A Geocaching day in Pembrokeshire

Tuesday we decided to try and pick up a few local Geocaches and our first stop was for one at Nolton Haven, a pretty beach as usual. If you have never tried Geocaching follow this link for an explanation. As a worldwide treasure hunt, it is suitable for most ages, and is great fun - and addictive!

In the 19th century this was a busy port, as coal was exported from Nolton and nearby Newgale. It was a good easy cache to find.

Newgale – great surfing bay with beach berms (Piles of shingle / stones) 

Maidenhall was our next stop, where a great view from the car park viewpoint and another cache awaited. Well hidden in the wall. 

Then a short drive to Newgale with it`s great surfing beach and berms. Here, one earth Cache and two regular ones completed our tally before heading back to Broad Haven for a steak pie lunch – lovely! So, a berm, a dictionary definition is: A nearly horizontal plateau on the beach face or backshore, formed by the deposition of beach material by wave action, or by means of a mechanical plant as part of a beach recharge scheme. 

So, there you have it, a bank of stones piled high by the action of the waves, and quite a sight it was. To log the Earthcache, I had to send a picture of myself on top of a berm holding a large flat stone from the top of the berm. Plus, answering the question as to `why the largest stones were on the tops of the berms`. 

Musselwick beach 

After lunch, we headed down to Martin's Haven on the The Dale Peninsula to check on our intended trip tomorrow across to Skomer. One cache at Musselwick beach and another at Ye Olde Bridge on the way home, and that was it for the day. 

On the wall by Ye Old Bridge

So, a few Geocaches found and logged and another few of the amazing scenery viewed. Just reinforcing why this part of the UK is one of my favourites.

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Solva and St David`s Head

Sunday saw us drive the coastal road to Solva. On the way passing Newgale and it's great surfing beach and massive pebble beach called a BERM – a term I had never come across before. We will return to have a closer look another day. Then a return visit to the lovely sheltered harbour of Solva where we went for short 2 mile walk followed by a hearty lunch at the Ship pub. After lunch, on through St Davids to Whitesands beach and a walk around St David’ Head. Stunning beach and walk – very weary on finishing as the ground was quite rough, but well pleased with ourselves..

Looks cosy to me! as snails crowd into a crack of a tree.

Gorgeous coloured leaves emerging on the coastal path.

Lime kilns on Solva beach

Limestone would have been brought in by boat and heated in these kilns to produce the lime mortars that Newport’s stone built houses would have been constructed with, they would also have been lime washed (a quicklime and water mix) on a regular basis to protect them from the elements.

A temperature of some 900-1000°C would have been required in the kilns to create the reaction that turns the limestone into quicklime. The lime kilns would have been loaded with intermittent layers of coal and limestone and from start to finish a time scale of some seven days would have been required to produce a batch of quicklime.

This was a dangerous and very strenuous job but the benefits when applied to acidic soil were, and still are, enormous.

The entrance to Solva harbour

This way please!

Mind you don't get your feet wet. On route round the Solva walk.

A secluded beach near St David's Head

Whitesands beach, a bit bright as I was shooting into the sun, but I had to get a picture!


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