Pembroke is a small town of 7000 inhabitants and is located in the southern regions of the beautiful Pembroke Peninsula, the most westerly area of Wales. The peninsula is home to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park which is an area of outstanding coastal scenery comprised of rocky cliffs, glorious sandy beaches, wooded estuaries, wild inland hills, timeless villages and historic towns.
Pembroke lies at the bottom of a shallow valley created by gently rolling hills and is surrounded by sparse woodland and farms. The town is well known for its medieval ruins including its walls and gates, but mainly for Pembroke Castle, a 13th century Norman castle, one of the most impressive and largest in the Kingdom and where Harri Tudur was born in 1457, later to become King Henry VII, the first Tudor King of England.
The town’s main focus is the Castle although Main Street which runs the length of the old town is an ideal location from which to enjoy the rest of the area, as there are several Tudor and Georgian houses, two historic churches, and a pleasant mixture of shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants. Or if you just want a stroll take a gentle walks along the Mill Pond that runs parallel to Main Street.
The castle however dominates the town and claims the ultimate position being protected on three sides by waters of Milford Haven and glowers down, from its rocky ridge, onto the town beneath. Most of it was built by William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, soldier and statesman, and his five sons who succeeded him one after the other. The castle is entered via the Great Gatehouse and inside there is the huge circular keep 23 metres high and walls a staggering 6 metres thick at the base. Beneath the castle, in the rock, is a huge limestone cavern, called the Wogan, where stores were kept, and from where a circular stairway leads up into the castle. The castle was besieged by the Roundheads during the Civil War in the 17th century and, thereafter, left to fall into ruin.
Other sites, in the town, worthy of mention:
The National Museum of Gypsy Caravans which specializes in gypsy life and gypsy lore.
Castle Hill Museum, has a collection of domestic bygones.
Pembroke Dock, where boat trips can be taken on Milford Haven, a magnificent natural harbour.
Other places of interest within 30 kilometres:
Tenby, a seaside resort and holiday destination, has sandy beaches and a picturesque harbour and quay.
St. David’s, the smallest Cathedral in Britain. The Cathedral was built on a site of a monastery founded by St. David in the 6th century and nearby impressive ruins of the medieval Bishop’s Palace.
Haverfordwest, the historic county and market town of old Pembrokeshire, is an interesting town which is best explored on foot. It has impressive castle ruins, containing a museum, art gallery and record office. St. Mary’s Church, built in the 13th century, is well worth a visit.
Did you know that – the huge dolerite stones used to build Stonehenge originated from the Prescelly Hills and were dragged by Bronze Age Britons to Milford Haven on the first stage of their journey to Salisbury Plain?
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