Nolton Haven, Rickets Head and the Newgale cliffs

The walk starts at the car park at Nolton Haven, a small cove on the St Brides Bay coast. The Coast Path climbs the cliffs to the north past old coal workings, over the steep hills the Park counts on this stretch, and runs above the rocks to Pebbles car park at the south end of Newgale, where the beach stretches away for almost two miles. The way back follows a parallel path to the Maidenhall car park, then minor lanes east and south by Trefrane to the cove.

It is 8.1 km with 263 m of ascent; allow about 2½ hours. The grade is Moderate: the National Park calls the cliff path between Newgale and Nolton Haven a demanding section because of four very steep hills.

The path runs close to the cliff edge in places: stay on it and away from the edge, above all in wind or wet. The Park warns of adders on the heathland at the top of the cliffs. The footpath that OS maps show down the cliff to the south end of Newgale beach has gone in a landslide: keep to the Coast Path and leave it for the road at Pebbles car park. There are fields with livestock, and about a third of the walk is on minor roads.

The Nolton Haven car park is marked as charging in OpenStreetMap. The Park describes the Maidenhall car park, part-way along, as free.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.