Places of Interest
A. Stackpole Quay: The Quay was built in the 18th century, to ship out limestone from the nearby quarry and bring in luxury goods for Stackpole Court. The national Trust has converted the nearby farm buildings into holiday cottages and the quarry is now used for outdoor educational activities. The small offshore island shows a spectacular fold in the layers of Carboniferous Limestone, caused by continents colliding 290 million years ago. In the next bay, the limestone gives way to the multi-coloured mudstones, siltstones and sandstones of the Old Red Sandstone. From the bay's northern headland you can see the impressive profile of Greenala Point. Here the multi-coloured rock layers are covered with bright orange Xanthoris lichens.
B. Greenala Point: Here the Coast Path passes through the outer ramparts of a large Iron Age Fort. Two banks and ditches protect the headland, though it is likely that most of the inhabitants lived outside the walls and retreated inside only in times of danger.
C. Freshwater East: This superb sandy beach has long been a popular leisure spot, and in past centuries was a favorite haunt of smugglers. On one side of the bay is a holiday village built in the 1970s under the then-prevailing policy of allowing a few places to develop as "honeypot" resorts. The dunes have been extensively restored and replanted to counter the effects of human trampling, and there are pathways through them to the beach. The National Park is developing a management plan for the dunes and scrub woodland, to improve opportunities for wildlife and for public access. The dunes are a particularly good place to see glow-worm, if you're here at dusk.
D. Manorbier Bay: Manorbier was the home of the great 12th century churchman, traveller and writer Giraldus Cambrensis (Gerald of Wales). One of his books, The Journey Through Wales, is still in print today. The castle, where he was born, is perched on a spur of rock with streams on either side. The north-western stream was dammed to create fish ponds and mill leats. The oldest part of the castle, overlooking the beach, dates from the 12th century and was built by Gerald's family, the de barris, who lived here until 1336. Described by Gerald as "the pleasantest spot in Wales", the village is a perfect example of a Norman manor, complete with church, mill and dovecote. South-east of the beach, the Coast path passes the King's Quiot, a Neolithic burial chamber dating from around 3,000 BC.
E. Skrinkle Haven: For many years this part of the coast was a military area and closed to the public. Old Castle Head is still in use as a firing range, so you may hear loud bangs as you walk past, but the Coast Path is permanently open skirting past the camp. The national Park Authority bought some 18 hectares (45 acres) of former army land in 1982. The strikingly designed Youth Hostel was converted from a military building. The bay contains a sandy beach and a rocky cove, separated by a narrow rib of limestone known as the Church Doors, because of its great arched cave entrances. Skrinkle Haven marks the reappearance of the boundary between the Old Red Sandstone and the Carboniferous Limestone. The cliffs here are very unstable and access to the beach may be restricted.
F. Lydstep Headland: The official route cuts across the neck of this headland, but a well defined path follows the cliff tops and makes an interesting detour. The headland and been owned by the national Trust since 1936. The imposing cliffs on the southern side show limestone beds up-ended to a vertical position. This happened when drifting continents collided about 290 million years ago. Some of the beds have resisted erosion and stand out as rocky pinnacles, separated by inlets which have formed along fault lines. On the north side of the headland is a platform where sailing ships moored to take on limestone from the nearby quarry. The stone was shipped to ports along the Bristol Channel.
