At Whiteford Burrows there is a long finger of sand that stretches down to Whiteford Point and lighthouse. It is one of those pesky, very narrow peninsulas where you almost walk in and out on the same path. Having looked at it I have decided there is not enough in it to warrant the effort. That said, at the very tip of the point there is what is probably the last cast iron lighthouse in Geat Britain. Instead, we will walk out as far as the Groose then take a local footpath inland to just below Cheriton to begin the walk along the back of the marshes to Crofty. Access to our accommodation is late, so we hope to have dinner at Crofty before moving on the last mile or so to Pen-clawd.
That explained the many dead trees we had seen in that area as we had come down the path. Fortunately, because it was low tide there was little water to be seen, apart from a few feet in what resembled a ditch at the back of the wall. Rather than turn back and set about trying to find another route, we decided to find a way down, over the water, across the muddy bed and up the steep muddy banks at the other side. After surveying the thing for about ten minutes, we decided it was doable. Going first, I managed without too much trouble to emerge on the other side of the seawall with only one small mishap on the journey when my foot slipped off a rock and quickly began to sink in the stinking mud. Toot sweet, Joanna Elizabeth crossed and we continued on our merry way. Ten minutes later the rain came on and, given the mud we had crossed, I would not like to have been the next person to attempt the crossing.
The sleepy edge to the day continued after lunch and although we thought we were walking well, it never translated in to miles or speed. About two thirds of the way along the marsh we stopped in the village of Llanrhidian for a late lunch where I enjoyed a lovely roast goat's cheese salad with sweet, roast beetroot, as well as numerous other meticulously prepared and dressed vegetables. As Joanna Elizabeth observed, it was one of those dishes that lived up to your expectations when ordering it. Afterwards, it was back out in the rain to finish the marsh, walking either just on the edge or just inside a wood of native trees for a time which gave us shelter from the rain when it came back.