St. Non's Bay

Right (south-west) of the descent to Velvet Wall is a small square-cut bay. Another 30 metres or so to the right again is an east facing black striated slab, known for its deep cracks as Corduroy Slab. The base can be gained through easy scrambling at mid-tide.

This area can be found 200 metres east of the chapel and is beneath the highest point reached by the coastal path. It consists of three buttress, the most westerly of which is split by a fissure near its eastward tip and is known as Keyhole Buttress.

This is the buttress to the right (east) of Keyhole Buttress and is accessed by abseiling down said buttress.

Initiation Slabs is located on the western side of a small zawn just to the west of the chapel. It's an idyllic little spot with some fantastic little routes. Access is gained by abseiling from one of two stakes. At high tide, hanging belays are a necessity.

South of the zawn containing Red Admiral is a wide 15 metre high slab on the north side of a shallow, V-shaped zawn. Its base is accessible for two hours either side low tide.

This is the obvious rocky bay some 50 metres east of Initiation Slabs. Approach by scrambling down rocks on its western side, or better, by abseil.

This section displays the weather forecast for Caerfai Bay, which is located to the east of St. Non's Bay. This gives a pretty good indication of what the weather will be like on the crag, as both Caerfai Bay and St. Non's sit at around sea level.

Tide times can have a significant impact on where and when one climbs. It is therefore extremely important to check the timetables before embarking on trip to the area. UK tides information for all standard and secondary ports is provided by the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO), and displayed on the BBC's website. The link below provides a link to the nearest monitoring station to St. Non's Bay:

The most reliable conditions are in the summer, but the low altitude of the crag may make it a viable option in winter. The gear needed depends entirely on the routes you plan to do. Easier routes will only require a moderate rack, while harder routes will require a something more comprehensive; a good compliment of friends or other camming devices will certainly help. A singe 50 metre rope should serve well on most easy routes, however, twin or double ropes would be a wise choice for the harder stuff. In addition to your usual gear, you might want to bring along an abseil rope to speed up access to the base of the crag.

Although there are a variety of ways to get to St. Non's Bay, which is located just the south of St. David’s, most will probably be coming from the west. If so, when approaching from Carmarthen (SN 405 196) take the A40 Truck Road signposted for Saint Clears (SN 274 160). At the Saint Clears roundabout, continue along the A40 towards Haverfordwest (SM 962 158). Here you will need to leave the A40, take a short detour through the town, and take the smaller A487 which will signpost St. David’s (SM 753 253).

Enter the city and continue to the 'roundabout' with a Celtic cross at its centre (SM 753 253). Take the first exit left, which is signposted to 'Porth-Clais 1.5 miles'. Follow this for around 200m and take the first left, which is signposted 'St. Non's Cahapel ¼ mile. Follow this and park at the free car park at St. Non's Retreat (SM 751 244). Walk down the path past the chapel and the well to the coastal path and take your pick of crags.

There’s an almost unlimited supply of accommodation within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park so it would be inappropriate to list it all here. The city of St. David’s and its hinterland is particularly well provided for. For budget accommodation it’s worth checking out some of the following sites:

Youth Hostel Association in Wales
Independent Hostel Guide
Campsites in Pembrokeshire

For everything else and more see Visit Pembrokeshire’s website.

No red tape or access issues here!

For climbers, hill walkers and mountaineers, the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) runs a Regional Access Database, which holds mountain/crag specific information on matters of conservation and access, including issues such as nesting restrictions, nature designations and preferred parking.

Regional Access Database

If you are in any doubt about any particular access arrangement, or need to report an incident, you should contact your local BMC Access Representative or the BMC Access Officers for Wales: Elfyn Jones.