St Anne's Head & Dale Peninsula
Pembrokeshire Coast Walk
Nat Park - Pembrokeshire Coast
County/Area - Pembrokeshire
Author - Lou Johnson
Length - 7.0 miles / 11.4 km Ascent - 900 feet / 273 metres
Time - 4 hours 20 minutes Grade - easy/mod
Maps
Ordnance Survey Explorer OL36 | Sheet Map | 1:25k | BUY |
Anquet OS Explorer OL36 | Digital Map | 1:25k | BUY |
Walk Route Description
Click image to see photo description.
This is an excellent walk around the Dale peninsula in Pembrokeshire. The route, which follows the Pembrokeshire Coast Path for most of the way, offers views across the entrance to Milford Haven to the Angle peninsula, passes the lighthouse on St. Anne's Head, enjoys excellent coastal scenery throughout and visits the sandy beach at Westdale Bay.
The start is the car park beside the sea on the west side of the B4327 at Angle (grid ref. SM811059). Exit the car park and turn left along the seafront. Bear left where the road forks with the sea to your left. Pass the slipways and then the Griffin Inn on your right. Since leaving the car park you have been following the Pembrokeshire Coast Path (also the Wales Coast Path). Keep straight ahead following a narrow lane. You pass through woodland with glimpses of the sea to your left. As you leave the trees, you can enjoy uninterrupted views once more.
Leave the lane by turning right through a waymarked wooden gate (grid ref. SM821053). The grassy path cuts across Dale Point and soon follows the clifftops as it skirts Castlebeach Bay. The path descends into a side valley, crosses a wooden footbridge, climbs a few steps, and soon regains the clifftop. The undulating path is never too demanding, and you soon pass the prominent navigational tower on Watwick Point. The onward route skirts Watwick Bay where you should follow the waymarked coast path ignoring paths descending to the beach on your left. Across the estuary is the Angle peninsula.
Continue past more navigational aids on West Blockhouse Point and continue around Mill Bay to reach St Anne's Head where pass close to the lighthouse which lies behind a row of cottages on the left. Continue past the old lighthouse following a tarmac drive. Just after a stone gateway turn left through a wooden gate (with fingerpost) to continue along the coast path. The path follows the clifftop above Frenchman's Bay and then after reaching Little Castle Point passes above Welshman's Bay.
After passing Great Castle Head, the site of an Iron Age fort, the path drops to Westdale Bay. Reaching a gate with stone pillars and a fingerpost (grid ref. SM800059), turn right and follow the path through a shallow valley towards the village of Dale. Reaching a track, continue straight ahead to reach a tarmac road at a bend (grid ref. SM805058). Continue ahead with the stone wall on your left. Pass the church on your right and continue ahead to reach the seafront. Turn right and the car park used at the start is on your right.
Other walks nearby
Walk 3473 | Marloes Peninsular Circular | easy/mod | 7.0 miles |
Walk 3362 | Marloes Sands Circular | easy | 4.5 miles |
Walk 3367 | Nab Head & Musselwick Sands from Marloes | easy/mod | 6.2 miles |
Walk 3497 | Angle Peninsula | easy | 3.7 miles |
Walk 2485 | Broad Haven & Druidston Circular | easy/mod | 4.9 miles |
Walk 3498 | Freshwater West & Angle | moderate | 8.7 miles |
Walk 2056 | Pointz Castle from Solva | easy/mod | 5.5 miles |
Walk 3365 | Bosherston Lily Ponds, Broad Haven & St. Govan's Chapel | easy/mod | 5.0 miles |
Walk 1210 | Porth Clais & St Justinian's | easy/mod | 5.5 miles |
Walk 3495 | St. Govan's Chapel, Bosherston & Elegug Stacks | moderate | 9.6 miles |
Recommended Books & eBooks
The Wales Coast Path
A single guidebook to walking the whole Wales Coast Path - 1400km (870 miles) the length of Wales from Chester to Chepstow, including Anglesey, described in 57 stages. The route passes through the Snowdonia and Pembrokeshire National Parks and many AONBs and can be linked with the Offa's Dyke Path for a complete circuit of Wales.
More information
Mountain Weather
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