Freshwater West and Brownslade
Near the extreme south west of Pembrokeshire lies one of its wildest and most beautiful beaches.
This beach is well famed for its surf and is arguably the wildest and most beautiful beach in Pembrokeshire.
The Furzenips, Freshwater West
Behind the beach is the largest dune system in the county by far. The whole area is designated as an SSSI, SPA and SAC, and largely either owned by the National Trust or by the Ministry of Defence estate. Car parking is at either end of the beach and is free but on busy days in the summer it can be difficult to find a spot.
The dune systems and the freshwater slacks behind them are botanically rich with important moss and lichen communities and numerous species of orchid. There is also a rich invertebrate fauna which includes the only known colony of the beetle Nebria complanata in Wales along with other rare beetles.
The beach is a mixture of sand, shingle and rocky reefs with numerous rock pools which are superb for exploring. In winter the area of rocks known as the Furzenips is the best place in the county to see Grey Plover, over 30 of which roost there regularly at high tide. Other waders such as Turnstone and Sanderling often join them. A small colony of Sand Martins is present most years in the sandy cliff-line just below the car park. The location at the extreme south west of Pembrokeshire ensures that it bears the full brunt of the Atlantic during storms and during such conditions the site is very exposed. Sometimes, birds which normally spent their time out to sea are blown ashore here to wait for the storm to pass. Recent examples have been Leach’s Petrels and Little Gull.
