Walk 31: Milford Haven to Dale

Our walk from Milford Haven to Dale – or, rather, from Dale to Milford Haven – was the second of our long weekend in Pembrokeshire in April 2023. We walked on a wet and misty day, which made for a bit of a trudge at times, but we did enjoy some atmospheric views!

For convenience, as we were staying in Milford Haven, we grabbed a taxi to Dale in the morning and walked back to the hotel. There are two points on this walk where you could get caught out by the tide, so I made sure to check the tide times before we left to avoid long detours, and this was another reason why I decided to do this one ‘the wrong way round’.

We were dropped off at Dale Beach and walked back along the road we’d just been ridden along for about 15 minutes. As we reached the turnoff, we realised that I’d lost my flask of tea, which I’d definitely had in the taxi. Deciding it was worth retracing our steps, Liam jogged back to the beach and found that he’d put it down to tie his laces straight after we got out of the taxi. With Liam’s short detour, and my short break, over, and my tea returned to me, we continued on with our walk!

We headed away from the road along a shingle ridge known as The Pickleridge, with flooded pools to our left and the banks of the Gann to our right. This is one of Pembrokeshire’s best birdwatching sites and we did see a lot of them, although we’re not clued up enough on birds to have been able to appreciate them as much as we should have done!

As the path veered to the right, we headed over a small wooden bridge – the first point that we wouldn’t have been able to pass had we walked at the wrong time of day. We continued along the path along the top of a rocky beach area, navigating a significant amount of seaweed, before heading up a wooded footpath. I had been quite optimistic and worn trainers, but, as I slipped and slid my way up the hill, it was clear I needed something sturdier, so I changed into more practical footwear before continuing on.

We followed the clifftop path, enjoying some lovely views of Dale as we walked, before heading down to Monk Haven Beach, the name of which comes from a monastic settlement that existed there long ago, with a high castellated wall running across the back of the beach. The path took us back up into the hills with more lovely views, including some interesting castle-like ruins. At points during our walk, the mist was so thick that we could only just make out the sea.

We passed a cow with a very tiny calf who still had their umbilical cord. As people who don’t eat animals, it’s always a bit bittersweet to walk during times when there are so many young animals around – new life is celebrated in the spring, but it’s just so sad that theirs will be cut short.

We passed Lindsway Bay, a pretty, rural beach that can only be accessed via the Wales Coast Path, with steep steps leading down to the beach, and then walked through more woodland, which was very soggy and slippery, but we did enjoy the lovely bluebells. As we continued along the path, we took in some atmospheric views across the water to Gelliswick Pier.

The second tide-dependent portion of the walk was at Sandy Haven. Thankfully, we got there in plenty of time and crossed without issue. We walked along a little section of beach and underneath Gelliswick Pier, which disappeared into the mist as it headed out to sea.

The final section of the walk took us to Gelliswick Bay, where we headed up the road and along a path into the centre of Milford Haven. We walked through the town to the marina, where we reached our hotel, another (very soggy!) walk done and dusted!

🥾 Distance: Ten miles.

⭐ Highlight: The mist was really atmospheric and gave us some interesting views.

👎 Less Good: It was a bit of a trudge at times!

🚗 Transport: We got a taxi from Milford Haven to Dale and walked back.

🛏️ Accommodation: We stayed at Tŷ Hotel in Milford Haven, which made for a great base for a long weekend.

🌱 Food: We had delicious vegan burgers at Stack’d by Sand & Stone on Milford Haven Waterfront.

🗺️ Map: This route is featured in the official Pembrokeshire guide.

Still not convinced? Read my ten reasons to walk the Wales Coast Path. If you’re ready to start planning your walk, you can find lots of resources to help you on your way here. Please note, I collect a share of the sales from the links on this page.