This secluded, rocky seashore has a few of the most surreal rock formations you have ever seen.
Searching for a brand new seashore to discover? This secluded, rocky seashore is barely accessible by foot and has a few of the most surreal rock formations you have ever seen. Whereas it is well-known to locals, there could also be many seashore lovers in Wales who’ve but to find this secluded bay that has fossils within the bedrock and a correct pub close by.
Monknash is not your normal seashore. It is a curious combination of sea, golden sand, bedrock and historic cliffs, with a great deal of rock swimming pools teeming with marine life. The Sunday Instances not too long ago listed Welsh seashore Monknash as one of many UK’s 50 greatest seashores. Time journalist Chris Haslam described it as “someplace between prehistory and one other planet.”
Charming coastal surroundings and 300 million-year-old fossils are embedded alongside the traditional bedrock seashore. It is a distinctive place for a bracing coast stroll or picnic by the frothing waves.
Cwm Nash can be quieter than different Welsh seashores. There isn’t any automobile park on the seashore, and it is solely accessible by parking in a close-by area after which strolling alongside a tree-lined path that follows Nash Brook right down to the shore. You will want some first rate strolling sneakers for this stroll.
The trail meanders by means of shady, lush woodland, providing glimpses of native wildlife and the soothing sounds of the brook that spills out over the rock platforms when it meets the seashore.
Upon reaching the seashore, you may see a dramatic vista: towering limestone cliffs, golden sands at low tide, and the ever-changing seascape of the Bristol Channel.
It is a comparatively undeveloped spot, with no bathrooms, cafe or deck chair rent. You will need to deliver every part you want for a day on the seashore and take all of your garbage house with you.
Is that this essentially the most uncommon seashore in Wales?
Nevertheless it’s not simply in regards to the views right here, the extraordinary layered cliffs make this rocky bay stand out as a particular Welsh seashore.
Layered from the Carboniferous and Jurassic intervals, they have been meticulously crafted over tens of millions of years. This geological marvel is a superb spot for fossil lovers to scour the shorelines.
Think about stumbling upon historic life varieties, similar to ammonites and belemnites, embedded throughout the Blue Lias limestone. Whereas fossil searching, bear in mind that these towering cliffs are susceptible to erosion and rockfalls, so it is sensible to admire them safely and resist the urge to climb or pull at unfastened stones.
The pure attract of this distinctive seashore does not finish with its geology. The cliffs are a favorite hang-out for peregrine falcons, which you may spot hovering excessive above, scouting for prey.
In case your youngsters love rock pooling, Monknash is a perfect spot with a vibrant ecosystem, particularly when the tide is out. The rock swimming pools teem with life, from tiny crustaceans and small fish to vibrant sea anemones. It is a mini marine safari proper at your ft.
Plough and Harrow pub
After a day of exploring the seashore, have a pint within the charming 14th-century pub Plough & Harrow.
Steeped in historical past courting again to 1383, this Grade II-listed constructing provides every part you may want from a ‘correct Welsh pub’: nice meals, an enormous beer backyard, an open fireplace, a wide array of drinks, and visitor ales.
The pub’s title hints at its ecclesiastical roots, as Monknash was initially a grange, an outlying farm managed by lay brothers for a monastery. Its historic connections are evident in its structure, with beamed ceilings, Tudor doorways, and roaring open fires.
The bar is open from 12 p.m. till late, and meals is served from 12-4 on weekdays and Sundays and from 12-8 p.m. on Saturdays. Typical dishes embrace Conventional lamb cawl Salmon, prawn and dill fish cake, Plough and Harrow’s connoisseur beef burger, and the Chef’s selfmade pie of the day.
It is only a brief stroll from the Monknash coast and has good evaluations on TripAdvisor. Reviewer Alison A wrote: ” Improbable meals on Thursday twenty fourth August. Compliments to the chef, I had beef and ale pie, which was the very best I’ve ever had.” From celebrity gigs to cosy pubs, discover out What’s On in Wales by signing as much as our e-newsletter right here
Wales Coast Path
Cwm Nash can be a spotlight of the Wales Coast Path, a long-distance path that hugs the Welsh shoreline. This part of the trail provides a few of the most spectacular views of the Glamorgan Heritage Coast and the Bristol Channel.
Stretching from Aberthaw to Porthcawl, the Glamorgan Heritage Coast provides 14 miles of unspoilt shoreline with Jurassic options and waymarked trails that wind by means of charming villages, rural farmland and hidden bays.
Walkers can try and stroll your entire Heritage Shoreline or tackle one of many shorter walks or loop trails. A sequence of marked and numbered Vale Trails will take you thru coastal and countryside routes with essentially the most scenic views and historic options.
Tenting close to Cwm Nash
If you wish to make a weekend of it, the Heritage Coast Campsite is close by. The massive web site provides family-friendly tenting in an idyllic coastal setting, close to Cwm Nash and probably the most picturesque tenting spots in Wales.
They provide pitches for tents and camper vans, and for many who fancy a spot of seashore glamping, spacious 5m glamping bell tents can be found for rent.
The campsite is well-equipped with grassy tent pitches, electrical hook-ups for campers, fireplace pits, bathrooms, showers, and a wash-up space. In the event you choose to not prepare dinner your individual meals, take into account the on-site cafe bar for breakfast and dinner choices.
Take a night stroll right down to the seashore to snap some wonderful sundown images on the placing bedrock seashore.
Are you able to swim in Cwm Nash?
Except you’re a very skilled out of doors swimmer, it’s best to keep away from paddling out to sea right here. In the event you do determine to take a bracing sea dip on the shoreline, the very best time is low tide. Security is important at this seashore due to the Bristol Channel’s highly effective tides.
These tides are a few of the highest on the earth, and it is easy to get caught out should you’re not cautious.
At all times test tide occasions earlier than heading out, and monitor your environment to keep away from potential hazards.
The native Heritage Coast Centre is a improbable useful resource, providing geology leaflets and guided walks to boost your go to and maintain you secure.
Learn how to get to Cwm Nash Seashore and the place to park
To park within the nearest automobile park, a area reverse a working farm with an honesty field, you might want to head from the village of Monknash and comply with the nation lane that goes previous the Plough and Harrow.
The sphere shall be in your left, 0.6 miles down the highway (a two-minute drive). Do not go any additional, because it’s laborious to show round, and a non-public house is on the finish of the lane.
From the automobile park, proceed on foot down the identical lane you have been driving right down to the very finish, the place you may see a gate and little wall you may have to recover from. That takes you to the footpath, which results in the seashore (it is round a 15-minute stroll).
