The Castle Inn, Newport Pub Walk
The Mountain of Angels, Morris's Grave and One of Wales' Finest Views, 5.7 miles
I always measure walks in miles, but here I can also measure them in memories.
I've been coming to Newport for over fifty years. First with Mum and Dad, later with my own son, and now sometimes on my own. However many times I return, you can be sure that I'm looking up at Carningli and planning how and when to climb it.
This Mountain of Angels watches over one of the most beautiful corners of Wales. Its summit rewards you with breathtaking views across Newport Bay and Dinas Head before the route wanders over open common and returns via the quiet mountain road of Ffordd Bedd Morrus, where legend and landscape become inseparable.
Save this walk for a clear day to ensure you can appreciate the views.
Waiting at journey's end is The Castle Inn, a proper family-run pub where the welcome proved every bit as memorable as the walk itself. Excellent food, imaginative local beers and ciders, and a team who genuinely enjoy looking after people make this exactly the sort of place Pubs Worth The Walk was created to celebrate.
Newport has quietly become one of Wales' most desirable coastal towns, yet somehow it has retained the character that first made me fall in love with it. The Nevern estuary, the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, the beach, independent shops and Carningli all combine to make this somewhere I never tire of returning to.
I saw my first cuckoo on the summit of Carningli. According to local legend, that may have been exactly where I was meant to see it.
About The Castle Inn, Newport
Last visit: July 2026
Newport owes its existence to the Norman castle built above the Nevern estuary around the turn of the thirteenth century. Although little remains today beyond fragments incorporated into later buildings, the castle gave the town both its name and its purpose. It's entirely fitting that one of Newport's best-loved pubs still carries that legacy.
I actually arrived expecting another Newport pub to feature on these pages. A change of plan led me through the doors of The Castle Inn instead, and I'm very glad it did.
Over the last ten years, Thomas and his family have created exactly the sort of pub walkers hope to find at the end of a memorable day. During four evenings in Newport I was welcomed back by name, found staff who genuinely wanted to help, discovered an imaginative range of carefully chosen ales, lagers and ciders, and enjoyed food that was consistently excellent. We celebrated Spain's victory in the World Cup Final together.
One evening, arriving close to the kitchen cut-off, the team quietly found me a table, slipped my order into the kitchen ahead of a larger group who had only just arrived, and transformed what could have been a frustrating end to the day into another reason to return the following evening.
I've often thought that service isn't something you train people to do. It's an attitude. That attitude runs through The Castle Inn.
There's a selection of pubs in Newport. This is the one that made me feel like I'd become a local, and grateful for my business, if only for a few evenings.
Pub Key Information
| WEBSITE | https://www.castleinnpembs.co.uk/ |
| ADDRESS | Castle Inn, Bridge Street, Newport, Pembrokeshire, SA42 0TB |
| PHONE | 01239 820 742 |
| WHAT3WORDS | ///confining.couple.crispier |
| PARKING | Some parking at The Castle. There's a public car park (and toilets) on Long Street, downhill at a cross roads close to the pub. |
| LOCATION | There are many Newports. This one is the best! It's located on the A487 between Cardigan and Fishguard. |
| HANDY FOR | It's a great location for numerous highlights of West Wales, but you may well stay put! The Gwaun Valley; Fishguard's Lower Town; St David's; Preseli Hills; Cardigan; and numerous beaches such as Cwm-yr-Eglwys, Poppit Sands, and Mwnt are in reach. The Pembrokeshire Coast Path route from Newport to Poppit is one of the toughest and most rewarding of the entire route. |
Walk Overview
A terrific upland circular route that begins in the historic heart of Newport, passing St Mary’s Church, the remains of Newport Castle, and the surviving cottages of Newport’s medieval college, where a community of priests once lived and served the church. From here the route climbs steadily onto Carningli, opening out into rock, heather and wide views over the Nevern Estuary and Newport Bay.
The summit provides one of the finest panoramas in West Wales: a full 360° sweep taking in Dinas Head, the coastline north towards Cemaes, the Preseli ridge to the south, and the entire length of its 'Golden Road' running along the top of the hills on the far side of the Gwaun Valley.
Crossing the open landscape of Carningli Common, the route joins the quiet mountain lane of Ffordd Bedd Morrus. Although heading downhill, a short detour to the left in the direction of Pontfaen, just before the cattle grid, reveals the prehistoric standing stone known as Bedd Morris – traditionally said to mark the grave of Morris and linked to the local legend of Morris and his lover.
Turning right to descend the lane rewards walkers with uninterrupted views back towards Newport Bay, Dinas Head and the tidal estuary of the River Nevern.
The loop returns to Newport via Mill Lane, dropping gently back into the village centre and the welcoming pubs, cafés and independent shops that make this one of North Pembrokeshire’s most loved coastal communities.
Walk Instructions: Choose what works for you
There are multiple ways to consume the route described below.
- Either follow the online instructions, or download and print a copy of the route.
- If you have the OS Maps app, you can follow a saved route directly in the App.
- Or download the GPX file for use on your chosen GPS-based navigation application.
Walk Key Information
| START/FINISH | Assume a start from Long Street Car Park, off Long Street, close to the Castle Inn. |
| PARKING | Long Street Car Park. Newport is a small community that swells with visitors. You might need to find alternative car parking. Parrog Road and the Parrog car park are options nearby. |
| GRID REFERENCE | SN 057 352 for Long Street Car Park |
| WHAT3WORDS | ///anyway.quilting.letter for Long Street Car Park |
| DISTANCE/TIME | 5.7 miles / 9.1 km; approx 2.5 hours |
| ASCENT | 1170 feet / 360 metres |
| PATHS/TERRAIN | Grass, heather & gorse on the hillside, often rocky, with some easy, yet careful clambering needed at the summit. Very slippery when wet here. Some roads and pavements and gravel tracks. A number of gates. Generally clearly observed paths, some narrow tracks across the Common. |
| DIFFICULTY | Moderate. It will provide a sense of real achievement for those not used to walking the hills. |
| PUBLIC TRANSPORT | Buses serve Newport from the Cardigan and Fishguard directions. |
| TOILETS | At Long Street Car Park; at The Parrog; and at The Castle Inn |
| OTHER PUBS TO VISIT | Ffordd Bedd Morrus leads to Pontfaen where you'll find the incomparable Dyffryn Arms just 3 miles away; along the A487 towards Fishguard is the Sailors' Safety at Pwll Gwaelod; in Rosebush is Tafarn Since, another 'must visit' pub. In Cardigan, The Castle Inn is terrific. All feature on this website. |
Directions
- Suggest parking at Long Street car park. Exit the car park and follow Long Street back to the main road through Newport. Go straight across on Market Street, then left onto Church Street to pass St Mary’s Church on your left.
- As you continue past the church, hidden away on the right is the site of Newport Castle. You arrive at a terraced row at College Square, Newport’s medieval college for priests. Continue ahead up a lane called Castle Hill, with a house imaginatively called ‘The Cottage’ on your left.
- Continue up this road to reach a junction, bear left to follow the lane towards the rear of a cottage, following a bridleway sign. The road passes at the rear of the cottage called Bryneithin. Continue straight past.
- When you emerge from this section in front of a slate fronted cottage, turn right uphill on a gravel path. The lane continues uphill on a shady lane, eventually passing a house on your left called Penfeidr Newydd (‘end of the new road’), before passing through a metal gate.
- This brings you onto the mountain side for the first time. Follow the grassy path straight ahead, through the ferns and gorse. Carry straight on.
- You’ll soon see the first glimpse of the summit, although don’t forget to look back at the view of Newport Bay, The Parrog and the River Nevern.
- Continue straight ahead to a rocky outcrop, then continue ahead. The track starts to level out for a little while.
- At a ‘paths crossroads’, continue straight ahead, following a visible track that seems to be heading towards another (smaller) rocky outcrop up ahead.
- As you get closer to the summit, the paths start to narrow and confuse. You might stray onto a sheep path, but keep the faith, you’re closing in on the summit and most routes lead up to it.
- At this point the path I’m on seems to be heading slightly to the right of the summit, what appears to be a more direct route, whereas another, slightly narrower path is heading off to the left.
- The more direct route crosses a ‘moraine’ of stones near the summit. As you clamber across the stones, turn to your right to head directly uphill, striking out for the summit. It’s a little steep, but keep going.
- You’ll soon see that the actual summit seems to be 2 or 3 peaks. I’ll let you decide which is the highest upon which to plant your flag. Perhaps it’s the middle one.
- Superb views from here all around, including behind you to the Preseli Mountains and what’s known as the Golden Road that runs along the top.
- Our return journey is heading across to the South West, aiming initially for Carningli Common, a deposit of stones which is actually higher than the peak we’re on, according to OS. The path is visible from the Carningli top, so make your way down in that direction and head across the common.
- When you reach the cairns, turn to your left, to the south, and follow small tracks that look like sheep tracks in the direction of two large outcrops that are beyond the fence you can see. The path starts to wind around a bit, but keep going towards the fence to join a broad track which is a public right of way.
- Once you get to the track turn right, and follow this straight ahead, pretty much all the way until you reach the road called Ffordd Bedd Morrus, ignoring any options to turn left or right along the way.
- Reach the road, and turn right downhill. However, if you’d like to photograph the stone that is known as Bedd Morrus – the Grave of Morris – turn left for a few hundred metres.
- I’ve selected this return route deliberately, so that you have a section on this quiet road with the view of Newport and the Bay the entire way, rather than having to watch your feet as is usually the case on a mountain descent. The road starts to lead past houses, and then curves down to a junction on the left. Continue to follow the road to the right past an old milk churn stand. After less than 50m from the bend, look for the bridleway to the right that passes some houses.
- Pass through an old metal gate, back onto the common, and keep straight ahead on a farm track. It emerges eventually onto a gravel lane, then downhill to cross a cattlegrid on a tarmac lane.
- You arrive back into Newport on Mill Lane. Turn right to eventually join Market Street and then downhill to a well-earned pint at The Castle Inn, which is to the left at the end of the road.
Notes
Carningli - The Mountain of Angels
Long before it became a favourite destination for walkers, Carningli was a place of legend. Its name is commonly translated as 'The Mountain of Angels', recalling the sixth-century Celtic saint Brynach, who is said to have climbed here to pray among angels on its rocky summit. Brynach eventually settled nearby at Nevern, where he founded a church that still bears his name.
Like many Celtic saints, Brynach became surrounded by colourful folklore. Stories tell of wild animals becoming his companions, and local tradition even claimed that the cuckoo was his special bird, arriving in Nevern before anywhere else in Wales. Sitting quietly on Carningli's summit, listening for that unmistakable call, it's easy to understand why these stories have endured for almost 1,500 years
Bedd Morrus – The Legend of Morris
The quiet mountain road (Ffordd Bedd Morrus) back towards Newport passes a solitary standing stone known as Bedd Morrus – Morris's Grave. It marks the setting for one of Pembrokeshire's best-loved legends.
According to tradition, Morris fell in love with a young woman from the Gwaun Valley, but her father refused to allow the match and arranged for her to marry another man. Morris challenged his rival to a duel on the lonely slopes of Carningli. He was killed, and the standing stone is said to mark the place where he fell. Heartbroken, his sweetheart is said to have died soon afterwards, ensuring the lovers would at last be reunited.
As with many Welsh legends, another version of the story exists. Some claim Morris was not a tragic lover at all, but a feared highwayman who met his end on the mountain road. Whether history or folklore, the lonely setting makes it an evocative place to pause for a moment before continuing towards Newport.
Newport Castle
Although Newport feels timeless, it owes its existence to medieval ambition. Around 1197, the Norman lord William FitzMartin established a new borough beside the Nevern Estuary, building a castle to protect his lands after abandoning nearby Nevern.
Little survives today beyond fragments incorporated into later buildings, but the castle gave Newport its identity and helped establish the thriving market town that still welcomes visitors today. Your walk passes close to its former site before finishing at The Castle Inn, a fitting reminder of the town's Norman origins.
Other Pubs to try in Pembrokeshire
Gwaun Valley woods and fields around Pontfaen, on the way to Bessies.
3.3 miles
