St Govan's Chapel

The chapel is a single stone cell about five by three and a half metres, built into a fissure in the limestone cliff a little above the sea, with the rock forming part of its walls; the surviving structure is thirteenth century, on a site associated with a hermit named Govan said to have sheltered in the cleft in the sixth century. Fifty-two steps lead down from the clifftop, and the local tradition is that they cannot be counted to the same number going down and coming back up. Inside is a stone altar and a small cell in the rock. The chapel sits inside the Castlemartin military training area, so the access road is closed whenever the range is in use, which is often on weekdays; opening is posted locally and the coast path is closed at the same times.

The main sights

• The chapel in the cleft - a stone cell built into a fissure above the sea.
• The fifty-two steps - a cliff stair with a tradition about counting them.
• The rock cell - a niche inside associated with the hermit's shelter.
• The limestone coast - vertical cliffs and stacks along the range shoreline.

When to go

April to October, but only on days when the Castlemartin range is not firing; the road and coast path close entirely when the red flags are up, so firing times must be checked before setting out. Weekends are more often open.

Good to know

Access is genuinely unreliable because of the range, and a wasted journey is common. The steps are steep and uneven. The chapel is very small and the visit is short. There are no facilities at all.

Nearby

Bosherston lily ponds and Broad Haven South are close; Barafundle Bay lies east.

Key facts