Green Bridge, Wales Coast Path

 

It's a brilliant day, with blue skies and a subtle breeze brushing against my skin. I am ready to start my hike from Castlemartin. This village is mainly used as an artillery range for the British Army. Heading east to Warren, I swung south onto a narrow lane, walking past neighbouring houses until I reached a gate and passed through it. The trail seemed to be swallowed by an expanse of unruly vegetation. Thick, overgrown bushes reached out as if attempting to reclaim their territory. It felt like I was walking through a green tunnel obscuring my view of the landscape ahead. 

As the grip of the thick vegetation loosened, the path opened up, giving way to expansive meadows, meticulously kept, bordered by clusters of trees far off into the distance. Arriving at a crossroads, I noticed a bilingual sign pointing to the Green Bridge of Wales. Crossing over, I ventured onto a paved pathway that cut a clear route through the countryside. Approaching a car park, I turned onto a wild field with a neatly mowed trail guiding me toward the sea. The trail ended on a viewing platform with picture-perfect views of the Green Bridge. 

The Green Bridge is a limestone arch that spans a chasm, connecting the mainland to a towering rock stack. Over millions of years, the sea chipped away at the rock until the power of erosion carved caves and tunnels, forming this fabulous site. From the platform, I watched a brave soul navigating the thin, treacherous path atop the arch. 

Not entirely comfortable with heights, I chose to walk past it and check out the stack rocks called Elegug Stacks, a pair of limestone pillars rising from the sea. Elegug is Welsh for guillemot, a noisy chocolate-brown seabird that lends its name to the pillars. Each spring, the tops of the stacks and the ledges below are crammed with guillemots nesting. Of course, the guillemots don't have exclusivity as they are closely joined by razorbills. Both species are descended from the extinct bird called the great auk. 

I opted to rest and take in the views for some time while I planned the next part. Later, I will head to The Cauldron, a huge, expansive hollow caused by the relentless force of waves pounding against the coastal cliffs. This powerful action created a natural amphitheatre-like feature. When the sea is wild and the tide is high, I imagine the waves crashing against the rock face, splashing up as if inside a massive blowhole. 

After The Cauldron, I will continue to St Govan's Head, the southernmost point of Pembrokeshire. On the way, I will take a slight detour down a steep flight of stairs to St Govan's Chapel. It is a tiny chapel amongst towering cliffs built by a hermit in the 6th century who took refuge there while hiding from pirates. Folk tales are abound in this place, but that will be a story for another day.