The Plan Day 4: Arfordir y Gorllewin Cymru

Plan for Day 4: Pembroke to Holyhead

(255 miles, approx. 6.5 hours driving)

Having likely got thoroughly lost on Day 3, Day 4's directions can briefly be summed up as "Mainly follow the A487", which will be a relief. The day starts (and mainly continues) by heading north, first to Haverfordwest then on to St David's. For those who don't know, St David's is the smallest city in the UK, population somewhere just shy of 2000 people, and I grew up in what many regard as the largest village in the UK (Lancing, population around 19,000), so, yeah, that's just a bit silly isn't it?  

Ah, so if Lancing had a cathedral it too could be a city!

                        © Copyright Martin Bodman and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence  

Onwards through Fishguard and Cardigan to Aberyswyth. I may even wear a cardigan in Cardigan just so I can say I have done so. Continuing northwards the place names get ever more unpronounceable and hoard "L"s as if there was once a shortage. Skirting the Snowdonia national park it will be onwards to Porthmadog, and then west to Pwllheli before heading onwards to Caernarfon. North once more to cross the Menai Strait on the Britannia Bridge at Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll, the place with the really long rail station signs and then skirting the edge of Anglesey on my "wrong way round" bit of my trip. I will actually have crossed over my route for Day 5 at Llanfair PG as I will be using the Menai Bridge to get back onto the mainland.

I would claim this is a future picture of me, but I've been to Llanfair PG before!

Directions for day 4 are:

1. A477 to A4076 at Johnston
2. Right onto A4076
3. A487 thru Haverfordwest, not clearly signed, s/o at Merlins Bridge
4. Follow A487 for ages through St Ds and onto Fishguard
5. Short bit of A40 then follow signs towards Fishguard ( unsigned A487)
6. Left at roundabout in town centre
7. Loads of A487 through Cardigan, Aberaeron to Aberystwyth
8. Follow signs for A487
9. A487 to Machynlleth, then A493 towards Tywyn
10. Follow A493 to A470. Left onto A470
11. Off at roundabout, A496
12. A496 to A487
13. Onto A497 in Porthmadog
14. A497 to Pwllheli then right onto A499
15. Back onto A487
16. Follow A487 through Caernarfon
17. A487 onto A55 Britannia Bridge
18. Off at next Junction, A5025
19. Follow A5025 to Valley
20. A5 to Holyhead

Maps:

Pembroke to Valley (The route is wrong in a couple of places, but I can't be bothered to correct it!)

Valley to Holyhead (in case you couldn't work it out...)