Over the next four days I am planning to hike the Wales Coast Path through Carmarthenshire. This principally involves going around four estuaries, those of the rivers Loughor, Gwendraeth, Towy and Taf (apologies to Welsh speakers for using the English names as I am an English speaking Welsh person). Today I was following the north side of the broad estuary of the Loughor, which separates Carmarthenshire from the Gower Peninsula.
I returned to Gowerton by train and set off along the main road to rejoin the Coast Path, picking up a coffee at a petrol station on the way. The Coast Path followed a road north across a narrow bridge before turning up a driveway, across the railway, over the main road, through some woods, by a hill (which I climbed) with the ruins of a Norman Castle and onto a bridge over the River Loughor. Then for the rest of the day the route followed a metalled path to Pembrey Country Park, which was also part of the National Cycle Network Route 4.
For the first stretch to Llanelli, the trail followed the sea wall which for much of the time hid the estuary, with its large expanse of sand and salt marsh edge. Climbing up to look across to the Gower I could see the area I had walked through on my previous trip. Although the map showed many lakes near my path on the coastal plain, only a few reed rimmed examples were visible. The Wetland Visitors Centre, which might have provided more information on the area and its birds, was sadly closed although signs described various birds that I might see, but didn't.
On the approach to Llanelli, a major town, informative notice boards described how heavy industry making tin plate and other metal related products would once have dominated the vista in front of me. Now its place was taken by grass and modern housing in tasteful colours of red, white and pale blue, with balconies looking down on the coast. It was hard to envisage that the place would once have echoed with shunting trains and multiple chimneys would have risen to the sky belching smoke and smell. Finding a litterbin I was ashamed to discover that the empty coffee cup I had pushed into the side pocket of my backpack was no longer there, having fallen out somewhere over the previous hours of walking. I hate litter but inadvertently I had added to its accumulation.
As in other towns on the South Wales Coast, Llanelli's North Dock had been redeveloped with attractive modern housing. With all the industry gone, one wonders what the people living in these buildings are employed as. From North Dock to Bury Port the route was through the Millennium Coastal Park. A fine job has been made of converting this old industrial area into pleasant grassland. Small hills (apparently made of pulverised ash) and observation platforms allowed me to climb up for a better view of the estuary, over the railway line which borders the sands. A series of stainless steel obelisks have been erected along this section, although I was not sure what they represented.
Areas of low trees marked my approach to Bury Port, and also a ship moored by the waterside (a Dutch dredger called Sospan Dau). Bury Port harbour, with its multiple basins and squat white lighthouse once exported coal but was now a mooring for yachts. After the lifeboat station a stall was selling burgers, the first takeaway open on my route since Gowerton, it supplied my main course. Even better on the other side of the harbour a place sold me a crepe filled with nutella and banana as a dessert. Suitably replete, I continued along well made paths by the remains of Old Pembrey harbour, among the dunes to reach Pembrey Country Park.
All day I had been passing old men (like me), couples and people walking their dogs on this popular section of path. As I approached Bury Port they were joined by groups of youngsters just out of school. By the Country Park a man out for his evening exercise told me that, as a result of being attacked by criminals, he had reviewed what to do with the rest of his life. He and his wife thought they might have 15 years of active life left, so they sold their house and now live full time in a motorhome intending to travel widely. Coronavirus regulations have interfered with this objective and the "Stay at Home" message in particular caused problems. They had been criticised by people who thought they were on an illegal holiday.
Despite a forecast of rain much of today was dry and even sunny with blue skies, but periodically distant showers were visible as grey shrouds below the clouds, which then travelled across the sea to hit me with short outbursts of rain and hail. Passing into Pembrey Country Park, I walked across the neatly cut grass and through tall trees to reach the beach, intending to walk up it, which is the route of the Coast Path. However the wind had risen in strength and was now blasting sand into my face, stinging my eyes despite my glasses. I could feel grit between my teeth as the sand found its way into my mouth. Consequently I diverted into the forest behind the beach and its line of dunes. Here it was more sheltered among the tall swaying pines.
After putting some distance between me and the car park and its dog walkers, I picked out a secluded hollow among the trees to camp, pitching my tent as the sun was setting. As I listened to the sound of the wind flexing the tall pine trees which surrounded me, I hoped none of them would pick tonight to succumb to its force and fall down on me.
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