West Wales ( Welsh : Gorllewin Cymru ) is a region of Wales .
78-633: It has various definitions, either covering Pembrokeshire , Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire , which historically comprised the Welsh principality of Deheubarth , and an alternative definition is to include Swansea and Neath Port Talbot , but exclude Ceredigion. The West Wales and the Valleys NUTS area also includes more westerly parts of North Wales as well as the South Wales Valleys . The preserved county of Dyfed covers what
156-696: A jousting accident, ending a line of inheritance stretching back 250 years. Pembroke Castle then reverted to Richard II . Short tenancies were then granted by The Crown for its ownership. By 1400 Owain Glyndŵr had begun a rebellion in Wales. However, Pembroke escaped attack because the castle's Constable, Francis а Court, paid off Glyndŵr in gold. Then in 1452, the castle and the earldom were presented to Jasper Tudor by his half-brother Henry VI . Tudor brought his widowed sister-in-law, Margaret Beaufort , to Pembroke where, in 1457, she gave birth to her only child, who
234-679: A flourishing wool industry . There are still working woollen mills at Solva and Tregwynt . One of the last few watermills in Wales producing flour is in St Dogmaels . Pembrokeshire has good soil and benefits from the Gulf Stream , which provides a mild climate and a longer growing season than other parts of Wales. Pembrokeshire's mild climate means that crops such as its new potatoes (which have protected geographical status under European law) often arrive in British shops earlier in
312-457: A mild climate and Tenby shows a similar range of temperatures throughout the year, while at Penycwm, on the west coast and 100m above sea level, temperatures are slightly lower. The county has on average the highest coastal winter temperatures in Wales due to its proximity to the relatively warm Atlantic Ocean. Inland, average temperatures tend to fall 0.5 °C for each 100 metres increase in height. The air pollution rating of Pembrokeshire
390-513: A petition was presented to the House of Commons concerning the poor state of many of the county's roads, pointing out that repairs could not be made compulsory by the law as it stood. The petition was referred to committee. People applying for poor relief were often put to work mending roads. Workhouses were poorly documented. Under the Poor Laws , costs and provisions were kept to a minimum, but
468-476: A religious census of Pembrokeshire showed that of 70 per cent of the population, 53 per cent were nonconformists and 17 per cent Church of England (now Church in Wales , in the Diocese of St Davids ). The 2001 census for Preseli Pembrokeshire constituency showed that 74 per cent were Christian and 25 per cent of no religion (or not stated), with other religions totalling less than 1 per cent. This approximated to
546-598: A six-day period. The Pembrokeshire coastline includes numerous bays and sandy beaches. The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park , the only park in the UK established primarily because of its coastline, occupies more than a third of the county. The park contains the Pembrokeshire Coast Path , a near-continuous 186-mile (299 km) long-distance trail from Amroth , by the Carmarthenshire border in
624-499: A timber palisade . In 1189, Pembroke Castle was acquired by William Marshal. He soon became Lord Marshal of England, and set about turning the earth and wood fort into an impressive Norman stone castle . The inner ward, which was constructed first, contains the huge round keep with its domed roof. Its original first-floor entrance was through an external stairwell. Inside, a spiral staircase connected its four stories. The keep's domed roof also has several putlog holes that supported
702-672: A whole. There was considerable military activity in Pembrokeshire and offshore in the 20th century: a naval base at Milford Haven because German U-boats were active off the coast in World War I and, in World War II , military exercises in the Preseli Mountains and a number of military airfields. The wartime increase in air activity saw a number of aircraft accidents and fatalities, often due to unfamiliarity with
780-476: A wooden fighting-platform . If the castle was attacked, the hoarding allowed defenders to go out beyond the keep's massive walls above the heads of the attackers. The inner ward 's curtain wall had a large horseshoe-shaped gateway. But only a thin wall was required along the promontory. This section of the wall has a small observation turret and a square stone platform. Domestic buildings including William Marshal's Great Hall and private apartments were within
858-515: Is Foel Cwmcerwyn at 1,759 feet (536 m), which is also the highest point in Pembrokeshire. Elsewhere in the county most of the land (86 per cent according to CORINE ) is used for farming, compared with 60 per cent for Wales as a whole. Pembrokeshire's wildlife is diverse, with marine, estuary, woodland, moorland and farmland habitats. The county has a number of seasonal seabird breeding sites, including for razorbill , guillemot , puffin and Manx shearwater , and rare endemic species such as
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#1732764923701936-548: Is "Good", the lowest rating. The rocks in the county were formed between 600 and 290 million years ago. More recent rock formations were eroded when sea levels rose 80 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous Period . Around 60 million years ago, the Pembrokeshire landmass emerged through a combination of uplift and falling sea levels; the youngest rocks, from the Carboniferous Period , contain
1014-560: Is 24 miles (39 km) long, of which only 2 miles (3.2 km) are dual carriageway. The Cleddau Bridge , toll-free from 28 March 2019, carries the A477 across the Cleddau Estuary . The A478 traverses eastern Pembrokeshire from Tenby in the south to Cardigan, Ceredigion in the north, a distance of 30 miles (48 km). The A487 is the other major route, running northwest from Haverfordwest to St Davids, then northeast following
1092-411: Is a county in the south-west of Wales . It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and otherwise by the sea. Haverfordwest is the largest town and administrative headquarters of Pembrokeshire County Council . The county is generally sparsely populated and rural, with an area of 610 square miles (1,600 km ) and a population of 123,400. After Haverfordwest,
1170-424: Is a Norman-style enclosure castle with great keep , it can be more accurately described as a linear fortification because, like the later 13th-century castles at Caernarfon and Conwy , it was built on a rocky promontory surrounded by water. This meant that attacking forces could only assault on a narrow front. Architecturally, Pembroke's thickest walls and towers are all concentrated on its landward side facing
1248-576: Is a feature that has led to the wood being described as "...one of the most magical and special woodlands in the UK." The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales is in the process of restoring a lost temperate rainforest , also known as a Celtic forest, in Trellwyn Fach, near the town of Fishguard . Although temperate rainforests once covered much of western Britain's coasts, they were destroyed over centuries and only remain in fragments. The 59-hectare (150-acre) site will connect with remnants of
1326-536: Is generally considered to be West Wales; between 1974 and 1996, Dyfed was a county , with a county council and six district councils. There are various definitions of "West Wales". There is also a West Wales and the Valleys Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (now International Territorial Level ) statistical region. As well as South West Wales , Mid and West Wales or Mid and South West Wales and North West Wales . Historically,
1404-515: Is not clear whether these belonged to Romans or to a Romanised population. Welsh tradition has it that Magnus Maximus founded Haverfordwest, and took a large force of local men on campaign in Gaul in 383 which, together with the reduction of Roman forces in south Wales, left a defensive vacuum which was filled by incomers from Ireland. Between 350 and 400, an Irish tribe known as the Déisi settled in
1482-558: Is now St Davids Head, but most Roman writers did not mention the area; there may have been a Roman settlement near St Davids and a road from Bath, but this comes from a 14th-century writer. Any evidence for villas or Roman building materials reported by mediaeval or later writers has not been verified, though some remains near Dale were tentatively identified as Roman in character by topographer Richard Fenton in his Historical Tour of 1810. Fenton stated that he had "...reason to be of opinion that they had not colonized Pembrokeshire till near
1560-735: Is served by rail via the West Wales Lines from Swansea . Direct trains from Milford Haven run to Manchester Piccadilly . Branch lines terminate at Pembroke Dock , Milford Haven and Fishguard , linking with ferries to Ireland from Pembroke Dock and Fishguard. Seasonal ferry services operate from Tenby to Caldey Island, from St Justinians (St Davids) to Ramsey Island and Grassholm Island, and from Martin's Haven to Skomer Island. Haverfordwest (Withybush) Airport provides general aviation services. Pembrokeshire's economy now relies heavily on tourism; agriculture, once its most important industry with associated activities such as milling,
1638-620: Is served by the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and Dyfed-Powys Police . There are no motorways in Pembrokeshire; the nearest is the M4 motorway from London which terminates at the Pont Abraham services in Carmarthenshire some 46 miles (74 km) from Haverfordwest. The A40 crosses Pembrokeshire from the border with Carmarthenshire westwards to Haverfordwest, then northwards to Fishguard. The A477 from St. Clears to Pembroke Dock
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#17327649237011716-506: Is still significant. Mining of slate and coal had largely ceased by the 20th century. Since the 1950s, petrochemical and liquid natural gas industries have developed along the Milford Haven Waterway and the county has attracted other major ventures. In 2016, Stephen Crabb , then Welsh Secretary , commented in a government press release: "...with a buoyant local economy, Pembrokeshire is punching above its weight across
1794-712: The Marcher Lords , such as Cemais in the north of the county. Henry Tudor, born at Pembroke Castle in 1457, landed an army in Pembrokeshire in 1485 and marched to Cardigan via Haverforwest. Rallying support, he continued to Leicestershire and defeated the larger army of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field . As Henry VII , he became the first monarch of the House of Tudor , which ruled England until 1603. The Laws in Wales Act 1535 effectively abolished
1872-536: The Pembrokeshire Coalfield . The landscape was subject to considerable change as a result of ice ages; about 20,000 years ago the area was scraped clean of soil and vegetation by the ice sheet; subsequently, meltwater deepened the existing river valleys. While Pembrokeshire is not usually a seismically active area, in August 1892 there was a series of pronounced activities (maximum intensity: 7) over
1950-402: The red-billed chough ; Grassholm has a large gannet colony. Seals, several species of whales (including rare humpback whale sightings ), dolphins and porpoises can be seen off the Pembrokeshire coast; whale-watching boat trips are frequent, particularly during the summer months. An appeal for otter sightings in 2014 yielded more than 100 responses, and a rare visit by a walrus occurred in
2028-537: The town was fortified with defensive walls , three main gates and a postern . Pembroke Castle became de Valence's military base for fighting the Welsh princes during the conquest of North Wales by Edward I between 1277 and 1295. On the death of Aymer de Valence, 2nd Earl of Pembroke , William de Valence's son, the castle passed through marriage to the Hastings family. In 1389, 17-year-old John Hastings died in
2106-600: The 2018 heatwave; in the same year, a 1st-century Celtic chariot burial was discovered in Llanstadwell , the first such find in Wales. There may have been dairy farming in Neolithic times. There is little evidence of Roman occupation in what is now Pembrokeshire. Ptolemy 's Geography , written c. 150 , mentioned some coastal places, two of which have been identified as the River Teifi and what
2184-664: The Eastern Cleddau, and rivers Cresswell and Carew. Since 1975, the estuary has been bridged by the Cleddau Bridge , a toll bridge carrying the A477 between Neyland and Pembroke Dock. Large bays are Newport Bay, Fishguard Bay, St Bride's Bay and western Carmarthen Bay . There are several small islands off the Pembrokeshire coast, the largest of which are Ramsey , Grassholm , Skokholm , Skomer and Caldey . The seas around Skomer and Skokholm, and some other areas off
2262-625: The Norman castle built in the cantref of Penfro . In 1136, Prince Owain Gwynedd at Crug Mawr near Cardigan met and destroyed a 3,000-strong Norman/Flemish army and incorporated Deheubarth into Gwynedd. Norman/Flemish influence never fully recovered in West Wales. In 1138, the county of Pembrokeshire was named as a county palatine . Rhys ap Gruffydd , the son of Owain Gwynedd's daughter Gwenllian , re-established Welsh control over much of
2340-464: The Pembrokeshire coast are Marine protected areas . There are many known shipwrecks off the Pembrokeshire coast with many more undiscovered. A Viking wreck off The Smalls has protected status. The county has six lifeboat stations , the earliest of which was established in 1822; in 2015 a quarter of all Royal National Lifeboat Institution Welsh rescues took place off the Pembrokeshire coast. Pembrokeshire's diverse range of geological features
2418-558: The Royalist castles of Tenby , Haverfordwest and Carew . In 1648, at the beginning of the Second Civil War , Pembroke's commander Colonel John Poyer led a Royalist uprising alongside Colonel Powell, Tenby Castle, and Sir Nicholas Kemoys , Chepstow Castle . Oliver Cromwell came to Pembroke on 24 May 1648 and took the castle after a seven-week siege . Its three leaders were found guilty of treason and Cromwell ordered
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2496-581: The Senedd (MSs) returned to the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) in Cardiff are Paul Davies and Samuel Kurtz respectively, both Conservatives. From 2024, Pembrokeshire was represented by the new UK Parliament constituencies Ceredigion Preseli and Mid and South Pembrokeshire which, in the 2024 General Election , returned Ben Lake ( Plaid Cymru ) and Henry Tufnell ( Labour ) respectively. Pembrokeshire
2574-665: The UK. In 2021, 52.7 per cent of residents identified as "Welsh only", a slight decrease since 2011. Under the Local Government Act 1888 , an elected county council was set up to take over the functions of the Pembrokeshire Quarter Sessions . It was based at the Shire Hall, Haverfordwest . This and the administrative county of Pembrokeshire were abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 , with Pembrokeshire forming two districts of
2652-502: The UK." In August 2019, the Pembrokeshire County Show celebrated 60 years at Haverfordwest Showground. The organisers anticipated 100,000 visitors, the largest three-day such event in Wales at the time. It showcased agriculture, food and drink, a rugby club, entertainment, with the star attraction a motorcycle display team. Until the 12th century, a great extent of Pembrokeshire was virgin woodland. Clearance in
2730-506: The area of the county was calculated to be 345,600 acres (1,399 km ) with a population of 81,424. It was not until nearly the end of the 19th century that mains water was provided to rural south Pembrokeshire by means of a reservoir at Rosebush and cast iron water pipes throughout the district. Throughout much of the 20th century (1911 to 1961) the population density in the county remained stable while it rose in England and Wales as
2808-411: The area. It is a varied landscape which includes high sea cliffs, wide sandy beaches, the large natural harbour of Milford Haven, and several offshore islands which are home to seabird colonies. Most of it is protected by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park , and can be hiked on the 190-mile (310 km) Pembrokeshire Coast Path . The interior of Pembrokeshire is relatively flat and gently undulating, with
2886-568: The castle rebuilt in stone and established the great keep at the same time. Marshal was succeeded in turn by each of his five sons. His third son, Gilbert Marshal , was responsible for enlarging and further strengthening the castle between 1234 and 1241. All of Marshal's sons died childless. In 1247, the castle was inherited by William de Valence (a half-brother of Henry III ), who had become Earl of Pembroke through his marriage to Joan de Munchensi , William Marshal's granddaughter. The de Valence family held Pembroke for 70 years. During this time,
2964-405: The castle to be destroyed. Townspeople were even encouraged to disassemble the fortress and re-use its stone for their purposes. The castle was then abandoned and allowed to decay. It remained in ruins until 1880, when a three-year restoration project was undertaken. Nothing further was done until 1928, when Major-General Sir Ivor Philipps acquired the castle and began an extensive restoration of
3042-659: The castle's walls, gatehouses, and towers. After his death, a trust was set up for the castle, jointly managed by the Philipps family and Pembroke town council. In July 2022, archaeological survey funded by the Natural History Museum and the British Cave Research Society uncovered evidence of prehistoric megafauna such as reindeer and woolly mammoth bones, in addition to seashells , pigs and deer at Wogan Cavern. According to
3120-508: The chosen ally turned out to be incompetent, the King reappointed Gerald in 1102. By 1138 King Stephen had given Pembroke Castle to Gilbert de Clare who used it as an important base in the Norman invasion of Ireland . In August 1189 Richard I arranged the marriage of Isabel , de Clare's granddaughter, to William Marshal who received both the castle and the title, Earl of Pembroke . He had
3198-797: The coast, through Fishguard and Newport, to the boundary with Ceredigion at Cardigan. Owing to length restrictions in Fishguard, some freight vehicles are not permitted to travel northeast from Fishguard but must take a longer route via Haverfordwest and Narberth. The B4329 former turnpike runs from Eglwyswrw in the north to Haverfordwest across the Preselis. The main towns in the county are covered by regular bus and train services operated by First Cymru (under their "Western Welsh" livery), Transport for Wales Rail and sometimes Great Western Railway respectively, and many villages by local bus services, or community or education transport. Pembrokeshire
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3276-582: The county through an opening up of rural industries, including agriculture, mining and fishing, with exports to England and Ireland, though the formerly staple woollen industry had all but disappeared. During the First English Civil War (1642–1646) the county gave strong support to the Roundheads (Parliamentarians), in contrast to the rest of Wales, which was staunchly Royalist . In spite of this, an incident in Pembrokeshire triggered
3354-554: The county, St Davids is the United Kingdom's smallest city in terms of both size and population (1,841 in 2011). Saundersfoot is the most populous village (more than 2,500 inhabitants) in Pembrokeshire. Less than 4 per cent of the county, according to CORINE , is built-on or green urban. There are three weather stations in Pembrokeshire: at Tenby, Milford Haven and Penycwm , all on the coast. Milford Haven enjoys
3432-515: The decline of their empire in Britain". Part of a possible Roman road is noted by CADW near Llanddewi Velfrey , and another near Wiston . Wiston is also the location of the first Roman fort discovered in Pembrokeshire, investigated in 2013. A find in north Pembrokeshire in 2024 of the likely remains of a Roman fort adds to the extent of Roman military presence in the area. Some artefacts, including coins and weapons, have been found, but it
3510-486: The emphasis was often on helping people to be self-employed. While the Poor Laws provided a significant means of support, there were many charitable and benefit societies. After the Battle of Fishguard , the failed French invasion of 1797, 500 French prisoners were held at Golden Hill Farm, Pembroke. From 1820 to 1878 one of the county's prisons, with a capacity of 86, was in the grounds of Haverfordwest Castle. In 1831,
3588-682: The exception of the Preseli Mountains in the north. There are many prehistoric sites in Pembrokeshire, particularly in the Preseli Mountains. During the Middle Ages several castles were built by the Normans, such as Pembroke and Cilgerran , and St David's Cathedral became an important pilgrimage site. During the Industrial Revolution the county remained relatively rural, with the exception of Milford Haven, which
3666-497: The figures for the whole of Wales. By 2021, 43 per cent reported "no religion", while 48.8 per cent described themselves as Christian. 6.6 per cent did not state their religion, and the remainder represented a number of other religions combined. In 2001, Preseli Pembrokeshire constituency was 99 per cent white European, marginally lower than in 1991, compared with 98 per cent for the whole of Wales. 71 per cent identified their place of birth as Wales and 26 per cent as from elsewhere in
3744-420: The inner ward. The 13th century keep is 23 metres (75 ft) tall with walls up to 6 metres (20 ft) thick at its base. In the late 13th century, additional buildings were added to the inner ward, including a new Great Hall. A 55-step spiral staircase was also created that led down to a large limestone cave, known as Wogan Cavern, beneath the castle. The cave, which was created by natural water erosion ,
3822-725: The land was arable or rough pasture in a ratio of about 1:3. Kelly's Directory of 1910 gave a snapshot of the agriculture of Pembrokeshire: 57,343 acres (23,206 ha) were cropped (almost half under oats and a quarter barley), there were 37,535 acres (15,190 ha) of grass and clover and 213,387 acres (86,355 ha) of permanent pasture (of which a third was for hay). There were 128,865 acres (52,150 ha) of mountain or heathland used for grazing, with 10,000 acres (4,000 ha) of managed or unmanaged woodland. Estimates of livestock included 17,810 horses, 92,386 cattle, 157,973 sheep and 31,673 pigs. Of 5,981 agricultural holdings, more than half were between 5 and 50 acres. Pembrokeshire had
3900-418: The largest settlements are Milford Haven (13,907), Pembroke Dock (9,753), and Pembroke (7,552). St Davids (1,841) is a city, the smallest by population in the UK. Welsh is spoken by 17.2 percent of the population, and for historic reasons is more widely spoken in the north of the county than in the south. Pembrokeshire's coast is its most dramatic geographic feature, created by the complex geology of
3978-411: The line has been termed " Little England Beyond Wales ". The first objective, statistically based description of this demarcation was made in the 1960s, but the distinction was remarked upon as early as 1603 by George Owen of Henllys . A 21st century introduction of Welsh place names for villages which had previously been known locally only by their English names has caused some controversy. In 1851,
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#17327649237014056-434: The lowland south began under Anglo-Flemish colonisation and under mediaeval tenancies in other areas. Such was the extent of development that by the 16th century there was a shortage of timber in the county. Little is known about mediaeval farming methods, but much arable land was continuously cropped and only occasionally ploughed. By the 18th century, many of the centuries-old open field systems had been enclosed , and much of
4134-409: The most powerful men in 12th-century Britain. He rebuilt Pembroke Castle in stone, creating most of the structure that remains today. The castle is open to the public and is the largest privately owned castle in Wales. The castle is sited on a strategic rocky promontory by the Milford Haven Waterway . The first fortification on the site was a Norman motte-and-bailey . It had earthen ramparts and
4212-535: The most recent arrangement of communities (the successors to civil parishes) in the county which have their own councils; see the foot of this page for a list of communities. From 2010 to 2024, Pembrokeshire returned two Conservative MPs to the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster: Stephen Crabb for Preseli Pembrokeshire and Simon Hart for South Pembrokeshire which is represented jointly with West Carmarthenshire. The corresponding Members of
4290-477: The names of 1,200 of those that perished in World War I. In 1972, a second reservoir for south Pembrokeshire, at Llys y Fran , was completed. Pembrokeshire's population was 122,439 at the 2011 census, increasing marginally to 123,400 at the 2021 census. 66.4 per cent of residents were born in Wales, while 27.5 per cent were born in England. The 2021 census recorded that Welsh is spoken by 17.2 per cent of
4368-497: The new county of Dyfed : South Pembrokeshire and Preseli – the split being made at the request of local authorities in the area. Under the same Act, civil parishes were replaced by communities across the whole of Wales. In 1996, under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 , the county of Dyfed was broken up into its constituent parts, and Pembrokeshire has been a unitary authority since then. A new County Hall
4446-526: The new realm of Deheubarth ("southern district"). Between the Roman and Norman periods, the region was subjected to raids from Vikings , who established settlements and trading posts at Haverfordwest, Fishguard, Caldey Island and elsewhere. Dyfed remained an integral province of Deheubarth, but this was contested by invading Normans and Flemings who arrived between 1067 and 1111. The region became known as Pembroke (sometimes archaic "Penbroke" ), after
4524-775: The opening shots of the Second English Civil War when local units of the New Model Army mutinied. Oliver Cromwell defeated the uprising at the Siege of Pembroke in July 1648. On 13 August 1649, the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland began when New Model Army forces sailed from Milford Haven. In 1720, Emmanuel Bowen described Pembrokeshire as having five market towns, 45 parishes and about 4,329 houses, with an area of 420,000 acres (1,700 km ). In 1791
4602-470: The population, a fall from 19.2 per cent in 2011. As a result of differential immigration over hundreds of years, such as the influx of Flemish people, the south of the county has fewer Welsh-speaking inhabitants (about 15 per cent) than the north (about 50 per cent). The rough line that can be drawn between the two regions, illustrated by the map, is known as the Landsker Line , and the area south of
4680-590: The powers of the Marcher Lords and divided the county into seven hundreds , roughly corresponding to the seven pre-Norman cantrefi of Dyfed. The hundreds were (clockwise from the northeast): Cilgerran , Cemais , Dewisland , Roose , Castlemartin , Narberth and Dungleddy and each was divided into civil parishes; a 1578 map by Christopher Saxton is the earliest known to show parishes and chapelries in Pembrokeshire; (see list of hundreds and parishes ). The Elizabethan era brought renewed prosperity to
4758-587: The region and threatened to retake all of Pembrokeshire, but died in 1197. After Deheubarth was split by a dynastic feud, Llywelyn the Great almost succeeded in retaking the region of Pembroke between 1216 and his death in 1240. In 1284 the Statute of Rhuddlan was enacted to introduce the English common law system to Wales, heralding 100 years of peace, but had little effect on those areas already established under
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#17327649237014836-453: The region known to the Romans as Demetae . The Déisi merged with the local Welsh, with the regional name underlying Demetae evolving into Dyfed , which existed as an independent petty kingdom from the 5th century. In 904, Hywel Dda married Elen (died 943), daughter of the king of Dyfed Llywarch ap Hyfaidd , and merged Dyfed with his own maternal inheritance of Seisyllwg , forming
4914-464: The remaining rainforest in the Gwaun valley . The project is part of a larger, 100-year Atlantic rainforest recovery programme. Human habitation of the region that is now Pembrokeshire extends back to between 125,000 and 70,000 years and there are numerous prehistoric sites such as Pentre Ifan , and neolithic remains (12,000 to 6,500 years ago), more of which were revealed in an aerial survey during
4992-589: The researchers, the cave was occupied by residents as far back as the Paleolithic and Mesolithic Periods. Pembroke has appeared in numerous feature films. These include the 1968 film The Lion in Winter , the 1976 film Jabberwocky , the BBC adaptation of C.S. Lewis 's Prince Caspian , the film of Shakespeare's Richard II , and the 2016 Anglo-American romantic film Me Before You . It features as
5070-573: The southeast, to St Dogmaels just down the River Teifi estuary from Cardigan, Ceredigion , in the north. The National Trust owns 60 miles (97 km) of Pembrokeshire's coast. Nowhere in the county is more than 10 miles (16 km) from tidal water. The large estuary and natural harbour of Milford Haven cuts deep into the coast; this inlet is formed by the confluence of the Western Cleddau (which flows through Haverfordwest),
5148-410: The spring of 2021. Pembrokeshire is one of the few places in the UK that is home to the rare Southern damselfly, Coenagrion mercuriale , which is found at several locations in the county, and whose numbers have been boosted by conservation work over a number of years. Ancient woodland still exists, such as Tŷ Canol Wood , where biofluorescence , seen under ultraviolet light under the dark sky,
5226-1041: The term West Wales was applied to the Kingdom of Cornwall during the Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain and the period of the Heptarchy . The Old English word Wealas , a Germanic term for inhabitants of the Western Roman Empire , which the Anglo-Saxons came to apply especially to the Britons , gave its name to Wales and is also the origin of the second syllable in the name Cornwall. 52°26′02″N 4°16′30″W / 52.434°N 4.275°W / 52.434; -4.275 Pembrokeshire Pembrokeshire ( / ˈ p ɛ m b r ʊ k ʃ ɪər , - ʃ ər / PEM -bruuk-sheer, -shər ; Welsh : Sir Benfro [siːr ˈbɛnvrɔ] )
5304-454: The terrain. From 1943 to 1944, 5,000 soldiers from the United States Army's 110th Infantry Regiment were based in the county, preparing for D-Day . Military and industrial targets in the county were subjected to bombing during World War II. After the end of the war, German prisoners of war were accommodated in Pembrokeshire, the largest prison being at Haverfordwest, housing 600. The County of Pembroke War Memorial in Haverfordwest carries
5382-419: The town, with Pembroke River providing a natural defense around the rest of its perimeter. Pembroke Castle stands on a site that has been occupied at least since the Roman period . Roger de Montgomerie, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury founded the first castle here in the 11th century. Although only made from earth and wood, Pembroke Castle resisted several Welsh attacks and sieges over the next 30 years. The castle
5460-401: The year than produce from other parts of the UK. Other principal arable crops are oilseed rape , wheat and barley , while the main non-arable activities are dairy farming for milk and cheese, beef production and sheep farming. Pembroke Castle Pembroke Castle ( Welsh : Castell Penfro ) is a medieval castle in the centre of Pembroke, Pembrokeshire in Wales . The castle
5538-439: Was a key factor in the establishment of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and a number of sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs). In the north of the county are the Preseli Mountains, a wide stretch of high moorland supporting sheep farming and some forestry, with many prehistoric sites and the probable source of the bluestones used in the construction of the inner circle of Stonehenge in England. The highest point
5616-535: Was built in 1999 in Haverfordwest and serves as the county council's headquarters. In 2017 Pembrokeshire County Council had 60 members and no political party in overall control; there were 34 independent councillors. In 2009, the question of county names and Royal Mail postal addresses was raised in the Westminster parliament; it was argued that Royal Mail's continued use of the county address Dyfed
5694-472: Was causing concern and confusion in the Pembrokeshire business community. The Royal Mail subsequently ceased requiring county names to be used in postal addresses. In 2018, Pembrokeshire County Council increased council tax by 12.5 per cent, the largest increase since 2004, but the county's council tax remains the lowest in Wales. In 2023 the council published its corporate strategy document for 2023-28. The Pembrokeshire (Communities) Order 2011 established
5772-408: Was developed as a port and Royal Navy dockyard . It is now the UK's third-largest port, primarily because of its two liquefied natural gas terminals. The economy of the county is now focused on agriculture, oil and gas, and tourism. The county town is Haverfordwest. Other towns include Pembroke, Pembroke Dock, Milford Haven, Fishguard , Tenby , Narberth , Neyland and Newport . In the west of
5850-464: Was established at the heart of the Norman -controlled lands of southwest Wales. Arnulf de Montgomery appointed Gerald de Windsor as his castellan at Pembroke. When William Rufus died, Arnulf de Montgomery joined his elder brother, Robert of Bellême , in rebellion against Henry I , William's brother and successor as king; when the rebellion failed, he was forced to forfeit all his British lands and titles. Henry appointed his castellan, but when
5928-410: Was fortified with a wall, a barred gateway and arrowslits . It may have served as a boathouse or a sallyport to the river where cargo or people could have been transferred. The outer ward was defended by a large twin-towered gatehouse, a barbican and several round towers . The outer wall is 5 metres (16 ft) thick in places and constructed from Siltstone ashlar . Although Pembroke Castle
6006-544: Was the original family seat of the Earldom of Pembroke . A Grade I listed building since 1951, it underwent major restoration during the early 20th century. In 1093, Arnulf of Montgomery built the first castle at the site when he fortified the promontory beside the Pembroke River during the Norman invasion of Wales . A century later, the castle was given by Richard I to William Marshal , who became one of
6084-485: Was to become King Henry VII of England . In the 15th and 16th centuries, the castle was a place of peace until the outbreak of the English Civil War . Although most of South Wales sided with the King , Pembroke declared for Parliament . It was besieged by Royalist troops but was saved after Parliamentary reinforcements arrived by sea from nearby Milford Haven . Parliamentary forces then went on to capture
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