Day 11: Abereiddy to Aber Bach

Weather: Gorgeous and shirtsleeves, clouding later

Distance covered today: 18.2km (11.3mi)

Last night's B&B: The Coach House

% Complete: Cum distance: 78.3%: 230.2km (143.0mi)

GPS satellite track of today's route: Day 11 (click!)

It is significant that this is the first day of my walk in which the names of both the origin and the destination are solely in the Welsh language. Previously, the town names have been bilingual, with the English names being used predominantly; such has been the influence of the English in Pembrokeshire (and of course, the Normans before them).  This seems a good excuse for me to comment on the economic circumstances of the Welsh inhabitants of this part of Wales, using, as I have in the past on such travels, nothing more than my fleeting observations, and therefore speculating wildly with hardly a shred of evidence!

I have already commented (too much for some!) on the declining fortunes of the oil industry around Milford Haven, as well as on the significant impact this industry has had on employment, both directly and indirectly. Although imports of LNG may increase as North Sea gas declines and dependence on gas from Russia is controlled, this will have little impact on employment and incomes in Pembrokeshire. With the continuing reduction in demand for petrol and diesel in the UK and the repeating closure of the refineries, the decline of the industry, and its associated employment, seems irreversible.

Of course, as in so many parts of the UK, Pembrokeshire is no stranger to the rise and decline of industries, and I have also already commented on the importance of coal in the nineteenth century, especially in the South, as well as on all the extinct lime kilns that grace every minor inlet along the coast, in fact anywhere a reasonably sized boat could possibly gain access to transport raw materials and product.  There are other industries that have waxed and waned, and today and yesterday, I had a great insight into those sad events.

The slate industry in Abereiddy dominated the local community, and its products graced the roofs of houses for miles around. They were transported from Abereiddy up the coast to Porthgain for processing, by a small local railway or tramway, reminiscent of the coal transporting system in Saundersfoot.  Abereiddy’s slate industry was already on its last legs when a huge storm blew up just before the last war, destroying the workers homes and the ensuing typhoid epidemic was the last straw for the industry.

The resourceful little village of Porthgain is a good example of how the area somehow managed to evolve with changing economic circumstances. It changed from its initial dependence on slate in the late nineteenth century, to the establishment of a brickworks in the early part of the twentieth century.  Shortly afterwards, a crusher was installed to produce road stone, which was transported by sea from Porthgain in small ships that could make it into its attractive little harbour. All that remains of those industries are the ruins that lie evocatively all over the landscape. Those, and a substantial group of amateur artists trying to capture the spirit of the place!

Once upon a time, the port of Fishguard used to advertise itself, credibly or not, as the fastest route between New York and London, and of course the ferry to Ireland was important for both Pembroke and Fishguard. The ferry trade has gradually declined with the rise of air transport, and Fishguard and its sister town of Goodwick (pronounced “Goodick”) are shadows of their former selves.

Agriculture is still quite obviously important in the area, but without European subsidies, it would be only marginally profitable, if at all, and it shows. There is little evidence of any investment in the industry, and according to all the locals, the poor weather over the past few years has hit the farmers very hard. The businesses that depend on them are presumably also suffering. I was interested to talk to a sheep farmer who told me he now routinely moves his sheep down from the hills to the military firing range at Castlemartin, where they spend the winter months grazing at a cost of £3 per sheep. He says this is good value and that his sheep are in far better condition as a result than the ones that over-winter in the hills, which says something about the difficulties facing local sheep farmers.

So, the only hope is tourism.  The extension of the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path to the whole coast of Wales, with its attendant publicity, has given a welcome fillip to the tourist industry. Many of the B&Bs I have been patronising have commented that business this year is reasonable, with more walkers on the coastal path.  I was, though a little taken aback this evening when my hostess told me I was only the third person intending to do the whole Pembrokeshire Coastal Path in one go in the eight years she has been running the business!

I have also been interested to note that almost all the B&Bs in which I’ve been staying have been owned and run by refugees from England.  As I write this, I’m having supper in a “chippie” in Goodwick, having walked some additional miles trying to find any sort of an establishment serving supper.  The staff here are South Asian, and from their accents, recently arrived. In any case, we walkers are a frugal lot, because what we eat and drink, we have to carry!

So all in all, I am having difficulty understanding how the local population supports itself. I would venture to suggest that the vast majority of capable youngsters are emigrating to England just like their brothers and sisters to the south in Cornwall and Devon. A number of their elders must be on benefits, also a declining industry under the Coalition! Times will be tough indeed…..

The ruins of the Abereiddy slate workers cottages after the great storm of 1938

The "blue lagoon" in Abereiddy. It was originally a slate mine, which was then blasted to allow ingress to the sea. It now hosts an annual cliff diving championship from the cliff on the right

Gorgeous grassy paths along the cliff. Almost good enough for cricket!

Back to the blue sea

A stone quarry above Porthgain. The quarry is on the left and the railway track ran in the depression immediately to the left. The ruined offices are on the right

The ruins of the slate, brick and road stone works in Porthgain

With half a dozen artists painting its quaint little harbour

Back up to the high cliffs as the weather starts to change

A stone circle, reminiscent of the Merry Maidens in Cornwall

Ruins of an old water-powered grain mill, with the millstones still intact

Did poor Frank wind up in the trenches in Flanders, after this 1915 act of graffiti?

The path climbs ever higher

And the cliffs are alive with colour, hardly visible in this image

More strange shapes

Including arches

The attractive, little port of Abercastle

An archipelago on the edge of the cliffs

Looking up to Strumble Head, my destination tomorrow. I could just see the lighthouse winking

An azure sea as I turned inland to complete the day