Wonders of Wales

With its wild cliffs, pretty coves and puffins galore, St Brides Bay holds the best of Pembrokeshire

- MONICA WOODS

Calling all curious travellers: if you’re on the lookout for an alternative sun, sea, and sand destination in the British Isles, the wild west coast of Wales may be just the thing. Turn away from the popular southwest and south coast, make for Pembrokeshire’s western reaches, and be prepared to fall head over heels for St Brides Bay.

The Gower peninsula may get most of the attention, but this notch in the Welsh coastline has similarly spectacular beaches, charming towns, and villages, fantastic wildlife, and, crucially, enough space for everyone. Topping it all, literally, is St Davids, Britain’s smallest city, perched at the tip of the bay and wooing visitors with its medieval cathedral, winding lanes, and foodie hotspots.

Of course, it’s thanks to the cathedral that St Davids – with a population of less than 2,000 and the diminutive size of a village – can claim city status. Dedicated to the patron saint of Wales, the splendid cathedral was built in 1180, but it was back in the 6th century that St David founded a monastery on the site.

And the site was well chosen – tucked into a dell next to the River Alun, the cathedral was less vulnerable to attack. Today, as you pass beneath Tower Gate and make your way down to Cathedral Close, the overall impression is one of sheltered calm. Unusually, there is no admission charge (although donations are welcome), so you are free to admire the purple-tinged stone exterior and elaborate latticed oak ceiling, just as flocks of pilgrims have done over the centuries. Indeed, there was a time when two trips to St Davids were deemed by the Pope the equivalent of one to Rome.