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Striking new panels go on display at Strumble Head

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A SET of striking new interpretation panels have recently been installed at Strumble Head following a collaboration between the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority and Goodwick-based marine conservation charity Sea Trust Wales.

Strumble Head welcomes thousands of visitors each year, drawn by scenic views of the lighthouse, carpets of sea campion, thrift and heather, and awe-inspiring wildlife.

Perched on the cliff is an old World War Two lookout building, where visitors can now enjoy a set of new interpretation panels, funded by Visit Wales’s Brilliant Basics Fund and providing information about the landscape and wildlife of the area.

National Park Authority Interpretation Officer, Rhowan Alleyne, commented: “When we started to create these displays, we really wanted to help visitors spot the magical sea life at Strumble and recognise what they see. Who better to work with than Sea Trust Wales, who are out monitoring the wildlife here almost every day. I’m so grateful to Holly Dunn and her team of volunteers for sharing their invaluable knowledge.”

Strumble Head is a location used by Sea Trust Wales for their world leading porpoise Photo-ID project, in which volunteers spend several days a week surveying and recording cetacean sightings.

Over 200 porpoises have been identified so far, and the photographic database built up by Sea Trust Wales helps marine scientists to understand how far porpoises travel, and where they feed and breed.

“What makes Strumble Head so special for sea life is the tidal race,” said Sea Trust Wales Manager Holly Dunn, “the strong currents churn up nutrients that feed plankton. Small fish like sand eels feed on the planktons, and sand eels feed many other species, from mackerel, to guillemots, to porpoise, right up to minke whales. Strumble Head is a spectacular feeding ground.”

Sea Trust volunteer Ken Barnett has spent over a decade observing and photographing the wildlife at Strumble Head and said: I’ve met thousands of people during my surveys at Strumble and had a love of passing knowledge on to others, especially young children, who after all will be the caretakers of nature as time moves on.

“As an educational tool, these new interpretation panels are exceptional and complete the Strumble experience for visitors. It’s been an honour to participate in the project and I applaud Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority for their provision.”

Once an experimental communications station built in World War Two, Strumble Head lookout was saved from demolition in the 1980s after it was bought by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, becoming a valuable site for the study of bird migrations and sea life.

The National Park Authority also owns and manages about 10 acres of marine heathland at Strumble Head, which is a rare habitat important for wildflowers, insects, reptiles and birds.

The new interpretation panels give visitors a better understanding of the amazing wealth and variety of wildlife that can be spotted on the cliffs and in the waters around Strumble Head.

Business

Derelict Cilgerran house to be transformed into cafe

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PLANS by a village shop owner to convert a house “in a state of disrepair” to a café to “improve the variety of community facilities” locally have been given the go-ahead.

Mrs Morris, through agent Harries Planning Design Management, sought permission from Pembrokeshire County Council to convert The Old Post House, High Street, Cilgerran, currently a four-bed dwelling, to a ground floor café, along with a first-floor flat.

The application received five letters of support, saying it would provide local jobs, support the community, promote Welsh and local food, and provide a local community hub, with three letters of objection, raising concerns about parking and traffic, and potential odours from the premises.

A supporting statement, through the agent, said: “The proposed site is currently a dwellinghouse, in current need of modernisations and renovations throughout. The site is under the same ownership as the neighbouring village stores Siop Y Pentre,” saying the proposal “can be read as an extension to the existing Siop Y Pentre”.

“Siop Y Pentre is a thriving local community village shop which acts as a village hub. The shop provides local residents with day-to-day necessities, with a focus on local, sustainable and minimal waste products,” the statement says, adding the dwelling it seeks to convert “is in disrepair and in need of internal works to make suitable for modern living”.

It went on to say: “The proposed café seeks to retain its focus on local and seasonal produce with minimal waste and would provide a welcomed opportunity for socialising, especially during the daytime. The café will also seek to employ local staff retaining a community feel throughout. As such, the principle of the café adjacent to the existing village store is considered acceptable. The site seeks to encourage a sustainable community, with development of an appropriate scale and nature.

“Further to this, the location of the development is within the settlement boundary and seeks to fulfil a need for day-time socialising environments currently lacking within Cilgerran.”

The application was conditionally approved by county planners.

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Community

Emergency call outage affected Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire

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RESIDENTS in parts of Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire faced difficulties contacting emergency services via the 999 landline number on Sunday (Dec 17) due to a temporary outage.

Dyfed-Powys Police issued alerts on social media, warning residents of potential issues when trying to dial 999 from landlines in affected areas. Locations impacted included Pembroke, Manorbier, Carew, and surrounding areas.

In a statement, police advised: “You may have faced problems calling 999 from a landline in the Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire area. Places likely to have been affected were Pembroke, Manorbier, Carew. Please try calling from a mobile phone as mobile networks may have been working normally. Normal service will be restored as soon as possible. Non-emergencies can be reported online. Please look out for further updates.”

Later in the day, an update confirmed that the 999 landline service had been restored in the Llangrannog and Llanteg areas.

The temporary disruption raised concerns about access to emergency services in rural areas, where mobile coverage can sometimes be unreliable.

Authorities urged residents to remain vigilant and use alternative communication methods in the event of future disruptions. Further updates are expected as investigations into the cause of the outage continue.

For non-emergency issues, residents can continue to report incidents via the Dyfed-Powys Police website or contact their local police station directly.

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Community

Police and council in collaborative effort to tackle fly grazing

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IT WAS confirmed this week Pembrokeshire County council is teaming up with Dyfed-Powys Police in a bid to tackle a growing problem of horses on public areas in the county.

The move comes after the County has witnessed a significant increase in incidents of horses being left on public land and highways – known as fly-grazing.

Over the Christmas period the agencies will work operationally in a collaborative effort to alleviate the issue.

This joint approach is in response to community concerns and part of a wider initiative that will enable partner agencies to effectively address with the issue.

Members of the public can report fly grazing concerns by contacting [email protected] or 01437 764551.

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