South Pembrokeshire coast
Freshwater East
A small cliff-top village above a sheltered, south-facing bay, with golden sand, reclaimed dunes and coast-path walks east and west.
- Best for
- Family beach time and coast-path walking
- Give it
- Beach time plus a coast-path walk
- Don't miss
- The reed-marsh boardwalk in The Burrows
Photo: Jennyvince · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped
The Fox verdict
The beach is the point
Freshwater East is a small cliff-top village overlooking a sheltered bay of golden sand and dunes.
Come for the family-friendly beach, then choose between the paths through The Burrows, the clifftop walk to Swanlake Bay and the longer coast-path line west into the Stackpole estate. Lamphey Bishop's Palace adds a nearby historical stop.
Where to go
Places in Freshwater East
Every place below is checked against a published source, listed with what it is and how long to give it.
Local signatures
3 placesSwanlake Bay
A nearly always quiet bay with a raised beach from a pre-Ice Age sea level; Stone Age flint chippings have been found there.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: allow around 90 minutes for the full 3.2-mile circular via Swanlake Bay, including its road sections.
- Locality
- Swanlake Bay on the Manorbier coast, east of Freshwater East
- Access
- Foot access only. The National Park's separate 3.2-mile Freshwater East/Swanlake Bay circular includes 250 m of main road and 1 mile of minor road, with a steep section at the bay.
Barafundle Bay
A bay on the Stackpole estate, included on the coast-path route west from Freshwater East.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: allow around 75 minutes
- Locality
- Barafundle Bay on the Stackpole estate
- Access
- The pin marks Stackpole Quay Car Park (grid ref SR99139578). From there, Barafundle Bay is about a half-mile walk on the coast path, with steep steps and uneven terrain.
Bosherston Lily Ponds
The National Trust lily ponds are one of the named stops on the nearby Stackpole estate.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: allow around 60 minutes
- Locality
- Bosherston, on the Stackpole estate
- Access
- The National Trust's one-mile Lily Ponds trail starts at Bosherston Lily Ponds Car Park (grid ref SR96669483).
Walks & outdoors
1 placeThe Burrows
Footpaths cross dune grassland and woodland, with a boardwalk laid across a reed marsh.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: allow around 60 minutes
- Locality
- behind the beach
History & heritage
1 placeLamphey Bishop's Palace
Cadw-managed Grade I ruins of the bishops' country retreat, mainly shaped by Henry de Gower, with remains of a great hall and grounds once including fishponds and orchards.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: allow around 75 minutes
- Locality
- Lamphey, north of Freshwater East
Things to do
1 place
Freshwater East Beach
Golden sand backed by dunes, with a stream at the southern end, low cliffs and small coves to the east, and gently shelving sand at low tide for ball games.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: allow around 90 minutes
- Locality
- a sheltered south-facing bay
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Three ways to explore Freshwater East
Signature outings
Find the shore approach
A separate Blue Badge car park has crushed-stone and concrete paths towards the sand; a beach wheelchair can be pre-booked.
See the reclaimed dunes
Inter-war plot development and visitor pressure damaged these dunes; National Park conservation work has helped reclaim them.
Explore the palace grounds
Mostly level grass and chippings give access to much of the palace, while historic steps lead to its upper levels.
The village story
Freshwater East: Dunes, Bays and Coast Paths
A small village where golden sand, reclaimed dunes, coast-path walking and an older maritime story meet.
A Small Village Above the Bay
Freshwater East drew visitors in the nineteenth century, when its beach became a place for outings. The village sits above a sheltered bay to the south of Lamphey, with the sand and dunes still at the centre of a visit.
Parking is available across the road from the beach, with public toilets near the sand, a café and a shop in the village. The Coastal Cruiser links Freshwater East with Pembroke and Pembroke Dock.
Sand, Dunes and The Burrows
The beach is a broad sweep of golden sand backed by dunes, with a stream crossing its southern end and low cliffs forming small bays to the east. It received a Green Coast Award in 2026. At low tide more sand is exposed for games, though visitors should watch the incoming tide. Behind the shore, paths through the 90-acre Burrows cross dune grassland and woodland, with a boardwalk through a reed marsh.
Inter-war plot development and visitor pressure damaged Freshwater East's dunes. Development stopped after the area's 1952 National Park designation, and conservation work has since helped reclaim the dune landscape.
Coast Paths and Watering Ships
The coast path east leads to Swanlake Bay, a beach reached only on foot and usually quiet. A 3.2-mile circular via the bay takes about 90 minutes in full, with fields, 250 m of main road and 1 mile of minor road on the return. At the back of the bay is a raised beach from an earlier sea level, and archaeologists have found Stone Age flint chippings there. To the west, the coast path leads towards the Stackpole estate. A separate six-mile wildlife circuit runs from Stackpole Quay through Barafundle Bay, Broad Haven South and Bosherston Lakes.
In the eighteenth century, coastal vessels stopped at Freshwater East for water, while the cliffs concealed smuggled goods. The Pembrokeshire horse races were held on the beach in 1860.
Lamphey Connections
Lamphey has a rail station, while the Coastal Cruiser bus links Freshwater East with Pembroke and Pembroke Dock. The ruined bishop's palace preserves a great hall and traces of the bishops' former country retreat.
A Slightly Stranger Coast
Euros Childs, later the frontman of Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, was born in Freshwater East. His story adds a musical chapter to this small coastal village.
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A guide with a point of view
Written from research. Edited for real journeys.
Use the Official site links for live practical details, then use this guide for context, ideas and room to explore.
Photography credits & licences
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Sources
Every place on this page is checked against a published source. Each entry links the record we used and names who publishes it.
- Freshwater East Beach — visitpembrokeshire.com operator, sector body or destination organisation
- The Burrows — visitpembrokeshire.com operator, sector body or destination organisation
- Swanlake Bay — visitpembrokeshire.com operator, sector body or destination organisation
- Lamphey Bishop's Palace — cadw.gov.wales statutory register or public authority
- Barafundle Bay — nationaltrust.org.uk national body or asset manager
- Bosherston Lily Ponds — nationaltrust.org.uk national body or asset manager