St David's Head

Starting point  and OS Grid reference: Roadside parking by St David's City Golf Course (SM 741270)		Ordnance Survey Map OL35 – North Pembrokeshire. Buy this map from List of OS Maps Commission from map sales is used to fund the website, so keeping it free to use.
Distance:  6.9 miles
Traffic light rating:  (For explanation see My Walks page)
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Introduction: This walk takes you to the summit of Carn Llidi - but do not panic it is only 181 metres high! However despite its low altitude, there are extensive views across to the Preseli Mountains, along the coast and Whitesands Bay (Porth Mawr in Welsh). There are remains of ancient burial chambers though they take some spotting. I photographed what I think was one then gave up! The walk overall is a very easy 6.9 miles hence the green traffic lights. There is one small section to the site of the trig point which involves a short scramble up rocks but to be honest although I did this to photograph the trig point, there are only rusty bolts remaining so purely for the view, there is not much gain from the more accessible ground. It is up to you!

Refreshments and toilets are available at Whitesands Bay and I can recommend the ice cream from the shop.

The walk starts from a small amount of rough roadside parking just before the entrance to St David's City Golf Course. The only other alternative because of the narrow roads is to use the pay car park at Whitesands Bay. The parking is on the B4583 from the city of St Davids.

Start: Start by walking down the road from the rough parking. Ignore the first right for the Youth Hostel and take the next on the right, an unsigned no through road just before the camp site.

The tarmac road becomes a farm track curving to the right and there is a public footpath finger post indicating the route. Follow the track through a gate on to National Trust Land and at a junction of paths, turn left.

Just past a large rock on the left hand side of the track, take the right hand fork. As you pass between two metal posts on a concrete section of the path, look right and you can see what I believed to be a burial chamber (see photo).

To get to the summit of Carn Llidi, as the concrete path turns right up concrete steps bear left and follow the path. Incidentally, the view from the top of the steps at some old military remains is nearly as good with fine vistas of Whitesands Bay and Ramsey Island offshore.

Retrace your steps to the three way fingerpost and turn left. The path takes a level route around the hill following its contours, with a fence on the right. As it meets another three way fingerpost, turn right through the kissing gate,

At the Youth Hostel, turn left just after it where indicated by the fingerpost and yellow footpath arrow.

After crossing three stiles, you should be on the track leading from Trefelly. Continue straight ahead over another stile.

After crossing two fields you arrive at a four way fingerpost just before a ruined building. Turn left on the old track. Continue on this passing a gate either side into the fields until the track ends at a ‘T’ junction of paths where you go through the walker’s gate and turn right.

Keep on this track ignoring any turn off until you come to a gate on the right rising from Treleddyd-fawr. Turn left here and keep straight ahead for the coast.

You arrive at the coast path at OS reference SM 750287. I was fortunate enough to see a large male (I think) seal on the rocks below here. Turn left and follow the coast path.

At a fork with two wide grassy tracks (SM 733286), keep right.

At SM 729284 join another footpath and turn right and shortly afterwards, fork right again.

At the cairn, head for the headland which is St David's Head (Penmaen Dewi), straight ahead. The final approach involves an easy meander between and across rocks. You end up at a rocky promontory overlooking the point itself (up to you if you descend – I didn’t).

Whitesands Bay is visible to the left. Simply follow the obvious path along the coast to reach it. Turn left when you get there to follow the road back to your starting point.

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