The Wales Coast Path

[Sunshine Jen]

Hello,

I just read that there's a new complete coast path around Wales. It's 1386 kilometers long.

Has anyone walked all or part of it? What's it like? When would be the best time of year to walk it (rain doesn't scare me)?

Curiouser and Curiouser,

Jen

 

[obinjatoo@yahoo.com]

I have been thinking about walking that myself. From what I have read, there are sections that are not footpaths much like the Camino Frances. As long as one knows going into it that parts are through towns on pavement and that it is a work in progress, it will be great.

 

[Peter Robins]

can we stick to the subject, please !

 

[dougfitz]

Interesting, but only a part of the whole coast path appears to follow the general line of an older pilgrimage route. I haven't found any reference on the Wales Coast Path site to the route following any of the older pilgrim routes, eg from Chester to Bardsey. So even if the Coast Path follows the general line, it might still be well displaced from the earlier pilgrim routes.

I would be interested in finding out more. It appears that I will have an opportunity around Easter 2014 to walk in the UK, and it would be my preference to find a suitable pilgrimage route for that.

Regards,

 

[Anniesantiago]

I haven't walked the coastal path in Wales, but I can highly recommend the Monmouthshire-Breckenridge canal path. It's short (a few days) and beautiful and easy walking. The other great walk in Wales is the Offa's Dyke path, which I did not do because of weather.

You say rain doesn't scare you, but it's not just rain. There are sinkholes and literal "lakes" on the paths when there is constant rain. People and animals have been know to fall into the holes and break legs or disappear. You can't see the holes under the water. I spent 3 months walking in Wales this past summer and it rained nearly every day. It just got to me, and I've walked the Camino several times.

It's a bit like trying to tell someone the daily 6 - 8 hour walking on the Camino is not the same as hiking in the woods. Until you've done it, it's difficult to understand.

The other problem with Offa's Dyke or the Coast route is lodging.
You should be prepared to call a taxi, and should probably book lodging ahead, unlike on the Camino where there are albergues available all along the way.

 

[Tia Valeria]

We have used a number of walks in UK to train for our time on the Camino (the climb up Pen-y-Fan near Brecon was one)
Two walks that are on pilgrimage routes can be found here:-
The Pilgrims Way in North Wales http://www.pilgrims-way-north-wales.org/
and
The Two Saints Way, between Chester and Lichfield http://twosaintsway.org.uk/

There is also a way planned and part complete between St Michael's Mount in Cornwall and Glastonbury; also a route following the pilgrim route between Reading and Portsmouth and possibly others too. Both these were originally for pilgrims en-route to Santiago.

 

[mmm042]

Hi.

I'm a travel writer, and walked along the Ceredigion section of the Wales Coast Path in June. We spent a week on the path, and only had rain one day. I'm not sure how normal/abnormal that is. It was absolutely beautiful. When we finished, we tried to get to Bardsey Island (pilgrimage spot), but then the rains came and the boat wasn't going over. In driving back to the Manchester airport the next day, we stopped at a few Catholic pilgrimage sites along the way; they were roughly along the Coast Path, but I'm not sure how close ...

Anyway, here's a story I wrote about my walk in case you're interested; it ran in the Minneapolis Star Tribune: http://melaniemcmanus.squarespace.com/s ... stPath.pdf

Here's another one on Catholic sites in Wales: http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/ ... true-faith

Last thing -- there's something called the Cistercian Way in Wales, which is a circular hike through the entire country that hits important Cistercian sites: http://cistercian-way.newport.ac.uk/rou ... ID=Index02

Melanie

 

[jp2speeds57]

Thank you Melanie...Just openned new possibilities... After the VF in Italy...that will be great...
jpierre

 

[Sunshine Jen]

Thanks everyone!

You gave me a lot more walks to add to my list. Looks like I'm gonna need another 30 years to do it all.

Best,

Jen

 

[nidarosa]

Hi everyone, it's now been more than a year since the last post in this thread, but rather than start a new one I thought I would revive this one. I am planning and packing for a walk along the Welsh Coast Path in July, starting from Chester and walking as far as we get before my friend has to go home again eighteen days later. We will be taking tents, mats and sleeping bags and one stove between us, not just for flexible sleeping but also because we are testing kit before our St Olav's Walk in Norway when time permits. Other than that just normal summer walking kit.

I went to Llandudno last weekend and picked up the official leaflets with simple maps for all the eight sections, plus I have ordered a guide book to read before I go. The official one was supposed to come out about now, but has been postponed until after our walk, unfortunately. I was told at the tourist office that most of the path was on tarmac and hard surfaces, so will probably be taking road running shoes rather than walking boots. And this being Wales, I am of course taking my Altus.

If anyone has walked it, or the northern section(s) of it, and have tips on things to see, places to stop or stay, things to avoid or anything else we should know, please tell! I live on the Wirral but am not very familiar with the North Wales coast. We have also not decided yet whether to walk around Anglesey when we get to it, so any opinions on that would be great.

Thanks, Linda

 

[Tia Valeria]

When/if you eventually reach the south and near Chepstow you can walk Offas Dyke path round to the Lancaut Peninsular (avoid the southern way into the nature reserve as it is blocked at present). Going into the nature reserve from the north and down the steep marked track (red and also yellow arrows) brings you to the little ruined Norman church of St James overlooking the River Wye. A little gem and very tranquil.We'll post more on the Walking Around blog rather than here on the forum
Enjoy the start of your walk in the north of Wales.

 

[nidarosa]

Great, thanks for the tip! I will bookmark your blog asap!

 

[Tia Valeria]

Great, thanks for the tip! I will bookmark your blog asap!

We have not had time to edit our photos and will post on the blog when we have done so. Meanwhile here is a single photo of the little ruined church of St James. The pilgrim is Terry. We may not have been able to reach Santiago, but this church had a special feel too.

 

[Pelegrin]

I was in Snowdonia 2 years ago. I climbed the Snowdon and another more alpine pick (don't remember the name).
I liked very much North Wales, but in 9 days in July it rained us 7 (only two sunny days for climbing the picks).
I think that in Wales (and in Scotland) rains more in summer than in Galicia, but yhe country is very nice. We were in Llandudno in a hotel near a pub were the resort was planned in the XIX century.

 

[Tia Valeria]

I was in Snowdonia 2 years ago. I climbed the Snowdon and another more alpine pick (don't remember the name).
I liked very much North Wales, but in 9 days in July it rained us 7 (only two sunny days for climbing the picks).
I think that in Wales (and in Scotland) rains more in summer than in Galicia, but the country is very nice. We were in Llandudno in a hotel near a pub were the resort was planned in the XIX century.

Yes Wales gets its share of the rain like Galicia. We stayed near Brecon (S Wales) 2 years ago and wanted to walk up Pen-y-Fan (pen-i-van) but it was so wet most days that its top was in the clouds and walking would have been foolish. It finally cleared and we made it to the top on our last day.
This year on the Welsh border we had good weather - so it isn't always wet. This year's hazard was wild boar in the Forest of Dean. Fortunately we didn't see any as we are not really up to climbing trees these days

 

[Tia Valeria]

The walk to St James, Lancaut, is now on the 'Walking Around' blog (May 2014) with photos of the walk (including yellow arrows) and of the church itself. It deliberately runs anti-blog wise so the walk is at the top and the church below