4th OCT. NEWGALE SANDS TO GREAT CASTLE HEAD nr.Dale

Got up and out of tent usual time.  I washed the porridge bowls and scrubbed them with course grass. There was plenty of sun,  a bit of a nip and my knees were clicking and ankles stiff.
This was a day of havens,  Nolton Haven with its strange Hobbit house,  Broad Haven with its holiday village and Little Haven the rather up market neighbour of Broad.
In Broad Haven we went to the small shop which was expensive and limited. We did buy a litre of choc supavalu ice cream which was surprisingly good at £1.
I tried to book Marloes Sands Youth Hostel but it was only available to groups. I felt abit miffed by the yha,  I feel they are losing there way and am finding the independent hostel hostels better value. It was a shame because it was an ideal 15 miles away and rain and high winds were forecast.
I was amazed to see so many flowers in the hedges ; gorse, campion, thrift,cranesbill, foxglove, even brambles flowers.
Some chap was putting out signs for a marathon which took in the coast path,  in places it was fairly muddy so was pleased to be ahead of the masses probably running this weekend.
About a mile from St Brides Haven we got our best view of a Grey seal pup. We had seen many in isolated and unreachable bays and havens but this one in Mill Bay was easy to walk to off the footpath and onto pebble beach.
It lay there hissing at us as we took a few snaps then left it there undisturbed.
Undisturbed was abit hasty because I had to tell two couples that there was a seal pup on the beach and tactfully said it may be a good idea to put the lead on their dogs as they may get hurt .Really I did not care about the pooh plopping dogs but wanted to save the seal some hassle.
We lunched at St Brides Haven sat in breeze and sun with our backs on the lime kiln there. It eas there we realised we had very poor supplies and had to eat tonights lunch of kippers and bread but was a big yum!
By the time we reached Martins Haven the weather was changing to over cast and the wind increasing.
The headland called the Deer Park we did not grace opting to get views of Skomer Island as we walked south and into the exposure to the South West ever increasing wind.
It was an incredibly flat cliff walk to Marloes sands , passed youth hostel signs which we spoke about going to anyway and if no one there pitch by the building. We walked on stopping on the multi bouldered beach sheltering while we brewed a tea and stayed warm. We had a potential pitch but it would of been exposed and as it was only 4.30 we walked on again.
It was such a flat area the air force had a airstrip here and the runway still existed in pretty good nick. It was last used in 1948 but now sheep run on it and were walked on it.
As we passed Westdale bay we could see Dale housing half a kilometer to the east.  We however would not see Dale until after 5 miles via St Ann's Head tomorrow.
After a steepish climb we noticed a sheltered dip just off the path,  on the map it and said fort and Great Castle Head.
With heavy wind and rain forecasted we needed a decent place. My main concern was that the tent may sit in water if there was heavy rain. So I compromised and pitched tge tent on a slight angle which may of looked ungainly but worked.
With tent pitched we had only enough meths to make one tea and 5 oatie biscuits each.
As the wind and rain lashed our tent we felt cosy and snug if not alittle hungry. Be both were asleep by 9.

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