Days Out from Manor Bedw – Preseli Hills, Nevern & Newport

Foel Drygarn, Preseli HillsYou will find the Preseli Hills in the northern half of Pembrokeshire. The landscape is wild moorland, heath and grassland and is the ideal location for some great walking away from the coastline. There are plenty of walks to choose from – you will find books and maps in the cottage.

Along the way, apart from the breathtaking views, there are prehistoric remains, stone circles, burial cairns dating back to the bronze age and Iron Age hill forts. The Preselis are the source of the bluestones at Stonehenge, although there is controversy over how they got there. Pentre Ifan is a famous burial chamber or megalithic cromlech. Castell Henllys, a reconstructed Iron Age hill fort, complete with roundhouses and other buildings, is built in exactly the same place as the Iron Age buildings as identified by archaeological excavations. Re-enactments throughout the summer bring the settlement to life.

The Preseli Mountains are sparsely populated but there are a few hamlets and villages dotted over the hills. The northern edge of the hills features a deep wooded valley, the Gwaun Valley.  Worth a visit is the Gwaun Valley Brewery near Pontfaen. This village is also home to the famous ‘Bessie’s’ pub where beer is still served from the barrel and in a jug. Rosebush, with its former slate quarries, is the starting point for some good walks and has the added interest of its local pub made of zinc.

Newport is an idyllic little town on Pembrokeshire’s north coast. Lots of walks on the beaches, and a number of good pubs which all provide food at lunchtime and in the evening. Our favourite is The Golden Lion which serves excellent food and welcomes dogs. There is also a fine selection of cafes and restaurants. Newport

Close to Newport is the village of Nevern which has a wealth of historic monuments, including the remains of a motte and bailey castle above the village and an ancient bridge. Its Norman church and churchyard are remarkable for the Celtic cross and several inscribed stones, one of which is carved with the Irish Ogham script. An avenue of 700 year old yew trees leads you through the churchyard. One of them is the famous bleeding yew tree for which various legends exist.

Newport – Distance from Manor Bedw: 16 miles