Solva and St David`s Head

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Sunday saw us drive the coastal road to Solva. On the way passing Newgale and it's great surfing beach and massive pebble beach called a BERM – a term I had never come across before. We will return to have a closer look another day. Then a return visit to the lovely sheltered harbour of Solva where we went for short 2 mile walk followed by a hearty lunch at the Ship pub. After lunch, on through St Davids to Whitesands beach and a walk around St David’ Head. Stunning beach and walk – very weary on finishing as the ground was quite rough, but well pleased with ourselves..


Looks cosy to me! as snails crowd into a crack of a tree.


Gorgeous coloured leaves emerging on the coastal path.


Lime kilns on Solva beach

Limestone would have been brought in by boat and heated in these kilns to produce the lime mortars that Newport’s stone built houses would have been constructed with, they would also have been lime washed (a quicklime and water mix) on a regular basis to protect them from the elements.
A temperature of some 900-1000°C would have been required in the kilns to create the reaction that turns the limestone into quicklime. The lime kilns would have been loaded with intermittent layers of coal and limestone and from start to finish a time scale of some seven days would have been required to produce a batch of quicklime.
This was a dangerous and very strenuous job but the benefits when applied to acidic soil were, and still are, enormous.


The entrance to Solva harbour


This way please!


Mind you don't get your feet wet. On route round the Solva walk.


A secluded beach near St David's Head


Whitesands beach, a bit bright as I was shooting into the sun, but I had to get a picture!


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