Cycling Routes:
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
Pembrokeshire is a great place for a cycling holiday, and here are a few of our cycle routes we've used in the past...
The Blue Lagoon Ride
If
staying in St David's you really should cycle to St Justinian via
Porth Clais, and to Whitesands to the west; zig-zag over the commons
(Treleddyd-fawr, Dowrog and Tretio) to the north; and see the late
afternoon views of Ramsey from the old monk's road to the east.
This little bike ride around the end of the St David's headland takes in lime kilns at Porth Clais harbour, a view of Ramsey Island, three National Trust commons, The Blue Lagoon at Abereiddy, disused cliff-edge stone quarries (better than it sounds) at Porthgain, a one-armed church, Solva harbour (photo) and a ride around an old airfield.
Photo: The Blue Lagoon at Abereiddy
Photo: View at end of Solva harbour
Distance: 33 miles (53 km); by missing out the visit to Porth Clais and St Justinians it cuts it down to 26 miles.
This ride is on the Ordnance Survey map: St.David's
and Haverfordwest (Landranger map sheet 157), £8.99 from
Amazon.
Please do not reproduce this route in any form. It is for personal use only. To be used on a bicycle, not in a car!
The Preseli Calendar Ride
Distance: anything between 26 miles and 54 miles. Starts/finishes from a small car park (map ref: SN 004 349) about 2.5 miles up the Gwaun Valley from Fishguard, and 1 mile downstream from Pontfaen village.
Photo: Gors Fawr stone circle.
The ride is done in a widdershins (old word for anti-clockwise - sounds less negative) direction. We named the ride 'The Preseli Calendar Ride' because it visits Gorse Fawr stone circle (on the detour) which was basically a calendar and because the Gwaun Valley never changed from the Julian calendar in 1752 so still celebrate New Year on the 13th January. Ideally you do the ride including the detour so you actually go all the way around the mountain. In Welsh the hills are called Mynydd Preseli (mynydd means mountain). These hills are the highest around here, but hardly what you would normally call 'mountains'.
Photo: Miners' cottages in Rosebush.
The
ride goes to Rosebush for lunch. You then have a choice: either
follow the B4329 up over the top of the mountain (great views,
especially if you walk up to the highest point) or the detour around
the mountain. Both are well worth doing. The detour goes to Gors
Fawr stone circle (at Mynachlog-ddu) before rejoining the main route
at Pentre Ifan burial chamber (small photo).
The lane from Cilgwyn to Pontfaen down the Gwaun Valley is sheer magic in the late afternoon sunshine, culminating with a visit to the wonderful Dryffryn Arms (or Bessie's as it is known locally). The pub has hardly changed in a hundred years; it's been in the same family since 1845; and in the Good Beer Guide for over 40 years.
Our Preseli Calendar Ride route map pdf
Our Preseli Calendar Ride route information pdf
To
get the best out of this ride you'll need Ordnance Survey map: Cardigan
& Mynydd Preseli (Landranger map sheet 145), £8.99 from
Amazon.
(Please do not reproduce this route in any form. It is for personal
use only. To be used on a bicycle, not in a car!)
Please Note:
The above cycling routes are modified versions of routes we used on our Pembrokeshire cycling holidays from 1989 to 2012, so some signposts may have changed.
Please do not reproduce these cycle routes in any form; for personal use only. To be used on a bicycle only - not in a car!
We take no responsibility and give no guarantees or warranties, implied or otherwise, for the accuracy or safety of the above routes. You use these cycle route maps entirely at your own risk. Please cycle responsibly and safely.
We will be posting more bike rides here later so watch this space.
Sustrans Cycling Map
South
West Wales Cycle Map - shows on-road and traffic-free paths,
height contours, 5 town centre maps, recommended linking routes
connecting the National Cycling Network with quiet roads. Includes
the Celtic Trail (route 4), Lôn Teifi, and Millennium Coast Park
(near Llanelli). 1:110,000 scale.
