Wales Coast Path

OS Explorer Map : 14 (a few km), 154, 152, 151, 164, 165, 177, 36, 35, 198, 213, 23, 18, 244, 253, 263, 262, 17, 264, 265, 266

The Wales Coast Path (WCP) is a new long distance path following the entire Welsh coast from Chepstow in the south, along the Bristol Channel via Gower to Pembrokeshire. Then via the existing Pembrokeshire Coast Path and Ceredigan Coast Path, then north, around the Llyn peninsular, and Anglesey Coast Path, and finally finishing in Chester, back on the English border. It can be linked with the Offa's Dyke path to form a Wales boundary path.

The route is still under development. It is officially open, but there are several stages where the path has to detour inland away from the coast. However, work is currently underway to create new paths along the coast. Check the 'news' section on the official website. As with coast paths, it can be shortened in many places by walking along the beach at low tide, as the official routes are (nearly) always high tide ones

The purpose of this page is to allow you to look at the OS map, and download the GPX route file

The Severn Estuary

The walk starts in Chepstow, at the south east corner of Wales. This section follows the banks of the River Severn to the port of Newport. It is great for public transport (several train stations), is pretty enough in places but not spectacular. Best to uses buses to skip around Newport industrial port area.

Newport to Cardiff

This section from Newport, past Cardiff Bay (interesting) and Penarth to Barry / Barry Island is again great for public transport (several train stations). It is interesting, but not spectacular.

Glamorgan Coast

This is were the walk comes good - 2 very enjoyable sections along the Glamorgan Coast. Fairly good public transport. The problem being Porthcawl, which doesn't have a train station, so you'll need a bus.

Port Talbot

This section is best skipped. Kenfig Burrows is nice enough. But the sections around and after the Port Talbot Steel works are grim. Even afterwards, the route is inland along a canal until the outskirts of Swansea. There is an inland alternative around Port Talbot. If you choose to do this section, public transport is again excellent.

Gower

This section around the Gower Peninsular is why you did this walk. Gower's beaches are spectacular - 3 Cliffs, Rhosilli, Whitford Sands. All stages have a good year round bus service to Swansea enabling you to easily do 1 way walks. Car drivers will have to plan stages a little differently to be able to return to their cars on a single bus.

Llanelli and Pembray

The first stage, around the mouth of the River Laugher (the estuary on Gower's north coast) is skippable, but the coast path after Lanelli is pleasent, and Pembray is a great beach. The very end of the beach is skipped (army firing range), and its inland through a pine forest. Again, good public transport

Carmarthan

These stages are a long but pleasent detour inland to Carmarthen, to cross the Towy and Taff Rivers. Good public transport by train on the east bank, but it bus on the west bank

To Do

You're still on the south coast, about to start the Pembroke Coast path, before heading north around Cardigan Bay, to the Llyn peninsular, loop around Anglesey, then west along the north coast!

• Wiki page
• Official website

After the walk, please leave a comment, it really helps. Thanks!

You can also upload photos to the SWC Group on Flickr (upload your photos) and videos to Youtube. This walk's tags are:

National Rail: 03457 48 49 50 • Traveline (bus times): 0871 200 22 33 (12p/min) • TFL (London) : 0343 222 1234

May-24