This is just a short post about our first trip after lockdown in Wales. We said we would. And we did!
The travel restrictions in Wales were lifted on Monday. And we were there. On Monday!
Our motto is ‘Don’t just talk about it – do it!’ So we did.
It felt incredible and a bit surreal. And, unbelievably, the car started first time!
The first place we headed for was Cwm-yr-Eglwys near Newport.
Cwm yr Eglwys
It was so lovely to be back here. We love this place. And we certainly appreciate it more than ever now.
One of the great things about this place is that you don’t even need to go down onto the beach if you don’t want to. You know, sand in the old shoes and that type of thing! And we’re not going to pretend it’s the best beach in Pembrokeshire. But it’s a pretty atmospheric and peaceful place. It’s also on the route of one of our favourite circular walks in Pembrokeshire – the Dinas Head walk.
And there are benches where you can just sit and admire the view.
Above the beach is the chapel (eglwys) which was partly demolished following a storm in 1859. All that is left is the bell tower wall.
The public conveniences were also open which we were very impressed about. And relieved! Pardon the pun. Well we didn’t know. After all this was our first trip after lockdown in Wales!
Next, we headed to Newport but on the way stopped somewhere that, unbelievably to us, we’ve never seen before. Despite having passed here over a hundred times!
Carreg Coetan
Carreg Coeten Arthur is an ancient burial chamber site owned and managed by CADW.
We always seem to pass by even if we notice the sign. But this time we didn’t. This time we stopped to appreciate. And it was lovely to see the sign saying ‘Welcome back’ clearly showing that CADW had done a massive amount of work to enable this to happen.
The site itself is small but we think this is really cute – a much smaller version of other burial chambers in the area such as Pentre Ifan. The site is now open all year and there is no admission charge. There is no official car park for this site.
After this quick stop we headed to:
Newport Sands/Treath Mawr
We were a bit disappointed we couldn’t take the car down onto the sand but there was plenty of room in the car park. And this is a massive beach! So social distancing was not a problem. And we are still taking that very seriously. We don’t want to take any chances and we just don’t see the need to.
As a bonus, as well as the conveniences being open (thank you Pembrokeshire National Parks) so was Caffi Mawr. And as they’d opened it especially for us (!) we thought it would be rude not to.
Some plumped for the old favs. Chocolate and vanilla are staples in our house (and not forgetting the flake). But the more adventurous among us took the opportunity to try something a bit different. On this auspicious day it seemed very appropriate to sample something never tried before. Everything seemed to be saying stick with what you know (mint choc chip or salted caramel) but in the end Peanut Butter was chosen. And very, very tasty it was too. How can you know if you like something or not if you don’t give it a try? Newport Beach
Thoughts
We’ve seen better weather here but we didn’t really care about that. It was at least dry and warm. And in any case that wasn’t the reason for our visit. This was our first trip after lockdown in Wales.
We can safely say that all our senses were satisfied. We saw, heard, smelt, felt and tasted some of the things we missed during lockdown.
More info
Cwm yr Eglwys
There is a car park here which charges £3 per day. There are no other facilities in Cwm-yr-Eglwys. But there is a pub at Pwllgwaelod which is a pleasant, flat walk of approximately 1 km.
Newport Sands/Traeth Mawr
This is one of our favourite Beaches in Pembrokeshire. Car parking charges apply at Newport sands. As with all car parks managed by the National Parks Authority, up to 30 minutes of parking is free. Each hour is charged at £1 an hour. Over 3 hours is charged at £5.
Caffi Mawr serves hot drinks and a good range of ice creams.
Life guards are on duty and patrol between the end of June and beginning of September.
Planning your trip
Getting there
Both Cwm-yr-Eglwys and Newport Sands can be found off the A487 which is the main road between Fishguard and Cardigan in North Pembrokeshire. Cwm-yr-Eglwys is well signposted from Dinas Cross village (on the A487) and is less than 1 mile from the junction.
Newport town is then further east along the A487. Newport beach is well sign posted and is the last turning left as you leave Newport town. After about 1.5 miles take the second turning left, then left again and you will see the beach in front of you.
Facilities
There are Public Conveniences in both Cwm yr Eglwys and Newport Sands.
Where to stay
There are plenty of places to stay in and around this area including luxury independent Hotels, B&Bs, guesthouses, self catering cottages and caravan parks. Something for everyone. We use booking.com to find the best deals on places to stay.
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. Clicking on them will result in no additional cost to you but may earn us a small commision.
6 thoughts on “First trip after lockdown in Wales”
I do want to visit Pembrokeshire after watching a tv programme about it last week. It was a year in the life of Pembrokeshire and went through all the seasons. Once the puffins and seals were mentioned I was hooked. Maybe won’t make it there this year but hopefully in the near future.
Thanks for reading Angela. Yes that programme really was excellent! Skomer is the place to be for puffins and there are some great sea expeditions to see the seals. Hmm another post? 🙂
Yesssss! Finally back out conquering the globe! I’m glad to hear it, mate! I haven’t been here yet but I’ve love to visit. The photos remind me of what I loved about Ireland when I visited, a cool and quiet shoreline! Great photos!!!
Thanks so much Kevin. When you make it we’ll show our favourite places. 🙂
What a nice first post-lockdown trip! Peanut butter ice cream sounds like the right choice!!
Thanks Lannie. It really was! 🙂