Walk 30: Pembroke Dock to Milford Haven

We walked from Pembroke Dock to Milford Haven on a long weekend break in Pembrokeshire in April 2023. While this is probably one of the least walked sections of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, we had an unexpectedly nice day!

We were staying in Milford Haven, so in the morning, we took the bus from Milford Haven to Pembroke Dock, where we began our walk. The path immediately took us out of Pembroke Dock and up the road towards Cleddau Bridge.

We enjoyed some pretty views of Milford Haven as we crossed the bridge, only slightly disturbed by a couple of people shouting at us from their cars. This is a funny phenomenon that we’ve experienced a couple of times on our walk – I’m not really sure why some people think it’s hilarious to shout random (probably offensive but largely unintelligible) things out of their car to pedestrians, but can only imagine that they get their kicks from making people feel uncomfortable but prefer the safety of their car to avoid any repercussions. Whatever their reasons, if you are a car shouter, perhaps try expanding your horizons – take up a new hobby, attend a class on misogyny, attempt make some friends?

Anyhow, as we reached the end of the two consecutive bridges, the path dipped away from the road to the left, and we walked through a section of woodland with lots of lovely bluebells and glimpses of Westfield Pill Marina through the trees, before reaching the road in Neyland, with views behind us of the bridges we’d just walked over.

We continued along the road to Hazelbeach, past the pretty shingle beach, and passed St Tudwal’s Church. Having enjoyed some surprisingly scenic views to this point, the next section of the walk was a bit less so, although definitely interesting, as we walked around the old Milford Haven Refinery, which is now a petroleum storage and distribution terminal.

On a couple of occasions, we had to walk over metal bridges with pipes underneath them. Neither of us are afraid of heights, but it did feel a bit odd to look down! We also passed a section where we the path was fenced off from a field of wind turbines.

With the final stretch into Milford Haven upon us, the path took us inland through fields and to Castle Pill, a tidal crossing which, thankfully, we were able to pass without taking a diversion.

Once we were over the estuary, we headed up a hill which took us to Milford Haven Marina, where we arrived back at our hotel. All in all, this was a more enjoyable walk than I had anticipated, with some nice variety and not too much incline. To those who are thinking about skipping this one – it might be worth reconsidering!

🥾 Distance: Just over nine miles.

⭐ Highlight: We enjoyed some lovely views throughout the day.

👎 Less Good: The oil refinery section wasn’t the most scenic, but was still fun.

🚗 Transport: We took a bus from Milford Haven to Pembroke Dock 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 dinner at Green Genie in Milford Haven – a lovely independent restaurant with an extensive separate vegan menu, which has sadly now closed.

🗺️ 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.