St Ishmaels

St Ishmaels sits inland on the Dale peninsula, in the softer country on the north shore of the Milford Haven waterway. It is a real village with a school, a pub and a strong community, and it is far enough off the tourist route that most visitors to Pembrokeshire have never heard of it — which is its main recommendation.

Two short valleys lead down from the village to the water. Monk Haven is a small pebble cove at the end of a wooded path, guarded by a tall, incongruous stone wall built by a Victorian landowner, with a ruined chapel beside it; it is one of the most peaceful spots on this coast and almost never busy. Sandy Haven, a couple of miles east, is a tidal inlet with sand at low water where the Coast Path crosses on stepping stones — passable only for a few hours either side of low tide, which catches out walkers every year, so check tide tables before planning a route through.

The village works well as a base because it sits between two very different coasts. West and south are Dale, Westdale Bay, St Ann's Head and Marloes Sands with the Skomer boats at Martin's Haven, all inside twenty minutes. East are Milford Haven's marina and supermarkets, ten minutes, and Haverfordwest fifteen. There is no beach in the village itself, the lanes are narrow, and the industrial installations across the waterway are visible from parts of the peninsula — an honest feature of this stretch that some visitors mind and others barely notice.

Village cottages and surrounding farm conversions give parking, gardens and a pub in walking distance, generally at better value than Dale or Marloes a few miles west. Properties towards Monk Haven and Sandy Haven put paths to the water on the doorstep. A car is needed for beaches and shops.

On the B4327 Haverfordwest–Dale road, with lanes to Sandy Haven and Monk Haven. Milford Haven station, at the end of the branch from Haverfordwest, is about ten minutes by car.