Over the Easter weekend, which seems like years ago now, we went on a lovely walk around Pembroke Castle and the Mill Pond. It’s one of my favourite walks in Pembrokeshire for a number of reasons. It’s all on tarmac so it’s perfect in the rain, it’s pretty quiet and you get to walk around an incredibly historic building. Pembroke Castle is the birthplace of Henry VII and the original part of the castle was built in 1093. It is one of the most breathtaking buildings I have ever seen and to think it’s been around since 1093, it makes it even more impressive. I can remember growing up, just being completely overwhelmed by it. As you walk along the Mill Pond, you can see some of the original town walls too. There’s lots of interesting wildlife to spot along the Mill Pond, including herons and otters, though we only spotted a heron! Better luck next time. We parked on the Mill Pond and headed out along the Mill Pond Walk. When you get to the end you can carry on your walk around Pembroke Main Street or head left towards the lime kiln. We head up onto Main Street and head past the shops and cafes, back towards the Mill Pond car park. From there we walk alongside the castle. I love looking up at the castle and imagining it in days gone by and how it was a battleground for many years. I can just imagine it in Game of Thrones episode and can only imagine the plotting that took place in the castle!The walk around the estuary is really lovely, with hidden gems like this one. The council have done a lot of work on the walk and there’s plenty of room for dogs to run around and explore the wildlife. There are lots of great walks all around this part of Pembrokeshire, but this area is steeped in history and well worth visiting. Not that I’m biased or anything, I grew up here (well, near here – Pembroke Dock to be exact!) Plus, it definitely gets the Poppy seal of approval! The Walk: The walk around the Mill Pond and Pembroke Castle can be short or long, depending on whether or not you want to include Main Street.
Cost: While the walk is free, you will need to pay and display in any of the car parks in Pembroke but it won’t be more than a few pounds.
Car Park: We parked in the small car park on the Mill Pond bridge, but there’s more parking on the Commons. Both are Pay & Display parking.
Refreshments: There are a number of little cafes on the Main Street in Pembroke. We usually get a take away tea from Lunch @ Number 40. It’s only a £1 and it helps to keep you going!
Toilets: There are some public toilets on Main Street.