As the rays of the rising sun penetrated the tall pine trees I packed up my tent and left the soft, mossy ground of the hollow in which I spent the night. Deciding to revisit the beach now the wind had dropped from yesterday, I followed forest tracks heading towards the sea. Despite the trees being planted on sand, water had collected on low points of the track. Thick undergrowth prevented me from going directly to the sea so I diverted on a track heading west, parallel to the sea hoping to find a path through the brambles and fallen branches. The track became increasingly submerged below stretches of water. Initially I worked my way around them, but the dense vegetation and the extent of the water made this progressively more difficult. Inevitably the water came over my boots, soaking my feet, so I simply waded through the knee deep water to reach the concrete track of the Wales Coast path where it connected to the beach. Sitting on a rock on the beach I emptied my boots of water and wrung out my socks. Not a good start to the day. On my previous hike along this section I had walked the length of the beach, rather than diverting into the trees, passing an old wreck, the bare bones of a wooden ship. It was low tide with the sea a long, long way out, I could see in the distance what I took to be cockle pickers beside some vehicle at the sea's edge.
Nevertheless the sun was shining as I left Pembrey Forest, passing two joggers coming the other way. One warned me of cows on the track, and indeed as I crossed flat grassland I began accumulating a herd of cows. I left them at a gate and continued by brick pill boxes from the Second World War, no doubt guarding the nearby air field, to arrive at the road to Kidwelly.
The route did not go directly into the village but diverted to Kidwelly Quay. As I was trying to work out where the route went a man, I assume the farmer, pointed it out, suggesting an additional and more scenic diversion along the river's embankment. As many farmers are not enthusiastic about walkers, I appreciated him spending time to give me his advice. His suggested route did provide good views of the estuary and led to the Quay, and the associated remains of a canal, evidence of a time when Kidwelly was a busy industrial port.
The village is now a peaceful place, with a 13th century castle, closed when I passed, as was the coffee shop.
Continuing on the riverside walk out of town I gave my greetings to several dog walkers. Although I hiked this section of Coast Path before, between Kidwelly and Carmarthen, except for the village of Ferryside I could remember no details. Those familiar with walking over the green pastures of the Welsh countryside, with its fields of sheep and cows, will no doubt also find it somewhat forgettable. The route climbed a series of hills on sunken, primrose lined lanes and invisible paths over grassy fields. Where the hedges were low enough there were views of the estuaries, initially of the Gwendraeth and later of the Towy, with channels meandering through extensive sand flats in the low state of the tide. This was a highlight of the section together with crossing two wooded glens.
According to the sign Ferryside was once a holiday resort, and even today, there was a family playing on the beach beside the broad River Towy. As the café was closed due to illness I bought a sandwich and Coke from the shop (hoping my boots were not the "shitty shoes" that were prohibited from entry) and sat on a bench looking down on the sands with its many dog walkers. A collie was begging its owner and his friends to throw his ball, while a miniature dachshund frightened a big, furry Newfoundland dog with a few barks, showing it's not all about size.
My day ended with a section of road walking as I reached the outskirts of Carmarthen with its various retail parks. Passing the walls of another Norman Castle, I checked into the Spilman hotel. The narrow streets and squares behind the hotel were home to small shops, many with traditional shopfronts. Due to Covid regulations only takeaways were permitted, but all the restaurants seemed to be offering them, although one upmarket place I tried already had all its takeaway slots booked by 6:30 pm. Wishing to be healthy I selected a Cesar Salad for my tea from an Italian place which proved large, salty and covered with sheets of parmesan cheese.
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