A few weeks ago, on a warm, sunshiny Autumn afternoon, we visited the pretty Pembrokeshire fishing village of Porthgain. You may remember a row of cottages, a pub, a post box and a red telephone kiosk, along with some fairly imposing industrial ruins. Taking the steep climb up some very narrow, often slippery, stone steps alongside those ruins, and then a pleasant stroll along the high clifftops that overlook St George's Channel, brings us to a stretch of National Trust coastline at Abereiddi {English spelling Abereiddy}.
Alternatively, you can approach Abereiddi, as I did, from the other direction, either walking along the coast path, or by car, bicycle, or on the Strumble Shuttle, one of several Coastal Busses routes that service outlying areas to aid walkers returning to their cars.
I did not have long to spend on the beach, but here are some of the photographs I took on that delightful, mid Autumn afternoon. The sun, noticeably lower in the sky than a few weeks ago, skittered and sparkled off the dark, grey blue water, and although the air was not cold, the water looked very cold indeed. The edge of the sea lapped, languid and lazily, over the seaweed and smooth, glossy black rocky shore; there were not many people out for such a lovely afternoon. The gentle breeze was barely noticeable, and the afternoon was altogether very pleasant, making me wish I had a picnic to nibble!
The traditional lime washed Pembrokeshire stone cottages are some of the most often sketched and painted in the area. They are literally yards, probably not even eighty yards, from the beach. A few years ago, you may recall, I wrote about the horrendous and relentless weather systems, endless Winter storms that battered our coastline from November to March. During that period, the face of Abereiddi was changed forever when the raging waves and massive Spring tides lashed for week after week after week, and eventually the retaining wall for the car park gave way and disappeared into the small bay forever, leaving the beach and car park now, more or less, on the same level and bringing many boulders {since removed} and small stones up onto the car park.
Imagine living in one of those cottages while massive waves and high winds bring the sea closer and closer to your door!
The area is high in slate, originally removed from the now flooded Blue Lagoon {which I did not visit this particular day} and processed at Porthgain. It means the sand on the beach is black, and if you ever swim here {as I have done} you emerge like something from a B Grade horror movie, covered from head to toe in a fine, dark grey gritty dust. Lovely! You don't see many people swimming here because of that, but my friend and I just had to do it, simply because we could! And we were young. And foolish!
For the thrill seekers out there {I am not!} the Blue Lagoon is home to one of the events on the diary of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Championships.
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| Along and over the top, a pleasant, two mile stroll will bring you to Porthgain |
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| Traditional Pembrokeshire stone cottage, complete with television and all mod cons! |
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| The red lime wash would, originally, have been coloured with ox blood |
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| All that remains of a once eight foot high barrier between beach and car park |
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| An artist has been at work! |
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| A typical slate, full of fossils, which abound at Abereiddi |
Until next time ~~~
~~~Deborah
