Landfall

The coast path east of Fishguard. The route hugs the contours of the edge, a limbo space between cliffs and pasture. In places (just up ahead in fact) the winter rains have created fresh erosion by sluicing the soft earth seaward. Fencing on the right provides a barrier for grazing animals. The fence posts make useful perches for birds; badgers burrow underneath.

The building on the skyline (right) marks the point at which an underwater cable once reached land. In 1883 the third telegraph cable between Ireland and Pembrokeshire was laid by ship. The cable, which was 64 miles long and made at the Silvertown Works in East London, stretched from Wexford to this point, a mile or so outside Fishguard, and the small stone hut was built for the purpose. It's been converted into a holiday cottage recently after being abandoned for many years. Closer to the cliff edge there remains a stout post which I believe supported the cable at the point it emerged from the sea.
There's lots of information about this and other undersea telegraph cables here.


Busy day with just time to walk the dog in the late afternoon: the sunshine is raising the temperature and it's almost possible to believe that spring has arrived.