The beautiful walk through lilyponds to one of Wales’ best beaches is possibly one of the greatest circular walks in the whole of the country. There are a myriad of paths at Bosherston lily ponds in Pembrokeshire, all of them leading to Broad Haven South beach with its iconic Church Rock.
Whether you start in the village of Bosherston and end up at the Ye Olde Tearoom for a post-walk scone or park up at the Stackpole Visitor centre and pass the eight-arch bridge, the main destination is undoubtedly the tranquil lilyponds, managed by the National Trust. Coming out at Broad Haven beach, which in my opinion is erroneously overlooked in favour of its more famous neighbour Barafundle, is an added bonus.
The lilyponds are in fact one of very few hard-water mesotrophic lakes in Wales. They are spring-fed, so lucid, but artificial – created in the 1780s by the Cawdors of Stackpole. Weirs were built across three adjacent valleys to slow the water’s flow to the sea and the resultant ponds were stocked with lilies and fish. Today, the ponds are full of biodiversity with 12 species of bat, 40 species of dragonfly, 30 species of butterfly. Those with sharp eyes might spy the family of otters who've set up home there too.
