Porth-gain

Bay in Pembrokeshire

Wales

Porth-gain

Cerrig Gwylan From a Lichen-encrusted Mainland These two rocky islets are popular with seabirds (Kittiwake, Cormorant and Black-backed Gulls). The brightly coloured lichen in the foreground covers the mainland rocks. — Cerrig Gwylan From a Lichen-encrusted Mainland Credit: Anthony Parkes

Porthgain is a picturesque coastal village located on the north coast of Pembrokeshire, Wales. Nestled in a small bay, it offers stunning views of the Irish Sea and is surrounded by rugged cliffs and beautiful countryside.

The village has a rich history, originally being a thriving industrial port in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a hub for slate and brick production, and remnants of the industry can still be seen today, with old quarry buildings and a disused brickworks scattered around the village.

Porthgain is also known for its charming harbor, which was once used to export the locally produced slate and bricks. Today, the harbor is a popular spot for fishing boats and pleasure craft, creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere. Visitors can enjoy a leisurely stroll along the harbor wall, taking in the views and perhaps spotting some local wildlife.

The village is home to several restaurants and pubs, offering a range of delicious seafood dishes and traditional Welsh cuisine. It is a popular destination for food lovers, with its fresh and locally sourced ingredients.

The area surrounding Porthgain is a haven for nature enthusiasts, with scenic coastal walks, dramatic cliffs, and stunning beaches nearby. The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is also within easy reach, providing opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, birdwatching, and watersports.

Overall, Porthgain is a charming and historic coastal village that offers a blend of natural beauty, cultural heritage, and gastronomic delights, making it a popular destination for tourists and locals alike.

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Porth-gain Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 51.949904/-5.1833324 or Grid Reference SM8132. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Cerrig Gwylan From a Lichen-encrusted Mainland

These two rocky islets are popular with seabirds (Kittiwake, Cormorant and Black-backed Gulls). The brightly coloured lichen in the foreground covers the mainland rocks.

Anthony Parkes

Cerrig Gwylan

These two rocky islets are popular with seabirds (Kittiwake, Cormorant and Black-backed Gulls).

Anthony Parkes

Cerrig Wylan

Two rocky islets off the Pembrokeshire Coast.

Oliver Dixon

Cerrig Wylan

Seen from the nearby headland, it is not entirely clear that there are two islands lying offshore.

Oliver Dixon

On the Wales Coast Path approaching Abereiddy from Porthgain

Skylarks soar and sing, Swifts dash past occasionally, a distant gull cries and the warm wind sighs past, carrying the odd random butterfly or two.

Jeremy Bolwell

Abereiddi - Pembrokeshire Coast National Park

Waymarker at the start of a footpath to Porthgain.

Colin Smith

Cerrig Gwylan

Rocky islets to the north of the Blue Lagoon at Abereiddi.

Colin Smith

Cerrig Gwylan

Rocky islet to the north of the Blue Lagoon at Abereiddi.

Colin Smith

Cerrig Gwylan

Sandy Gerrard

Cerrig Gwylan

Two rocky islets off the Pembrokeshire coast

Eirian Evans

Cerrig Gwylan

These small islands and the headland on the right of the picture are the entire land of this grid square.

Rob Burke

View north from Carn Lwyd near Abereiddy

The two quite symmetrical rocks in the sea are the Cerrig Gwylan (seagull rocks) - more affectionately known as the Mermaid's Boobies.

Chris Gunns

Traeth Llyfn and Ynys Barry

Shaun Butler

Gull Rocks from the mainland

Two rocky islets off a nameless headland to the north of Traeth Llyfn. The foremost one seems to have acquired a small cairn. They are indeed popular with seabirds and the brightly coloured lichen in the foreground thrives on the guano-enriched rocks.

Natasha Ceridwen de Chroustchoff

Hare's foot clover (Trifolium arvense)

A low-growing plant that likes sandy soil, seen here on the sea cliffs above Traeth Llyfn. Its soft downy flower heads turn from pinkish-purple to silvery-beige as they mature.

Natasha Ceridwen de Chroustchoff

Rock samphire (Crithmum maritimum)

This plant, with the fleshy leaf spikes and knobbly greeny-yellow flowers growing in the crevice behind the sea campion in the foreground, was the one whose perilous collection from the sea cliffs Shakespeare described as a 'dreadful trade'. It has long been used as a pickling vegetable and was once supplied in large quantities to London markets. Nowadays it has been rediscovered by wild food enthusiasts, for example see Link

It is sometimes confused with the marsh samphire or glasswort (Salicornia sp.) that may be seen on fishmongers' slabs. The name samphire comes from the French 'herbe de St Pierre' because of its rocky habitat, and by further association it was deemed beneficial for kidney stone ailments! It is in fact a succulent member of the carrot family, adapted for arid conditions.

Natasha Ceridwen de Chroustchoff

Site of old tramway

Where the cattle are grazing there once ran a horse-drawn tramway that moved the quarried slates from Abereiddi around Ynys Barri to the harbour at Porthgain. See also SM8131 : Old tram route for an image further along. In the foreground is the swampy valley bottom with a stream running through it.

Natasha Ceridwen de Chroustchoff