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Walks Around Neyland
Hazelbeach to Neyland Marina. - 2 miles.
This walk starts alongside the “Ferry Inn”, which is on the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path. It takes the walker east from Hazelbeach towards Llanstadwell with the river on our right.
After approximately a half a mile, we come to Llanstadwell Church. This was built in the 13th century and was visited by King Richard 11 on his way to Ireland.
The river channel is such that when the ferry travels in and out of port, it travels on the northern side of the river, and towers over everyone when passing. Indeed visitors to the vicarage at Llanstadwell are often startled by the darkening of the view, even on a sunny day, with the ferry sailing very close to the north shore, blotting out much of the sunlight.
A little further on we come to a road junction (B432) Neyland /Milford Haven, turn right keeping the river on your right. The river is very impressive at this point for looking across to Pembroke Dock, you can see what is called the Car Jetty part of the Royal Navy Dock Yard, and to the left of that is the Irish Ferries Terminal. The terminal is built on the site of the old RAF Sunderland Flying Boat Base.
Continuing the walk along the road you will pass Neyland Yacht Club with a car park
along side with seats to stop and rest and maybe watch some yacht racing or youngsters being taught the skills and safety of yachting.
A little further along you come to a junction and at this point there stands a post box of Victorian design along side a house which was built for the Station Master. He was a very important man in his day as Neyland was the stepping of point for the Irish Package Steamers.
It was also planned to set up sailings to the U.S.A, but sadly this never came to pass.
The Admiralty had other ideas, due to estuary being a large warship base.
Turning right takes you once again down to the car park overlooking the river. A delightful spot to view the river, in both directions, this is where the train terminus/station (London /Paddington to Neyland) came to an end.
It had been the dream of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the famous Victorian Engineer,
who’s Statue can be seen standing in the park area around you, to make Neyland the terminal base to the New World from Wales.
It was not to be but there are many reminders of that era around the car park and road ways -baulks of timber set in concrete, the remains of the landing stages for the landing and coaling of the ships, with the railing made up from old rail lines of the old G.W.R.line (see the information boards as you walk along this part of the walk).
A statue to commemorate this great Victorian engineer was unveiled by H R H Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, on the 23rd July 1999.
When you come to the end of the road this is the point where the Neyland to Pembroke Dock car ferry ran (see information board by rails) but this was replaced by the Cleddau Toll Bridge in the 1970’s.
Continue walking keeping the river on your right, and if the tide is out you can see the remains of the coal-loading jetty.
Moving further along you come to a tarmac area with railway lines. Built in the 1950s for N.A.T.O, during the Cold War, together with another jetty at Burton they were planned to be used in the event of emergencies or conflict, but they are both now redundant.
Looking towards Burton beyond the Cleddau Bridge is the Jolly Sailor, but that route is for another day. In the meantime continue along the Neyland Marina, where lies anchored up to 400 boats, launches and house-boats of all descriptions.
This brings us to the end of our first walk, where you can have a welcome break in either the Brunel Chandlery Café or the Bar Restaurant above.
For further information on the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path view
www.pembrokeshirecoast.org/english/index1
Neyland Marina to end of Westfield Wildlife Reserve
Before setting off on your walk from Neyland via the Marina and the Wild -Life Sanctuary on to the cycle path leading to Johnston and onto Haverfodwest, observe just a short History of Neyland. The Town was founded by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It was a little village on the Haven known as Little Milford.
When the railway became established in 1853, the fishing industry also settled around the rail yard and with Brunel’s vision the Irish Ferry from Neyland to Rosslare Ireland started to trade.
The walk commences from the Marina Café, but before you start take a seat and look out over the boats in the Marina. On the other side you will see the remains of a small jetty on the land.
At the land at the back is the site of the old ice factory which supplied the trawlers for their fishing trips out into Irish seas and beyond when a fishing industry was based in Neyland 1908.
As you walk up past the Marina Basin, the variety of boats in the lower and upper basins are very interesting to look at.
When you pass through the first set of gates, you go through the first of many cuttings in rocks made by Isambard Kindom Brunel's labourers when completing his historic construction of the Great western Railway from London, Paddington, with his envisaged transatlantic shipping line to America.
When you look at the rock they cut through it was all done by hand with perhaps a little help with explosives.
For the next few hundred yards you pass under a road bridge built in 1970 leading to
the toll bridge crossing over the River Cleddau completed in 1975.
You then come to the next set of gates which leads you into the Wild Life sanctuary and Cycle Path.
There are information boards which give an insight to many birds and wild life you may expect to see on your walk, the peace and quiet from no traffic - only the sound of the country is there for your enjoyment - the water on your right and woodland and small cliffs on the left.
If you look carefully you can see signs of were the rail line passed.
This part of the walk takes you to the first old level crossing. If you go down to the little bridge which used to be a ford and look to your right you will see in the under growth the ruins of a small reservoir and left, over the walls, the pump house which pumped water over the top of the hill overlooking the old rail line.
It was gravity fed to the Neyland Rail Yard for the steam trains. It is well worth spending a little time around this area looking at all the fauna, birds, the history and enjoy the tranquility.
If you feel you would like to go further, the walk is well maintained with a tarmac surface suitable for wheelchair access for a further six or seven miles passing by and through two other old rail crossings, and the village of Rosemarket, leading on to Johnston and Haverfordwest.
Courtesy of Dennis Stolliday
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