The Original Stackpole Estate sprawled across the most southern part of Pembrokeshire,  its total area being measured in square miles rather than acres.   At the start of WW2 much of the estate was requisitioned;  9 square miles is still held as Castlemartin Range.

The estate became unviable when it lost most of its land.  Stackpole Court, built by the Cawdor family during better times, was demolished in 1963 to prevent it becoming a listed building.  In 1976, 4.2 square miles came into the care of the National Trust.

We're now left with a sprawling estate of woodland and lakes, bordered by the coastal path and beautiful beaches.   There are about 24 miles of footpaths, and it's easily possible to spend most of a week exploring this stunning area.

These pages show you where you can park, and include some of our favourite family walks.

You have two choices of parking at the north end:

The National Trust car park is across the bridge, up the hill, and then you turn back on yourself.  There is a ticket machine for out-of-season parking.  You can't miss it, because it has blue lights all round.

To get to the Mencap Walled Gardens car park take the road towards Home Farm.  The car park is along a signposted track, and is available during the garden's opening times.  I think the gardens are well worth visiting.  They are inside what was the walled garden for the main house.   It's a calm place, with a variety of crops being grown, and it's worth spending an hour or so wandering around.  They sell freshly cut produce from a shop, and there is also a tearoom.  You can also get access to Stackpole Wood from here.

Bosherston

Bosherston has a National Trust car park:

Bosherston is the best access point for a walk up and down the Lily Ponds.