They say that you should give your children two things in life, roots and wings.
The roots are to ensure that they always remember where they come from, and the
wings to help them flee into the big, wide world. I am lucky enough to have deep
roots in several parts of Wales; Llanwddyn in mid-Wales, where I spent my formative
years, the area around Builth Wells where I was born, and north Pembrokeshire where
I spent the first five years of my life.
As you might expect, I was too young to remember the area around Eglwyswen in any
great detail but several key events have been indelibly etched in my memory. I clearly
recall trips to the golden beach at Trefdraeth (Newport), hands laden with buckets,
spades and ice creams, and the steep path down to the isolated beach at Mwnt to
watch the seals was an annual autumn highlight. Each summer, we would help the local farmers with the hay harvest, although at three and four years old, I don’t suppose
I contributed much apart from ensuring that all the sandwiches were eaten. One spring, I remember finding a Woodpigeon’s nest containing two eggs in a coppice near our
house and such was my sympathy for her small clutch that I took four hen’s eggs
from the pantry and added them to the nest. Imagine the stunned and confused look
on the pigeon’s face when she returned to her nest!
These memories
come flooding back every time I drive down through Pembrokeshire, invariably these days, to visit the fantastic seabird islands of Skomer, Grassholm, Skokholm or Ramsey.
Between them, they support over 150,000 seabirds and each year, tens of thousands
of visitors make the offshore pilgrimage to see Puffins, Gannets, Manx Shearwaters
and Guillemots. There’s no doubt that to visit Skomer in June or Grassholm in July
and August is one of the most wonderful wildlife spectacles anywhere in the world
but Pembrokeshire is just as magical in the autumn and winter.
One of the best holidays I have ever had was when my wife, Ceri, and I rented a
cottage near Strumble Head for a week in December 1996. We had seven days of crisp,
clear weather. With our dog, Ianto, we walked mile after mile of coastline, admiring the acrobatics of the flocks of Chough as they tumbled over the steep cliffs around
Pwll Deri, and gazing in awe at the sheer speed and aerial mastery of that Ferrari
of the bird world, the Peregrine Falcon.
Our wandering was not restricted to the coast, however, and there were several forays
inland along the ridges of the Preseli mountains. Respite was sought in the ancient
broadleaved woodlands of Cwm Gwaun, the naked branches like witches fingers in the
gloom. At the end of each days’ walking, a hot mug of tea and a bacon and egg sandwich
in the cafes of St Davids and Fishguard helped restore life to cold bones.
After dark, we would stroll the country lanes, wrapped up warm against the weather,
our path clearly lit by the light of the moon. One dark copse always held a calling
Tawny Owl and the rustling beyond the roadside banks could have been anything from
foxes to badgers to polecats. One thing’s for sure, the flatulent horse in a nearby
paddock could have run an entire wind farm all on his own!
Over the past ten years, Pembrokeshire has featured prominently in my wildlife television
programmes, with countless visits to some of the county’s island hotspots. To escape
the crowds, Bosherston Pools offers a spiders’ web of footpaths and a great mix
of habitats from woodlands to beach to pools full of fish. Every shallow bay holds
a huge pike, lurking amongst the vegetation, lying in wait for an unsuspecting fish
or water bird. The calls of Coots, Swans and Herons are a constant companion, and
although it’s visited by thousands of people each year, you can always find a quiet
corner.
Last September, I took my two boys on a guided boat tour around Ramsey Island to
enjoy the stunning scenery and the dozens of grey seal that haul up onto the solitary
beaches to give birth. It was a memorable trip, on another of Pembrokeshire’s endless sunny days. We saw several fat, white seal pups under the watchful eye of the attentive
mothers, a swooping peregrine falcon in hot pursuit of a hapless pigeon, acrobatic
choughs bouncing along the steep cliffs and lots of spider crabs. What my sons enjoyed
most of all, however, was taking the boat into some of the Ramsey’s deep, dark caves
and seeing their father being drenched by the water that cascaded through the roof
at the entrance of one of the largest of them. Great fun for them, uncomfortably
cold for me.
On
the way back home, I made a small detour to visit the Bronze Age Pentre Ifan burial chamber with its 40 ton capstone and a magnificent view towards Carn Ingli over
Fishguard Bay. Having spent an hour explaining that it had been constructed at least 4,000 years ago and that originally, it had been encased in soil, my 6-year-old,
suitably unimpressed with early man’s feats of engineering, remarked that it had
been abandoned because it was far too draughty for anyone to live in!
The mecca for most wildlife enthusiasts are the offshore islands, but boat trips
into the wild blue yonder can reap huge rewards. Dolphins and Porpoises abound,
as do Gannets and Guillemots, but Minke Whales, Sunfish and and Basking Sharks are
now being seen regularly offshore. Last autumn, I joined a fishing boat that went
out beyond Grassholm to catch and tag Blue Sharks, stunning topaz-blue fish that
drift up from the equator. On our return journey, having caught and released three
sharks, we hooked over a dozen Mackerel that were subsequently barbequed and eaten,
all within three hours of being caught – heaven!
Over the past few months, I have returned to the county with my family on several
occasions. We are all keen on the open countryside and outdoor sports, so swimming,
snorkelling, walking and climbing in the county have become regular events. Outdoor
pursuit centres around St Davids offer a wide range of activities from climbing
and kayaking to orienteering and coasteering. The latter involves scrambling along
sea cliffs, jumping into deep bays and generally having a great time. A day’s coasteering
ensures that the children eat a hearty supper and sleep soundly for a week – what more could any parent ask for?
Pembrokeshire
is so many things to so many people. For me, it is the wildlife, the rugged scenery
and the opportunity to escape whereas for others, it is the sea, the solitude and
the opportunity to make new friends. It is certainly a land apart, a country within
a country with its own unique character and a variety of landscapes, habitats and
wildlife to rival anywhere on earth. As a well known beer company boasts on a television
advertisement, ‘Carlsberg doesn’t make counties, but if it did....’