Bosherston Lily Ponds and Broad Haven South Beach
I made a decision this week was to stop waiting for the sun to come back and just start ticking off the big adventures I'd put on our Summer Bucket List. But as we set out on the one and a half hour drive to this particular adventure, and it started to rain, I seriously began to question my decision making skills. It was just me and my 3 kids, as my Husband had to work, and we were going somewhere we'd never been before, a beach we'd never been to before for that matter. A beach in the rain, oh how the kids will moan! I started thinking about other places en route that we could go to instead, trying to figure out if I should change the plan, but I decided I'd waited long enough for this day trip, we'd just have to make the most of it, whatever the weather, even if I was the only one who had any fun!
We were aiming for Broad Haven South, as I had read online that the National Trust were trying to get people to visit this beach instead of nearby Barafundle Bay, to try to lessen the impact of tourism on the environment there. They had even put on a Seashore Safari for the children to do. There is a National Trust car park right by the beach making it a really easy day out. However, little did I realise there is also a National Trust car park just up the road at Bosherston Lily Ponds, a place I had never heard of before, and we ended up parking there by mistake.
A quick talk with the helpful National Trust lady and it turned out our mistake meant we would have a 30-40 minute walk down to the beach. The kids rolled there eyes and made some complaints, but I love a good walk so off we went.
Turns out it was a great mistake to make as the walk down to the beach through Bosherston Lily Ponds was so beautiful, and the beach at Broad Haven South didn't disappoint either. It was an easy enough walk for the children, and even my 4 year old managed it with no complaints. A quick look at the map we were given showed a series of footpaths you could follow, giving you the option of doing a circular walk around the lake to Broad Haven South or even going a bit further along the coast to nearby Barafundle and Stackpole.
The view when you emerge from the woods.
After the very damp start we had to the day, somehow when we got down to the beach the sun was shining and it was actually warm, so naturally the kids got in the sea and had a blast playing on the beach.
I'm so glad we decided to just get out and stop waiting for the perfect circumstances. Discovering somewhere new is one of my favourite things to do, and this place did not disappoint. I'm already wondering when we can get back there with my Husband and maybe attempt one of the longer walks.
This is a great day out if you are visiting Pembrokeshire or live locally. The car parks at both Bosherston Lily Ponds and Broad Haven South are national trust car parks, so free for members, and there is just a small charge for non-members. I'd definitely recommend the walk down from Bosherston, but if you have little ones or can't manage long walks then Broad Haven South car park is just down the road and very close to the beach.
We took a picnic and had a full day out here, but there are a few places we have visited that are nearby and are well worth a trip if you are in the area for a while...
You can find out more on the National Trust website by clicking here.
Keep up to date with Our Beautiful Adventure by subscribing to my newsletter below...
