Beagle Reviews - Nash Point Circular Walk

This walk takes us just under 2 hours.

Park your cars here - CF61 1ZH. Pay the car park attendant two of your shiniest pound coins and you’re set to go.

There’s a lovely café next to the car park with views out over the Channel. Mum and Dad won’t let me in there but it smells incredible and I’ve seen people emerging with all kinds of wonderful snacks. If your humans are nicer than mine make sure to enjoy a tasty sandwich before setting out.

When you’re ready to walk, head towards the lighthouse.

Walk past with it on your left hand side and the sea to your right. Climb over a stone stile at the bottom and head up onto the cliff path.

Make sure your person keeps you on the lead as the path goes very close to the cliff edge at times. You don’t want to make the mistake of letting your nose lead you over the edge! I had Mum on the end of my lead and, despite her slipping and sliding as the path gets very muddy and wet when it’s rained, she kept me safe all the way along.

Walk through 4 fields climbing over and going through stiles before you come to a wooded area. Here you climb a very tall stone stile which has several steps down the other side. This path leads through the woods and then down a stony stepped path.

Then you emerge right by the sea and where I hear rumour of an outdoor swimming pool existing. Google tells a beagle that this swimming pool originated in the 1920s during the renovation and refurbishment of St Donat's Castle by William Randolph Hearst. The baths were removed in 1981 and replaced by modern facilities designed by Alex Gordon and Partners.

Anyway, I decide as I didn’t bring my speedos to carry on with the walk and to come back another day when it’s warmer. In the meantime my ears fly around in the wind and I stand looking handsome on the sea wall.

On we go, following the path back up onto the cliff with St Donat’s (sounds like doughnuts – yum!) Arts Centre and Atlantic College on the left. Climb a short but steep hill (get your person to pull you up if you can – Mum was rubbish) and at the top go through a gate and turn left to walk up alongside a field that usually has sheep in it. Say hello if there are, they look like friendly fellows.

At the top of this path, go through another gate and you will emerge onto a playing field that has rugby posts. Stick to the left and head for the gate of death. Built for someone no fatter than a stick insect, make sure you manouevre carefully around it and watch for the spikes on top.

Turn left here and walk up the road, going round a sharp right hand bend, along a few hundred metres before turning left through a gate into the College grounds. Continue on the road and follow signs for the church. You will go down a long hill before you reach the church at the bottom. The hill is steep and, if you’re anything like Chilli, you’re likely to get carried down it if it’s skiddy.

Take the wooded path opposite.

Head straight up it until you come to some houses. Go through the gates, taking care to close them behind you, and head straight up the road in front of you. There is an alternative route here where you can turn left here and go through more fields but today we stuck to the road cos of the wet and the mud. Also so we could avoid the field of cows which Mum is scared of but pretends it’s me that is the scaredy beagle. If you stick to the road, just keep turning left. After doing three left turns you’ll be on the road that leads you back to your car.

Snooze while your humans chauffeur you home.