MILFORD HAVEN, PEMBROKESHIRE

Our scenic drive will take us northwards through the county of Pembrokeshire – where castle ruins and ancient burial sites offer fascinating historical architecture, whilst small villages dot the dramatic landscape.

Heading away from Milford Haven, we pass by the county town of Haverfordwest and out into the rural countryside, where the main agricultural activity is dairy farming.

Continuing through the gentle green Pembrokeshire countryside of rolling hills and rich farmland we travel to the dramatic slopes of the historic Preseli hills – a wild landscape that has inspired artists, craftspeople and writers of recent centuries as well as our ancient ancestors. A big mystery is linked to these brooding hills – and seems unlikely ever to be answered – concerning the inner circle of Stonehenge, 290 kilometres (180 miles) from Preseli on Salisbury Plain. The mystery is how the 80 stones, weighing up to 4 tons each and over 250 tons in total, made the incredible journey from Preseli to Salisbury Plain during the third millennium BC.

Baking lies at the heart of traditional welsh cooking, which we will be able to enjoy during our stop for Welsh Tea. It will include succulent slices of Bara Brith – the famous speckled bread of Wales, which was originally a variation of the weekly loaf. Made from an old family recipe, sweetened with sugar and with raisins and currants pressed into the dough, the best Bara Brith is still made with yeast. Then there are Welsh cakes from the griddle which combine to provide a delicious and typical teatime treat – evocative of bygone days spent around the hearth of the Welsh country cottage.

We continue travelling along the country roads where the lush farmland stretches out across to the encircling hills, and we continue through the heart of a beautiful and historic part of inland Pembrokeshire as we head back towards Milford Haven.

TOUR NOTES: This tour is suitable for all passengers. There is minimal walking involved.

DESCRIPTION CORRECT FOR 2009 SCANDINAVIA & BALTIC CRUISES