Dale to St Ann’s Head Coast Walk
Just west of Milford Haven lies St Anne’s Head, on the edge of an old World War II Navy base. With Pembrokeshire’s usual mix of superb views, hidden beaches and dramatic cliff tops it’s an extremely pleasant circular walk covering seven miles.
There’s a couple of logical picnic stops along the way - the white-painted lighthouse is a stunning location at the top of the headline, near a cluster of cottages. On the way road, you’ll pass through Mill Bay, where Henry Tudor once landed in 1485, from France, on his way to successfully fight Richard III and seize the throne.
The walk starts and finishes in Dale, a popular boating spot with pubs and cafes and the nearby medieval Dale Castle to explore. The walk is more suited to children happy to walk for three hours but it shouldn’t be beyond them.
After three hours in the bracing conditions and a pub lunch, they’ll certainly be asleep on the drive back to Bluestone!
Walking Guide
Walk time: Three hours or more
Difficulty: Moderate - some climbs in and out of the bays and beaches
Distance from Bluestone: Dale is a 40 to 45-minute drive, best found using the B4327 from Haverfordwest
Toilets: There are toilets in Dale
Parking: Dale car park is run by the National Trust, or you can park at Kete Food and drink: Try the Griffin Inn at Dale, a local staple
1. Leave Dale’s car park at the rear - walking away from the sea. We’re going to head over the farmland to the coast on the other side of St Ann’s Head and work our way back to Dale around the headland.
2. Head left towards Dale Castle, where you can pick up the footpath through two fields which joins up with the coast path by Westdale Bay - popular with local surfers.
3. Turn left onto the path, taking the steps up on to Great Castle Head, and walk along the coast path with the sea on your right. This section is a nice and comfortable walk.
4. Keep going until you arrive at the Coastguard Headquarters on St Ann's Head. When you meet the road, turn right and walk along the drive, past the lookout tower, to a gate.
5. The coast path winds towards the headland’s lighthouse, past some cottages before dropping down to join the coast again above Mill Bay.
6. Cross the head of the bay and climb up again to follow the path to the beacon on West Blockhouse Point, going over some dew ponds and over a crossroads.
7. The path will go inland and then drop down to beautiful Watwick Bay. It’ll ascend away from the beach, across the cliff tops to the beacon on Watwick Point.
8. Keep following the coast path along the edge of another two fields, before descending to Castle Beach.
9. Cross the footbridge and climb up steps towards Dale Point. There’s a left-turning which will take you through some woodland before arriving at Dale and the car park again.
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