Castlemartin: Coastal Paths, Nature and History

Castlemartin combines impressive cliff landscapes with wetlands, birdwatching and an unusually dense sequence of historic sites. Anyone wishing to combine active days, experiences in nature and culture will find a range of options for planning each day. When looking for a holiday apartment or holiday cottage in Castlemartin, it is therefore worth deciding first what you want to focus on: should the holiday mainly feature longer walks, nature observation or historic discoveries?

Walking Routes and Practical Information

The Castlemartin Range Trail is 9 km long and accessible to walkers, horse riders and cyclists. Along the route, visitors are required to stay on the path because of live firing on military training grounds. When the Castlemartin firing range is closed, the trail provides a permitted bridleway and footpath along the edge of the training area all year round. These requirements are part of careful day planning, especially if you want to combine different activities during one trip.

One specific route leads from Stack Rocks to St Govan’s and is 3.1 miles, or 4.83 km, long. The route continues to the car park at St Govan’s Chapel, passing Bullslaughter Bay and Huntsman’s Leap along an impressive cliff landscape. There is also a viewing platform at Stack Rocks. Anyone looking for a shorter and relatively manageable walk can consider the accessible path at St Govan’s Head. It follows a surfaced route with only very slight gradients; the associated car park is at St Govan’s Chapel.

Restrictions at individual locations should also be taken into account when planning: climbing is not permitted at Chapel Cove at any time.

Cliffs, Birds and Wetlands

The coast around Castlemartin offers distinctive natural attractions. Guillemots, razorbills, fulmars and cormorants breed at the Elegug Stacks, also known as Stack Rocks. The cliffs at St Govan’s Head are also important for seabirds such as guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes. The coastal heath and unimproved grassland at St Govan’s Head provide habitat for the wheatear.

The landscape also includes Castlemartin Corse, a 30.4-hectare wetland designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of its biological features. In the wider Castlemartin area, Freshwater West lies in front of an extensive wetland known as Castlemartin Corse. At Freshwater West, permitted paths lead to a wooden birdwatching hide. The Green Bridge of Wales is a natural rock arch near Castlemartin close to Pembroke, adding a distinctive rock formation to the nature experiences.

Historic Sites Between Castle, Chapel and Fort

Castlemartin Castle is an oval, double-fortified and moated site measuring 60 m × 70 m. St Michael’s is an abandoned Grade I listed church. The building can be traced back to the late 12th or early 13th century. St Govan’s Chapel offers a different focal point: it is a medieval pilgrimage chapel in a rocky ravine on the coast. St Govan’s Well lies about 17 m south of St Govan’s Chapel.

Military history is also present at several locations. Flimston Bay Camp is a promontory fort with three curved lines of defence on the landward side, extending over 120 m. Castlemartin Pound in the centre of the village was fitted with bunkers during the Second World War and used as a machine-gun position. These different traces of history make Castlemartin appealing to travellers who want to combine nature trails not only with physical activity, but also with culture and regional history.

The Right Base for Planning Your Trip

The Castlemartin Peninsula is served by Coastal Cruiser routes 387/388. The Coastal Cruiser services connect the villages of the Castlemartin Peninsula with Pembroke and Pembroke Dock. When looking for accommodation, you can take this public transport connection into account alongside your preferred types of excursions. Anyone planning longer routes will incorporate the information about the Castlemartin Range Trail and the route between Stack Rocks and St Govan’s into their daily plans. For nature-focused or historical itineraries, on the other hand, there are various individual destinations that can be explored independently of one another.

For further options, you can also look at the pages for Newgale, Solva, Lydstep, Pembroke Dock, Camrose, Abercych, Llandissilio and Saundersfoot. Castlemartin itself is particularly suitable as a search area when coastal scenery, signposted paths, birdwatching and history are all part of the travel itinerary.

For the overarching travel overview: Pembrokeshire.