UK's 'most beautiful' village has coastal walks, proper pubs and seafood

I'M GOING to go against the grain and say that autumn is my favourite time for a coastal break in Wales.

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(Mrs Will the Fish, Solva)

It can be a quieter time to visit, and accommodation is potentially cheaper. One of my favourite spots is a tiny harbour village that Conde Nast Traveller listed as one of the ‘most beautiful villages in the UK and Ireland’ - Solva.

Located in northern Pembrokeshire, Solva is known for its picturesque harbour, colourful houses and sandy beach tucked at the end of an inlet at St Brides Bay. It was also named one of ‘the poshest Welsh villages in the UK’ by The Sunday Times.

Using criteria that measured some obscure signs of wealth, including personalised number plates and the number of working-breed dogs per household, The Times described the village as being “popular with the posh fashion crowd who can do without the crush in Cornwall”.

I’ve long stopped off in Solva on my travels, and it’s an ideal spot for a coastal walk, a pub lunch or an epic seafood platter on the harbour. While summer is perfect for sea swimming and long afternoons on suntrap pub terraces, I have come to appreciate Pembrokeshire far more in autumn.

Sure, the weather might not be as sunny, but this is Wales. Frankly, you can have a torrential downpour in August and a mini-heatwave in late September. It’s completely unpredictable, so you may as well take a chance on a cheaper autumn visit and hope the weather gods smile upon you.