definitely on the final straight now, and contrary to what a few doubters (who will remain nameless!) may have thought, it looks like the bodies are going to carry us through and that we are going to make it. Having said that however, we have found throughout the walk that quite often the toughest part of a day's walking is the final few miles when we have the day's destination in sight and seemingly within reach. With this in mind, and with a 16 mile stretch to St Dogmaels (that everyone says is the toughest day of all) still to go, we don't want to count our chickens just yet...
Tight calves!
Dan and James
Day 14: Fishguard to Newport
Two days for the price of one in this entry. What good value!
Days 13 and 14 continued through some stretches of the path that are relatively familiar to us both, taking us around the lighthouse at Strumble Head, past Goodwick and Fishguard, and on further north towards Newport.
The two days were very contrasting in terms of weather-hot sunshine on Thursday, followed by rain (quite heavy at times) on Friday. Strangely enough, it was the rain that we both found more enjoyable to walk in - far more refreshing!
We were dropped off at Pwllderi on Thursday morning by Maggie and Jonathan, who, along with Lorna, then drove onto Strumble Head and walked back to meet us.
We had lunch with them on a grassy slope overlooking the lighthouse, and they continued walking on with us for a short while, before turning back. They did however leave us with a mission, to find the stone that marks the place of the last invasion of the UK, close to Fishguard. We succeeded - photographic evidence below!
We soon dropped down into Goodwick, where we stopped for a quick drink at the Glendower (pub number 17), before making our way up the hill to Fishguard, and to James' parents Nicola and Nigel's house, where we were staying tonight. After a brief visit into town to The Royal Oak (number 18) to catch up with The Bear (Matthew Griffiths), along with his mum Breda and his two little cubs Joseph and Grace, we returned to a lovely meal cooked by Nic (in the same way that we have found with Dan's mum Sheila, you can't beat a bit of home cooking!), and took the opportunity to bore her and Nige, along with James' brother Josh and his girlfriend Jo, with some of the inane videos that we have taken during the walk.
The next morning, after bacon and eggs prepared by James, we set out in overcast and drizzly conditions towards Lower Fishguard, where Dan spotted 'Sanity', his Dad's old sailing boat, sitting in the harbour. With its mast up, it looked like it was being well used and well looked after by the new owners, which was great to see - he would have wanted it to go to a good home, and for someone to get as much enjoyment out of it as he always did.
We followed the road up the hill and past the fort, as the weather really started to close in and the rain became heavier. We had our waterproofs on though (both on us and our bags!), and as we mentioned earlier, it was actually quite nice. We don't think that the groups of people huddled in small caravans at the cliff top holiday park we passed just after Fishguard would agree with this observation however!
We stopped off for a quick pint and to dry off at The Sailors Safety in Pwllgwaelod (number 19!) where we bumped into Dean Drummond, an old school friend that we hadn't seen for a few years, and when we came out, the rain had stopped. We continued to the pretty village of Cwm-yr-Eglwys, where we enjoyed a lunch of meat pie and ham rolls prepared by Nic.
At this stage, our destination of Newport was already in sight across the bay, but it was a little deceptive and it was about another 3 or 4 miles (complete with lots more of these ups and downs that we are getting accustomed to!) over the headland and past the seafront and yacht club into the town.
Whilst Dan enjoyed a long soak in a hot bath, James took the opportunity to go and visit his Nan, who lives in the town.
We ended the day with a few drinks in The Castle and The Royal Oak (numbers 20 and 21!), where we also had a curry. The Oak has a good reputation for specialising in Indian food, but we found it overpriced and not brilliant - average food that took over an hour to arrive, and then they had to refund our money for the naan breads we had ordered as they had run out.
Also in the Oak were a couple that are also walking the path, and who we had bumped into a number of times before over the last few days. It was nice to have a chance to sit down and have a chat with them properly and compare stories and experiences from the walk, although it did mean that we went to bed a little later than planned given the long day tomorrow.
Well, we are definitely on the final straight now, and contrary to what a few doubters (who will remain nameless!) may have thought, it looks like the bodies are going to carry us through and that we are going to make it. Having said that however, we have found throughout the walk that quite often the toughest part of a day's walking is the final few miles when we have the day's destination in sight and seemingly within reach. With this in mind, and with a 16 mile stretch to St Dogmaels (that everyone says is the toughest day of all) still to go, we don't want to count our chickens just yet...
Tight calves!
Dan and James
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Day 12: The Beach
Day 12: Porthgain to Pwll Deri
We heard a better word to describe the paths since Newgale beach today - "undulating". A gentle sounding term, it describes well, with the additional prefix "increasingly", the shift to more rocky, steep terrain that rises and falls more regularly and with more of the rise and more of the fall!
One of the benefits of this though has been that once we have ascended some of the larger hills, the views have been breathtaking and in this department, today was the best yet.
We stayed in Porthgain with Dan's mum last night after a good night at The Sloop with some of James' and Dan's family and friends (a special thank you to 'Kavi the collector' too, who went round the pub rattling a tin and managed to collect an additional £62.50 for the cause!) A good night but one that we suffered for the next day. We blame Paul Walsh (an old friend and a very generous sponsor for this walk) and Morgan the Moon (see Max Boyce), with whom we sat talking and listening to music until the early hours, finally rolling in at about 1.30am. Not ideal preparation for the 13 miles walking required the next day!
It was a busier morning work wise too and once we had both done a few bits and pieces, including Dan frantically applying Vaseline to his chaffing thighs, we met James' mum Nicola, her friend Catherine and Catherine's son Charlie, plus James' parents dog Archie, a handsome Labradoodle.
The pace is always more enjoyable when we have people other than each other to talk to. And a hangover does nothing for speed either.
It was a lovely morning's walk and the weather was overcast but not too heavy. It was fresh enough to keep cool and with regular stops to top up on energy foods and to give Archie the chance to drink some water. His thick black coat means he heats up nicely so needs to cool down when possible.
Charlie found some huge mushrooms growing along the path hedges, and also had about 15 failed attempts at smoothing a Sheep. We kept our eyes peeled for signs of seals but only spotted one very briefly which was a shame.
As always, it was great to have some company along the way and to catch up on some news. Nicola, Catherine, Charlie and Archie left us at Abercastle where they had parked the car, and we headed off to try and shake off the hangovers with a 7 mile walk!
We passed through some familiar and beautiful beaches such as Abermawr and Aberbach, however the pick of them was Pwll Crochan, which isn't accessible by road and is always very quiet, probably in no small part due to the fact that the only way down to the beach is via a piece of rope. James had come here about 10 years ago but had not been able to find anyone in the intervening years, except for his Uncle Tim, who had any recollection of it.
So it was great to "find" it and although it was high tide, Pwll Crochan will definitely be somewhere we head back to.
Later, Dan's mum Shelia and her friend Caro, met us somewhere between Pwll Crochan and Pwll Deri, and from the top of some of the hills, it was clear enough to see for miles and miles, with the patchwork farmland on one side and the sea on the other. Scrambling up some of these hills was hard work given the previous night's endeavours, but the" views made it worth it.
We reached our destination for today at around 16.30 and headed home after a quick drink in the Farmers Arms in Mathry, who had also been kind enough to support our cause with some quiz nights and a collection box.
We then ate a great meal prepared by Shelia with a tasty salad from Caro and went to bed. Tomorrow we will walk from Pwll Deri to Fishguard, where we have a few people we want to see to say thank you.
Tight Calves!
James and Dan
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
We heard a better word to describe the paths since Newgale beach today - "undulating". A gentle sounding term, it describes well, with the additional prefix "increasingly", the shift to more rocky, steep terrain that rises and falls more regularly and with more of the rise and more of the fall!
One of the benefits of this though has been that once we have ascended some of the larger hills, the views have been breathtaking and in this department, today was the best yet.
We stayed in Porthgain with Dan's mum last night after a good night at The Sloop with some of James' and Dan's family and friends (a special thank you to 'Kavi the collector' too, who went round the pub rattling a tin and managed to collect an additional £62.50 for the cause!) A good night but one that we suffered for the next day. We blame Paul Walsh (an old friend and a very generous sponsor for this walk) and Morgan the Moon (see Max Boyce), with whom we sat talking and listening to music until the early hours, finally rolling in at about 1.30am. Not ideal preparation for the 13 miles walking required the next day!
It was a busier morning work wise too and once we had both done a few bits and pieces, including Dan frantically applying Vaseline to his chaffing thighs, we met James' mum Nicola, her friend Catherine and Catherine's son Charlie, plus James' parents dog Archie, a handsome Labradoodle.
The pace is always more enjoyable when we have people other than each other to talk to. And a hangover does nothing for speed either.
It was a lovely morning's walk and the weather was overcast but not too heavy. It was fresh enough to keep cool and with regular stops to top up on energy foods and to give Archie the chance to drink some water. His thick black coat means he heats up nicely so needs to cool down when possible.
Charlie found some huge mushrooms growing along the path hedges, and also had about 15 failed attempts at smoothing a Sheep. We kept our eyes peeled for signs of seals but only spotted one very briefly which was a shame.
As always, it was great to have some company along the way and to catch up on some news. Nicola, Catherine, Charlie and Archie left us at Abercastle where they had parked the car, and we headed off to try and shake off the hangovers with a 7 mile walk!
We passed through some familiar and beautiful beaches such as Abermawr and Aberbach, however the pick of them was Pwll Crochan, which isn't accessible by road and is always very quiet, probably in no small part due to the fact that the only way down to the beach is via a piece of rope. James had come here about 10 years ago but had not been able to find anyone in the intervening years, except for his Uncle Tim, who had any recollection of it.
So it was great to "find" it and although it was high tide, Pwll Crochan will definitely be somewhere we head back to.
Later, Dan's mum Shelia and her friend Caro, met us somewhere between Pwll Crochan and Pwll Deri, and from the top of some of the hills, it was clear enough to see for miles and miles, with the patchwork farmland on one side and the sea on the other. Scrambling up some of these hills was hard work given the previous night's endeavours, but the" views made it worth it.
We reached our destination for today at around 16.30 and headed home after a quick drink in the Farmers Arms in Mathry, who had also been kind enough to support our cause with some quiz nights and a collection box.
We then ate a great meal prepared by Shelia with a tasty salad from Caro and went to bed. Tomorrow we will walk from Pwll Deri to Fishguard, where we have a few people we want to see to say thank you.
Tight Calves!
James and Dan
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Day 11: A few home comforts
The weather was quite muggy this morning and after having done some office work and having being served breakfast courtesy of Dan's mum Shelia, we drove down to Whitesands, kindly driven by Shelia's friend Lorna.
This we managed again today and while we hope that we are not over-egging things too much (thanks Cheryl Hughes, James's aunty, for pointing out that we have become a little cocky!!), the fact that we have no choice but to walk each day means there is no chance of us not at least maintaining our current levels of fitness. Until the end of the walk that is.
After eating our packed lunches that Dan had prepared this morning overlooking 'seal bay' (which incidentally was completely seal free today), we met Lorna who had parked at Abberaddi, later also meeting with Sheila, Cindie (Shelia's Golden Retriever) and Palika's younger brother Kavi who has walked with us previously.
We passed the blue lagoon and had a brief swim in the icy sea at Traethllyfn and then headed with Shelia to The Sloop for a quick drink, before heading back for a shower and some food.
Tonight some of James' family and friends will join us at The Sloop for drinks to round off what has been a lovely day.
Tomorrow Nicola (James's mum), her friend Catherine and Catherine's son Charlie, will walk with us between Porthgain and Pwllderi.
Tight Calves,
James and Dan
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Day 10: Fast boats and (possibly) cured knees
Day 10: Solva to Whitesands
Whilst the overcast and cool weather that we have had so far has probably not been ideal for sitting on the beach, for walking it has been absolutely perfect. Today however the beach weather retuned and the sun shone, meaning that for us, it was a little hot.
Those of you who have been following our blog from the start may recall our encounter on the first day with 91-year old slightly eccentric author Roscoe Howells who delighted in telling us about the huge number of books that he had written. Well today on the shelf in our B&B we found proof to back up his claim in the shape of a copy of one such book 'Roseanna'. Described as 'the final volume of a trilogy spanning almost two centuries of life in rural Pembrokeshire', it looked a real page-turner, and it was just a shame that we had a days walking ahead of us and didn't have time to read it before we left.
We were joined today by Dan's younger brother Ben, who has had a bit of ribbing over the past few days that with the distance we have covered and levels of fitness we have now reached, he could no longer claim to be the fittest brother. He definitely disproved this today however, by setting the pace and leading the way for most of the day!
After a relatively late night last night split between The Harbour Inn and The Ship (pub numbers 15 and 16!), the steep hill that greeted us as we first left Solva was a bit of a struggle. Soon however, the aspirin started to kick in, and we were able to get back into our stride.
We continued for a couple of hours past some very rugged and stunning coastline, and then just past the beach at Caerfai, we came across the chapel of St Non's. Perched high up on the cliff alongside a nunnery, apparently this marks the birth place of the patron saint of Wales, St David.
Alongside the chapel, was a well that is supposed to have magical powers and cure any infirmities or illnesses. We had a brief stop to allow Dan to dip his dodgy knee into the water to test the claim. No conclusive results as yet, so we shall see... Possibly the resumption of a very promising football career beckons (given how rubbish they were this time around, a call up to the England 2016 world cup squad could well be on the cards)!
After stopping for lunch in the small harbour of Porthclais, we soon rounded a headland and were treated with some magnificent views over Ramsey Island - views that we were soon to be able to see at much closer quarters thanks to a free boat trip around the island courtesy of Voyages of Discovery, organised for us by Ieuan Jenkins.
The trip was great (thoroughly recommended for anyone who has not done it before!), and a very welcome break from walking in the hot sun. We saw porpoises, seals and any number of different sea birds, whilst hearing about much of the history and geology of the island. A big thank you to Ieuan for sorting it, and also for the detailed weather forecasts that he has been regularly texting us over the duration of the walk!
After leaving the boat, the last couple of miles to Whitesands was quite quick and easy. Whitesands is a lovely beach, but it was absolutely heaving with people. We have seen quite a number of other similar sandy beaches along the path, many of which have been pretty much deserted and therefore much more pleasant, and it makes you wonder why people don't head for those instead...
Tomorrow, we head for Porthgain - home territory for Dan. No doubt a few drinks at The Sloop will be on the cards!
Tight calves
Dan and James
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Whilst the overcast and cool weather that we have had so far has probably not been ideal for sitting on the beach, for walking it has been absolutely perfect. Today however the beach weather retuned and the sun shone, meaning that for us, it was a little hot.
Those of you who have been following our blog from the start may recall our encounter on the first day with 91-year old slightly eccentric author Roscoe Howells who delighted in telling us about the huge number of books that he had written. Well today on the shelf in our B&B we found proof to back up his claim in the shape of a copy of one such book 'Roseanna'. Described as 'the final volume of a trilogy spanning almost two centuries of life in rural Pembrokeshire', it looked a real page-turner, and it was just a shame that we had a days walking ahead of us and didn't have time to read it before we left.
We were joined today by Dan's younger brother Ben, who has had a bit of ribbing over the past few days that with the distance we have covered and levels of fitness we have now reached, he could no longer claim to be the fittest brother. He definitely disproved this today however, by setting the pace and leading the way for most of the day!
After a relatively late night last night split between The Harbour Inn and The Ship (pub numbers 15 and 16!), the steep hill that greeted us as we first left Solva was a bit of a struggle. Soon however, the aspirin started to kick in, and we were able to get back into our stride.
We continued for a couple of hours past some very rugged and stunning coastline, and then just past the beach at Caerfai, we came across the chapel of St Non's. Perched high up on the cliff alongside a nunnery, apparently this marks the birth place of the patron saint of Wales, St David.
Alongside the chapel, was a well that is supposed to have magical powers and cure any infirmities or illnesses. We had a brief stop to allow Dan to dip his dodgy knee into the water to test the claim. No conclusive results as yet, so we shall see... Possibly the resumption of a very promising football career beckons (given how rubbish they were this time around, a call up to the England 2016 world cup squad could well be on the cards)!
After stopping for lunch in the small harbour of Porthclais, we soon rounded a headland and were treated with some magnificent views over Ramsey Island - views that we were soon to be able to see at much closer quarters thanks to a free boat trip around the island courtesy of Voyages of Discovery, organised for us by Ieuan Jenkins.
The trip was great (thoroughly recommended for anyone who has not done it before!), and a very welcome break from walking in the hot sun. We saw porpoises, seals and any number of different sea birds, whilst hearing about much of the history and geology of the island. A big thank you to Ieuan for sorting it, and also for the detailed weather forecasts that he has been regularly texting us over the duration of the walk!
After leaving the boat, the last couple of miles to Whitesands was quite quick and easy. Whitesands is a lovely beach, but it was absolutely heaving with people. We have seen quite a number of other similar sandy beaches along the path, many of which have been pretty much deserted and therefore much more pleasant, and it makes you wonder why people don't head for those instead...
Tomorrow, we head for Porthgain - home territory for Dan. No doubt a few drinks at The Sloop will be on the cards!
Tight calves
Dan and James
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Sunday, July 25, 2010
Day 8: We stayed in a house, a very big house, in the country
Apologies first of all for the delay in posting this - as we mentioned, it is difficult to keep up with blogging every day when there is the evening entertainment to think about! We still haven't quite managed to get the pictures up as you will see...will do that tonight, and also promise to post updates for the last few days too.
The day started well - after yet another cooked breakfast prepared by our landlady Mrs Llewellyn and her friend (whose name we didn't catch), we got talking with them about what we were doing and charities we were supporting. As soon as they heard that it was for a children's hospice, both ladies very kindly donated £10 each to the sponsorship fund, which was really appreciated.
We then set out from Marloes, back down to the coastline, and started off towards Little Haven, where we planned to have lunch. For some reason (maybe because we were still suffering from the tough day yesterday), even though the terrain wasn't particularly difficult, we both found the walking pretty hard. After about 3 hours, we arrived, exhausted into the pretty harbour of Little Haven, but after refuelling with burger and chips each, we then met up with Jill, Gail and Ed, who it was great to see, and whose appearance gave us both a boost (particularly James of course!)
Gail and Jill then set off by car, thankfully carrying our heavy packs, whilst Ed joined us on foot for the next stretch.
Without the packs (and with Ed setting the pace!), things became a little easier, and we made good time and soon met up again with Gail and Jill at Nolton Haven. This meant that we had travelled beyond where we had planned to today, and for the first time we were actually ahead of our planned schedule. We are becoming walking machines!!
The highlight of the day however was yet to come. Gail had very kindly organized a Bed & Breakfast for us to stay back in the village of Dale. Well, we say Bed & Breakfast...probably Country Manor House & Breakfast would be more accurate. As we winded our way up a long drive, we were greeted by the sight of a huge ivy-clad house, complete with classic cars in the garage, and peacocks roaming in the garden. Wow.
Elizabeth, the lady of the house and our landlady for the night, showed us in - and the decor inside didn't disappoint either. It was very grand and full of character, with every space seemingly covered with ornate looking pictures, sculptures and interesting looking trinkets. It was the kind of place that it would have been impossible to design from scratch, but could only be created through years of being lived in by very rich people. Every room seemed to tell a different story...even the toilet was posh, and really gave the impression of 'sitting on the throne!'
We had a quick explore (over the bits that we were allowed to-it would have been nice to have been able to do more!) and then after a quick change, headed out to Dale's only pub 'The Griffin Inn'. After a few beers and some filling but pretty unremarkable food we returned to the manor house and by far the most comfortable beds we stayed in so far (we learnt in the morning that the mattresses had been handmade by a Mr Hooper from Swansea!).
So more than half way now - pub count today a pretty average 2, so a grand total of 14 all together. After years of saying he is drinking too much and encouraging him to stay out of pubs, Dan's mum Sheila is now expressing disappointment at the low number we have been to so far and actively encouraging us to visit more. It's amazing what the thought of raising a few extra pounds for charity does to people!
Tally Ho
Major Dan Craft and Brigadier James O. Wilmott
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
The day started well - after yet another cooked breakfast prepared by our landlady Mrs Llewellyn and her friend (whose name we didn't catch), we got talking with them about what we were doing and charities we were supporting. As soon as they heard that it was for a children's hospice, both ladies very kindly donated £10 each to the sponsorship fund, which was really appreciated.
We then set out from Marloes, back down to the coastline, and started off towards Little Haven, where we planned to have lunch. For some reason (maybe because we were still suffering from the tough day yesterday), even though the terrain wasn't particularly difficult, we both found the walking pretty hard. After about 3 hours, we arrived, exhausted into the pretty harbour of Little Haven, but after refuelling with burger and chips each, we then met up with Jill, Gail and Ed, who it was great to see, and whose appearance gave us both a boost (particularly James of course!)
Gail and Jill then set off by car, thankfully carrying our heavy packs, whilst Ed joined us on foot for the next stretch.
Without the packs (and with Ed setting the pace!), things became a little easier, and we made good time and soon met up again with Gail and Jill at Nolton Haven. This meant that we had travelled beyond where we had planned to today, and for the first time we were actually ahead of our planned schedule. We are becoming walking machines!!
The highlight of the day however was yet to come. Gail had very kindly organized a Bed & Breakfast for us to stay back in the village of Dale. Well, we say Bed & Breakfast...probably Country Manor House & Breakfast would be more accurate. As we winded our way up a long drive, we were greeted by the sight of a huge ivy-clad house, complete with classic cars in the garage, and peacocks roaming in the garden. Wow.
Elizabeth, the lady of the house and our landlady for the night, showed us in - and the decor inside didn't disappoint either. It was very grand and full of character, with every space seemingly covered with ornate looking pictures, sculptures and interesting looking trinkets. It was the kind of place that it would have been impossible to design from scratch, but could only be created through years of being lived in by very rich people. Every room seemed to tell a different story...even the toilet was posh, and really gave the impression of 'sitting on the throne!'
We had a quick explore (over the bits that we were allowed to-it would have been nice to have been able to do more!) and then after a quick change, headed out to Dale's only pub 'The Griffin Inn'. After a few beers and some filling but pretty unremarkable food we returned to the manor house and by far the most comfortable beds we stayed in so far (we learnt in the morning that the mattresses had been handmade by a Mr Hooper from Swansea!).
So more than half way now - pub count today a pretty average 2, so a grand total of 14 all together. After years of saying he is drinking too much and encouraging him to stay out of pubs, Dan's mum Sheila is now expressing disappointment at the low number we have been to so far and actively encouraging us to visit more. It's amazing what the thought of raising a few extra pounds for charity does to people!
Tally Ho
Major Dan Craft and Brigadier James O. Wilmott
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Day 9: New Recruits...
Day 9: Nolton Haven to Solva
A relatively easy days walking and some of the most beautiful so far. Real progress north, as regular readers may have gathered, is something we have been yearning for. A mixture of more familiar territory, family and friends slightly closer, and the unspoilt coast line have been carrots at the end of an increasingly friendly stick! As our fitness has rapidly increased, the treck has become easier. This despite much comment from people we have met that that the path north of Solva being more difficult.
We suppose this is relative to ones' fitness, and we are feeling very good at the moment. Something we are both delighted about!
Last night we stayed at a fabulous B&B in Dale (Peacocks and all!), back tracking to our beds from where the walk finished in Nolton Haven. James' fiancé Jill, her parents Gail and Edward, joined us yesterday and today for the walk and it was brilliant to have them with us. It was with pride that we showed them part of the beautiful Welsh coastline, and later Dan's mum, now a regular crutch on this walk, joined us with her friend Michelle.
Our two causes, Ty-Hafan and the Lifeboats provide spur, while friends and loved ones provide the support.
Today lacked the pace of previous days but this was a welcome relief, being the 'day of rest' of course. The sun was shining and the stunning scenery reminded us that while it was sometimes hard, a long time away from the office, from family, loved ones and friends, it remains a completely uplifting experience. We walked to Newgale then on towards Solva. It really was stunning. 'Kamikaze Ed' attempted to forge new paths early on, caught on candid camera by Dan!
The final decent into Solva was a welcome relief in this heat, and Gail, Ed and Jill we hope, enjoyed today's walk as much as we did. The steep inclines proved a challenge at times, but the Kendall Mint Cake Jill kindly provided worked wonders on tired limbs.
We ate with the walking team at The Harbour Inn and were joined by Maggie, Jonathan, Sunil and Ben for drinks and good banter.
It's still very bright here and it was sad to say goodbye to Gail, Ed and Jill who are travelling back to Cardiff, but all in all a great day and tomorrow Dan's brother Ben, recently turned 22, will be joining us for some serious lessons in coastal path walking.
See you at 6am Ben!
Tight Calves!
James and Dan
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
A relatively easy days walking and some of the most beautiful so far. Real progress north, as regular readers may have gathered, is something we have been yearning for. A mixture of more familiar territory, family and friends slightly closer, and the unspoilt coast line have been carrots at the end of an increasingly friendly stick! As our fitness has rapidly increased, the treck has become easier. This despite much comment from people we have met that that the path north of Solva being more difficult.
We suppose this is relative to ones' fitness, and we are feeling very good at the moment. Something we are both delighted about!
Last night we stayed at a fabulous B&B in Dale (Peacocks and all!), back tracking to our beds from where the walk finished in Nolton Haven. James' fiancé Jill, her parents Gail and Edward, joined us yesterday and today for the walk and it was brilliant to have them with us. It was with pride that we showed them part of the beautiful Welsh coastline, and later Dan's mum, now a regular crutch on this walk, joined us with her friend Michelle.
Our two causes, Ty-Hafan and the Lifeboats provide spur, while friends and loved ones provide the support.
Today lacked the pace of previous days but this was a welcome relief, being the 'day of rest' of course. The sun was shining and the stunning scenery reminded us that while it was sometimes hard, a long time away from the office, from family, loved ones and friends, it remains a completely uplifting experience. We walked to Newgale then on towards Solva. It really was stunning. 'Kamikaze Ed' attempted to forge new paths early on, caught on candid camera by Dan!
The final decent into Solva was a welcome relief in this heat, and Gail, Ed and Jill we hope, enjoyed today's walk as much as we did. The steep inclines proved a challenge at times, but the Kendall Mint Cake Jill kindly provided worked wonders on tired limbs.
We ate with the walking team at The Harbour Inn and were joined by Maggie, Jonathan, Sunil and Ben for drinks and good banter.
It's still very bright here and it was sad to say goodbye to Gail, Ed and Jill who are travelling back to Cardiff, but all in all a great day and tomorrow Dan's brother Ben, recently turned 22, will be joining us for some serious lessons in coastal path walking.
See you at 6am Ben!
Tight Calves!
James and Dan
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Solva, United Kingdom
Day 7: The long way round...
Day 7: Sandy Haven - Marloes
Today was long and difficult, but overall, a very good day.
Despite possibly a few too many beers last night, we had the tents packed away and were ready to leave by 8.45...our earliest start yet. It was just as well too, as there were a couple of bridges that we needed to reach within 2 hours of low tide in order for them to be passable. With the early start however we managed to make both in time and were able to avoid lengthy (and very unwelcome) inland detours that would have otherwise been necessary.
The first 5 1/2 miles from Sandy Haven took us towards Dale, and was a very pleasant walk - not too many hills, and some lovely views. Given this fact, it was surprising how few people we passed during hid stretch and how overgrown some areas were. In fact, the only person that we passed walking the other way provided us both with a bit of a blast from the past - Miss Brownett, our old maths teacher from school. What are the chances?!
Just before Dale, the path took us down from the cliffs into a large estuary area called The Gann, and along a freshwater river in which James spotted a number of rainbow trout in the water below.
Since we started the walk, every morning so far we have begun the day with a fry up. Today however, we decided to be healthy, and instead had porridge and a banana. It seemed a good idea at the time, but meant that by the time we reached Dale at about midday, we were both absolutely starving. We found a seafront cafe run by an elderly lady assisted by her less than enthusiastic grandson, and ordered 2 lunches each - a toasted sandwich and a filled jacket potato. Very nice they were too!
Having filled our stomachs, we were provided with a difficult moral dilemma. The next stretch of the path took us for 6 miles around the Dale Peninsula, whilst in reality given the geography, only moving us an additional 100m further towards our destination. Given the distance that we had to walk today, the temptation to take the shortcut was pretty strong. We resisted however, and with a few longing looks behind us, started up the steep hill towards St. Ann's Head, and the longer, official route.
Our decision was rewarded, when we first had a very amusing encounter with a mobile butcher, and then after a few miles, we reached the headland to find our support crew (this time minus Ben) waiting, and once again ready to take our bags to the evening's destination. Thanks again guys! We also saw a helicopter land on the cliff top just few feet away from us to pick up supplies and ferry then to one of the nearby islands. It seemed to be a bit of an expensive substitute for a boat, but what do we know.
We continued around the peninsula, back into Dale, and then out towards Marloes Sands, a beautiful beach, but one that unfortunately we were unable to take any pictures of because of a lack of batteries in our cameras. We bought solar powered chargers from e-Bay before the walk, but unfortunately these have proved to be pretty useless, and finding charge for various electronic devices is a continual problem.
Our plan was then to spend the night at a youth hostel overlooking the beach. However, when we reached it and found that a night in a dormitory room (without breakfast) was going to cost us £18 we decided instead to pay the extra few pounds and head for the luxury of a B&B.
We booked into the homely Albion House, a mile's walk inland in the village of Marloes, where we were immediately made to feel very welcome by the landlady Mrs Llewellyn. She has even done our washing for us (brave lady!), and our pants and socks are currently hanging out on the washing line in her back garden!
Following food and a few drinks at the local pub The Lobster Pot, we were both feeling the strain of the 15 miles we had covered today, and were in need of an early night.
Tomorrow should be a good day - a relatively easy 10 miles to cover, and James' finance Jill and her parents Gail and Ed are due to be meeting up with us at some point in the afternoon. Looking forward to it.
Tight calves!
Dan and James
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Today was long and difficult, but overall, a very good day.
Despite possibly a few too many beers last night, we had the tents packed away and were ready to leave by 8.45...our earliest start yet. It was just as well too, as there were a couple of bridges that we needed to reach within 2 hours of low tide in order for them to be passable. With the early start however we managed to make both in time and were able to avoid lengthy (and very unwelcome) inland detours that would have otherwise been necessary.
The first 5 1/2 miles from Sandy Haven took us towards Dale, and was a very pleasant walk - not too many hills, and some lovely views. Given this fact, it was surprising how few people we passed during hid stretch and how overgrown some areas were. In fact, the only person that we passed walking the other way provided us both with a bit of a blast from the past - Miss Brownett, our old maths teacher from school. What are the chances?!
Just before Dale, the path took us down from the cliffs into a large estuary area called The Gann, and along a freshwater river in which James spotted a number of rainbow trout in the water below.
Since we started the walk, every morning so far we have begun the day with a fry up. Today however, we decided to be healthy, and instead had porridge and a banana. It seemed a good idea at the time, but meant that by the time we reached Dale at about midday, we were both absolutely starving. We found a seafront cafe run by an elderly lady assisted by her less than enthusiastic grandson, and ordered 2 lunches each - a toasted sandwich and a filled jacket potato. Very nice they were too!
Having filled our stomachs, we were provided with a difficult moral dilemma. The next stretch of the path took us for 6 miles around the Dale Peninsula, whilst in reality given the geography, only moving us an additional 100m further towards our destination. Given the distance that we had to walk today, the temptation to take the shortcut was pretty strong. We resisted however, and with a few longing looks behind us, started up the steep hill towards St. Ann's Head, and the longer, official route.
Our decision was rewarded, when we first had a very amusing encounter with a mobile butcher, and then after a few miles, we reached the headland to find our support crew (this time minus Ben) waiting, and once again ready to take our bags to the evening's destination. Thanks again guys! We also saw a helicopter land on the cliff top just few feet away from us to pick up supplies and ferry then to one of the nearby islands. It seemed to be a bit of an expensive substitute for a boat, but what do we know.
We continued around the peninsula, back into Dale, and then out towards Marloes Sands, a beautiful beach, but one that unfortunately we were unable to take any pictures of because of a lack of batteries in our cameras. We bought solar powered chargers from e-Bay before the walk, but unfortunately these have proved to be pretty useless, and finding charge for various electronic devices is a continual problem.
Our plan was then to spend the night at a youth hostel overlooking the beach. However, when we reached it and found that a night in a dormitory room (without breakfast) was going to cost us £18 we decided instead to pay the extra few pounds and head for the luxury of a B&B.
We booked into the homely Albion House, a mile's walk inland in the village of Marloes, where we were immediately made to feel very welcome by the landlady Mrs Llewellyn. She has even done our washing for us (brave lady!), and our pants and socks are currently hanging out on the washing line in her back garden!
Following food and a few drinks at the local pub The Lobster Pot, we were both feeling the strain of the 15 miles we had covered today, and were in need of an early night.
Tomorrow should be a good day - a relatively easy 10 miles to cover, and James' finance Jill and her parents Gail and Ed are due to be meeting up with us at some point in the afternoon. Looking forward to it.
Tight calves!
Dan and James
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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