Bosherston
A tiny village of only 300 residents, Bosherston is part of the old Stackpole Manor Estate who’s most famous Lord was John Campbell or Lord Cawdor.
He was beloved by the Welsh for leading the fight against the ill-fated French invasion of Wales near Fishguard in 1797, an event you will hear much more about once you reach the Northern section of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path near Goodwick.
The village itself holds little more than a small shop and the St Govan’s Country Inn which thankfully serves excellent food and ale including a walkers special Welsh Cawl – the hearty local soup.
The Olde World Tea Rooms is an excellent place to finish your walk in from the coast where you can sit in the gardens below the Ivy Clad Cottage and get down some tea and Welsh Cakes in a café that has been run by the same family for the last 90 years.
Indeed the current proprietor well into her 80’s holds an MBE for services to thirsty walkers !
The tiny squat church is particularly lovely and worth a visit for its impressive stone tombs. On the approach from the coast path to the village you have the stunning National Trust maintained Bosherston Lily Ponds, an extensive series of wonderfully peaceful lakes, bridges and sunken paths, created as part of the Stackpole Estate.
This is a superb and unique environment, easy to access when staying in Bosherston and if you are staying overnight makes an enchanting evening wander to look for the well-established otters at play.
The evening is by far the best chance to spot them when the day-trippers have gone home and peace returns. Another good pre-dinner stroll is down to St Govan’s Chapel on the coast so there are plenty of ways to spend your time.
On the other flank of the village by utter contrast you find the start of the huge Castlemartin Army Firing Ranges with all the surreal explosions and drama this brings to the scenery – things can go boom in the night here on Night Firing Days!
This is the last significant habitation on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path before Angle Point which is a good 15 miles away. Luckily Bosherston is visited by the excellent Coastal Walkers Bus Service morning and late afternoon.
Those who can’t make the full distance to Angle in a single days walk will use this and spend two days here.