MILFORD HAVEN, PEMBROKESHIRE

Join us today on this scenic drive across St Davids Peninsula and discover the delights of the quiet countryside and delightful coastal views, and the charm of St Davids Cathedral and the Bishops Palace.

Pembrokeshire has been described as ‘a best kept secret’, not only in Wales, but also in Britain. It is justifiably proud as containing Britain’s only coastal National Park – 300 kilometres (186 miles) of stunning coastline that attracts many visitors year round. Join us today on this scenic drive across St Davids Peninsula and discover the delights of the quiet countryside and delightful coastal views, and the charm of St Davids Cathedral and the Bishops Palace.

We leave the town of Milford Haven and head towards the attractive and ancient county town of Haverfordwest. Heading westwards we now enter the Pembrokeshire National Park with its picturesque scenery and where, at one point, we look down on the village of Newgale with its magnificent three kilometre (two mile) long stretch of sand. The road then descends to follow the coast before passing through Solva where the lower half of the village nestles in a ravine at the head of a fine natural harbour. Rising again the road climbs up above the coastline and travels across open countryside towards St Davids.

Sheltering in a grassy hollow beneath the rooftops of Wales’ smallest city are two outstanding religious sites – the purple-stoned Cathedral of St David, patron saint of Wales, and St Davids Bishops Palace. The latter, even in ruin, still conveys the affluence and power of the medieval church. The 12th century Cathedral, with its medieval architecture nestling in the valley of the River Alun, alongside the impressive ruins of the Bishops Palace is undoubtedly one of the loveliest settings in Wales. A wonderful ambience pervades the entire area and is made even more striking by the remarkable tranquillity of its setting.

As a cathedral city, St Davids is remarkably small and the tiny Market Square contains a few shops, hotel, restaurants and cafés. From the Market Square, a pathway leads the short distance to a vantagepoint overlooking the cathedral. From here we can appreciate the beauty of its setting as we gaze down into the small valley and absorb the splendour of the cathedral laid out beneath us. A pathway leads down across the hilly setting of the churchyard towards the cathedral where we enjoy a visit to what is rightly considered to be ‘the glory of Wales’. Although we shall see that the cathedral interior is modest compared with others, it still seems to possess the inspiration of St David himself and a tradition of fifteen hundred years of pilgrimage.

Standing next door to the cathedral is the Bishops Palace – one of the most graceful ruins in Britain. It can hardly have looked more imposing when it was in full use receiving pilgrims. Commenced in the 12th century it grew up, more or less, with the cathedral, and its rural setting, surrounded by farmland, is delightfully photogenic. We can also visit the Palace before leaving St Davids to continue our journey across the countryside of the peninsula, enjoying more scenic views as we return to Milford Haven.

TOUR NOTES: The journey time to St Davids is approximately one hour. Our time here will be our own – to visit the cathedral, palace and market square. There will be a moderate amount of walking, over some uneven ground.

DESCRIPTION CORRECT FOR 2009 SCANDINAVIA & BALTIC CRUISES