The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, one of Britain's breathing spaces, takes in about a third of the county including the entire coastal strip, the upper reaches of the Daugleddau (two swords) and the Preselis. It's the only National Park that is almost entirely coastal. The National Park run an extensive programme of activities and events for both adults and children: rockpool safaris, crab catching, bat walks and even time travel! They're all listed in the Coast to Coast newspaper: pick one up when you get here.
The National Trust owns and protects many of the most important sections of the coast especially around Barafundle beach, Marloes, St Davids, Porthgain & Dinas. The trust also runs the superb Colby Woodland Gardens at Amroth and the Tudor Merchant's House near the harbour in Tenby.
- Britain's only coastal National Park, The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is the only one of Britain's 14 National Parks to be almost entirely coastal in nature.
- It covers a third of Pembrokeshire including the Preseli Mountains and the upper reaches of the Daugleddau Estuary.
- Tenby, St Davids, Saundersfoot, Newport and Manorbier are all in the National Park.
- So are Skomer, Skokholm, Caldey and Ramsey Islands.
- Two inland areas are also in the National Park; The Preseli Mountains and the upper reaches of the Daugleddau Estuary.
- The Preseli Mountains are where the Stonehenge bluestones are supposed to have come from.
- The Daugleddau Estuary is known, locally, as the secret waterway.
- Many of Britain's National Parks have some coast in them, but the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is almost entirely coastal. Take a look at a map to see it includes a strip of between 2 and 3 miles wide right round the coast. This just underlines the special nature of the Pembrokeshire Coast and how it differs to areas such as Cornwall and Devon that don't have National Parks to protect them.
- The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority was established in 1952.
- As well as looking after the Coast Path, they employ rangers, run an extensive programme of walks & talks and produce an annual newspaper called Coast to Coast.
- They also operate St Davids and Newport tourist information centres and a visitor centre in Tenby.
- As well as looking after the Coast Path, they employ rangers, run an extensive programme of walks & talks and produce an annual newspaper called Coast to Coast.
- Castell Henllys, a reconstructed Iron Age Hill Fort near Newport, is owned and managed by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.
- Carew Castle and Tidal Mill are leased and managed by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.
- The highest point on the Preselis is Foel Cwmcerwyn at 1,758 feet, which makes them mountains, but they are nicely rounded so feel more like hills.
- The occasional rocky outcrops are the only place in the UK where you'll find Spotted Dolerite, apart from the circle of Bluestones at Stonehenge.
- It's still not certain if it was glaciers or Neolithic man that transported them but as there are Spotted Dolerite ‘erratics' found in Wiltshire fields, it gives more credibility to the idea that it was glaciers that transported the stones.
- The Preselis were very important in Celtic times. This is where one of the entrances to Annwn, the Celtic underworld, could be found.
- The ancient path, The Golden Road, dates from Celtic times. It crosses the length of the Preselis, from the hill fort of Foel Drygarn to Foel Eryr.
- The best places to go to explore this area are Rosebush, The Gwaun Valley, and Pentre Ifan cromlech near Newport.
Below is a Map of Pebrokeshire for your guidance.
