Photo: Alex South (CC BY 2.0)Stack Rocks, the Green Bridge of Wales and St Govan's Chapel
Flat clifftop limestone at the southern tip of Wales, with the best sea arch in the country and a 13th-century chapel wedged in a cleft.
- Distance
- 4 miles / 6.4 km
- Time
- 2 hours each way
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Climbing
- about 60m
- Type
- There and back
- Dogs
- On a lead
The route
The southern edge of Pembrokeshire is carboniferous limestone rather than the older rock further north, and it behaves differently: flat on top, vertical at the edge, and full of arches, stacks and blowholes.
Start at Stack Rocks, where two limestone pillars stand just offshore, packed with guillemots from April to July — elegug is the Welsh for guillemot. A hundred metres west is the Green Bridge of Wales, the most photographed sea arch in the country, best seen from the viewing platform. It won't last forever; arches like it collapse, and the neighbouring stacks are what's left of older ones.
Walk east along the clifftop. The going is flat and easy, which is unusual for this coast, and the drama is all in the edge: Huntsman's Leap, a narrow chasm named after a rider who supposedly jumped it and then died of fright looking back; the Cauldron, a collapsed cave; and long stretches of sheer white cliff that draw climbers all summer.
At the far end, a flight of stone steps drops into a cleft in the cliff to St Govan's Chapel — a tiny 13th-century building wedged into the rock, on a site said to have been a hermit's cell since the 6th century. Local legend says you can't count the steps twice and get the same number.
Practicalities. There is nothing at either end: no shop, no toilets, no water. The pubs at Bosherston and Stackpole are the nearest.
If the range is closed, the walk from Bosherston to Broad Haven South and Barafundle is the alternative, and it's open all year.
Getting there
- Start
- Stack Rocks (Elegug Stacks) car park
- Finish
- St Govan's Head car park
- Parking
- Free car parks at both ends, on the Castlemartin range road. Closed during live firing.
The next few hours
Nearest forecast point: The Haven
dry for the next few hours, around 13°C, gusting to 26 mph — hold on to the windbreak.
01:00
13°
Fair
W 26 mph
02:00
12°
Clear
W 26 mph
03:00
12°
Clear
NW 25 mph
04:00
12°
Clear
NW 24 mph
05:00
12°
Clear
NW 24 mph
06:00
12°
Fair
NW 23 mph
07:00
12°
Clear
NW 23 mph
08:00
12°
Clear
NW 24 mph
Forecast from MET Norway, used under CC BY 4.0. It's a forecast for the nearest of six points across the county, not for this exact spot — on a coast this shaped, one headland can be in sun and the next in rain.
Light today at Stack Rocks (Elegug Stacks) car park
- Sunrise
- 07:34
- Sunset
- 18:42
- Daylight
- 11h 8m
The light goes gold from about 17:57.
Calculated for these coordinates, accurate to a minute or so. A cliff or a headland to your west will take the sun sooner than this suggests.
Castlemartin range: is the road open?
MOD firing notice · GOV.UK
| Date | St Govan's road | Stack Rocks road |
|---|---|---|
| Mon 12 Oct | Closed 7:30am to 4:45pm | Closed 7:30am to 4:45pm |
| Tue 13 Oct | Closed day and night (24 hours from 7:30am) | Closed day and night (24 hours from 7:30am) |
| Wed 14 Oct | Closed 7:30am to 4:45pm | Closed 7:30am to 4:45pm |
| Thu 15 Oct | Closed day and night (24 hours from 7:30am) | Closed day and night (24 hours from 7:30am) |
| Fri 16 Oct | Closed 7:30am to 4:45pm | Closed 7:30am to 4:45pm |
| Mon 19 Oct | Open | Closed 7:30am to 4:45pm |
| Tue 20 Oct | Open | Closed day and night (24 hours from 7:30am) |
From the MOD's Castlemartin firing notice October 2026 (Crown copyright, OGL v3.0). Firing times and road closures can change without notice — check on the day before travelling.
Tides near Stack Rocks, the Green Bridge of Wales and St Govan's Chapel
Stackpole Quay · about 4 miles away
High water
06:57
Sat 10 Oct · 7.9m
Low water
12:47
Sat 10 Oct · 1.0m
High water
19:15
Sat 10 Oct · 8.1m
Low water
01:09
Sun 11 Oct · 1.0m
Predicted times from the UK Hydrographic Office. Wind and pressure shift real water levels, and the tide at a specific cove can run earlier or later than its port. Never plan a tidal crossing on this alone.
Before you go
This walk crosses the Castlemartin live firing range. The road and path close when the red flags fly. Firing times are published in advance by the MOD and by the National Park — check before you drive down. Stay on the path; unexploded ordnance is a real hazard here. The cliffs are sheer and mostly unfenced.
Where to eat and drink on this walk
The nearest pubs, cafés and restaurants to the start and finish. Check hours before you count on one.
1.7km away · about 25 min walk
Village café-bistro at Bosherston, steps from the lily ponds path — the refuel between St Govan's and Broad Haven South.
1.7km away · about 25 min walk
Beaches on the way
Stay near this walk
Hand-picked places to stay in and around Bosherston & Stackpole, nearest first. Our picks are data-driven — we haven’t stayed — and we earn a commission when you book through a partner link. How that works.
Bosherston & Stackpole · Sleeps 4 · 2 beds
- In Bosherston & Stackpole
- Best for: Climbers · lily-pond walkers
Bookable via holidaycottages.co.uk
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Pembroke · Sleeps 9 · 5 beds
- 4 miles away
- Best for: Large families · two families sharing
Bookable via holidaycottages.co.uk
Pembroke · Sleeps 6 · 3 beds
- 4 miles away
- Best for: Families · anyone avoiding stairs
Bookable via holidaycottages.co.uk
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Other walks nearby
Stack Rocks to Freshwater East
The showpiece of the south coast — Elegug Stacks, Huntsman's Leap, the chapel in the cliff at St Govan's, Broad Haven South, Barafundle and Stackpole Quay in six and a half miles.
6.5 miles · 3–4 hours · Moderate
Freshwater West to Stack Rocks (the Castlemartin Range section)
The one stage of the Coast Path most walkers never do on the coast: the cliff route crosses a live firing range and the everyday alternative is inland.
7 miles · 3–3½ hours · Moderate
Barafundle Bay and the Bosherston Lily Ponds
The best short walk in south Pembrokeshire: a cliff path to Barafundle, then inland along three flooded limestone valleys full of lilies.
5 miles · 2½–3½ hours · Moderate
Distances and times are approximate. Conditions on the Coast Path change with the weather and the season — take a map, and check tide times and firing times where they apply.