*A\tfW & W3CWB£» «y ^uinoji- or LIBRARY ^ UNIVERSITY OF LALIFORNIA San DIEGO . _^ '"*" °'^°° ll'iiifii'i'lHi °r ^"VrT"'* 3 1822 02399 6978 NOOKS AND CORNERS OF PEMBROKESHIRE. iGnaiaaiaBimK : 'furn^i^ or LONDON ELLIOT STOCK, 62, PATERNOSTER ROW, E.G. 1895. PREFACE. HE kindly reception accorded to my ' Nooks and Corners of Herefordshire,' both by the pubHc and the press, has encouraged me (where, indeed, en- couragement was httle needed) to set forth anew upon my sketching rambles, and explore the Nooks and Corners of Pembrokeshire. In chronicling the results of these peregrinations, I feel that I owe some apology to those whose knowledge of the Shire of Pembroke is far more thorough and intimate than my own, and upon whose preserves I may fairly be accused of poaching. I venture to plead, in extenuation, an inveterate love for exploring these unfrequented byways of my native land, and for searching out and sketching those picturesque old buildings that lend such a unique interest to its sequestered nooks and corners. Pembrokeshire is rich in these relics of a bygone time, but for one reason or another they do not appear to have received the attention they certainly deserve. Few counties can boast anything finer of their kind than the mediseval castles of Pembroke, Manorbere and Carew ; while St. Davids Cathedral and the ruined Palace of its bishops, nestling in their secluded western vale, form a scene that alone is worth a visit to behold. No less remarkable in their way are the wonderful old crosses, circles and cromlechs, which remind the traveller of a vanished race as he tramps the broad fern-clad uplands of the Precelly Hills. It is a notable fact that ' he who runs may read," in the b viii PREFACE. diversified character of its place-names, an important and interesting chapter of Pembrokeshire history. The south-western portion of the ' county, with the Saxon tons ' of its Teutonic settlers, is as English as Oxfordshire, and hence has acquired the title of ' Little England beyond Wales.' On the other hand, the northern and eastern districts are as Welsh as the heart of Wales : and there, as the wayfarer soon discovers for himself, the mother -tongue of the Principality is the only one ' understanded of the people.' Although Pembrokeshire cannot pretend to lay claim to such striking scenery as the North Wallian counties display, yet its wind- swept uplands and deep, secluded dingles have a character all their own : while the loftier regions of the Precelly Hills, and the broken and \'aried nature of the seaboard, afford many a picturesque prospect as the traveller fares on his way. In compiling the following notes I have availed myself of Fenton's well-known work on Pembrokeshire, and of the writings of George Owen of Henllys ; I have consulted the records of that prolific ' chronicler, Gerald de Barri ; Bevan's History of the Diocese of St. Davids;' and Jones and Freeman's exhaustive work on St. Davids Cathedral ; besides various minor sources of local information which need not be specified here. In conclusion, I take this opportunity to tender my sincere thanks to those friends and acquaintances whose ready help and advice so greatly facilitated my task, while at the same time enhancing the pleasure of these sketching rambles amidst the Nooks and Corners of Pembroke- shire. H. THORNHILL TIMMINS. Harrow, 1S95. CONTENTS. - - - A GENERAL SURVEY. THE KINC.'s TOWN OF TKNBV - I ROUND AROUT THE RIDGEWAY ------- 23 MANORBERE CASTLE, AND GIRALDUS CAMBRENSIS - - - "41 PEMBROKE TOWN AND CASTLF. STACKPOLE AND THE SOUTHERN COAST - 54 TO ANGLE, RH6SCR0WTHER, AND THE CASTLE MARTIN COUNTRY - - "6 CAREW, WITH ITS^CROSS, CASTLE AND CHURCH. UPTON CASTLE AND CHAPEL. - - - PEMBROKE DOCK AND HAVERFORDWEST - "93 - - - II4 TO ST. BRIDES, MARLOES AND THE DALE COUNTRY - - 26 CITY AND ENVIRONS - 1 WESTWARD HO ! TO ST. DAVIDS. THE - - - I42 TO FISHGUARD, NEWPORT, GOODWIC AND PENCAER - NEWPORT, NEVERN AND TEIVYSIDE - - - - " "149 A RAMBLE OVER PRECELLY HILLS, TO THE SOURCES OF THE CLEDDAU - 167 ON AND OFF THE NARBERTH ROAD. I.ANGWM AND DAUGLEDD.\U - - 178 INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE THK ROOD SCREEN, ST. DAVIDS CATHEDRAL Frnntispiece BECALMED OFF TENF.Y - - - - TENBV ------ ^L\CES PRESENTED TO TENUY BY CHARLES II. - THE CHANCEL OF ST. MARV'S CHURCH, TENBY - A BIT OF OLD TENBV - - - . 14 RUINS OF ST. M.\RY'S PRIORY AT TENBY '5 - OLD HOUSES AT TENBV . - - 16 THE WALLS OF TENBY TOWN 17 ST. GEORGE'S G.\TE, TENBV 18 THE PRIORV, CALDEY ISLAND THE ANCIENT TREASURY OF TENBV WEATHERCOCK ON TtNBY STEEPLE GUMFRESTON CHURCH - - - - 25 CHURCH PLATE AT GUMFRESTON 26 PENALLY HOUSE ----- 32 AT I.AMPHEY PALACE ... - 36 THE CHANCEL, HODUESTON CHURCH 38 ANCIENT QUERN OR HAND MILL - 40 KEYS OF CASTLE MANORBERE •t" MANOR HERE CASTLE, FROM IHE EAST - 42 THE COURTYARD, MANORBERE CASTLE - 42 GATE-TOWER, MANORBERE CASTLE 43 MANORBERE CASTLF, FROM THE SOUTH - 44 xii I.XDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE DE BARRl TOMB, MANORBERE -..---. 47 THE CHURCH PATH, MANORBERE - - - - - - 49 MANORBERE CHURCH ....--.. 50 ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON - - - - - - "54 PEMBROKE ---------- 55 PEMBROKE CASTLE .----.-. 56 THE OLD WEST GATE, PEMBROKE - - - - - 61 THE PRIOR'S DWELLING, MONKTON - - - - - - 62 SIR ELIDUR DE STACKPOLE ------- 64 STACKPOLE -.----.--. 66 THE HIRLAS HORN ........ (yj ST. GOVAN'S CHAPEL -_...--- 6g ORIELTON .----..--- 74 AT Rh6SCR0WTHER --....-- 75 SEA-POI'PV ---------- 76 seamen's chapel at ANGLE - - - - - - - 81 RUINED CASTLE AT ANGLE ------- 82 JESTYNTON ---------- 85 AT RHIISCKOWIHER -------- 88 CASTLE MARTIN CHURCH -------- 90 A WAYSIDE WELL -.------- g2 CASTLE MARTIN FON 1' -------- 92 CAREW CROSS --------- 93 THE CROSS OF THE .SON OK ILTEUT, THE SON OF ECETT - - 94 A CORNER OF CAUEW CASTLE ------- 97 CAREW CASTLE .--.----- 98 BOV-BISHOP, CAREW - - - ----- 99 OLD RECTORY HOUSE .\T CAREW ------- lOO UPTON CASTLE - - - - - - - " - lOI OLD CHAPEL AT UPTON, NEAR PEMBROKE . - - - - 103 FRO.M UPTON CHAPEL -------- I06 LUCY WALTERS ..------- I07 I08 JOHNSTONE CHURCH - • - - " " >• - 1 IXDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE A VIEW OK HAVERFORDWEST 109 IIROTHER RICHARD'S TOMB, HAVERFORDWEST - I [O ST. MARY'S, HAVERFORDWEST : 1 ARMS OF HAVERFORDWEST '3 CHALICE AT DALE - - - - - 114 WALTON-WEST CHURCH - . - - "5 WALWVN"S CASTLE - - - - - "5 SUMMER SHOWERS, LITTLE HAVEN [16 LITTLE HAVEN . - . - - "7 LOW TIDE AT LITTLE HAVEN 117 ST. BRIDES ------ 18 ORLANDON ------ 19 MULLOCK BRIDGE - - - - - 20 MARLOES ------ 121 - MARLOES SANDS - - . - DALE CASTLE, AND MILFORD HAVKX 'THIS IS brunt' - - - - - 124 A RELIC OF THE SPANISH ARMADA 25 THE ST. DAVIDS COACH - - - . 126 ROCH CASTLE - - . - - 127 SOLVA HARBOUR, FROM AN OLD PRINT - 128 - - - ST. DAVIDS CATHEDRAL - 129 THE G.\TE-TOWER, ST. DAVIDS 29 THE BONE OF CONTENTION 30 SEAFARING PILGRIMS . - 131 THE BOATBUILDERS - . 132 - . - ST. DAVID'S SHRINE . ^ii SY.MBOL OF THE TRINITY, ST. DAVIDS 135 BISHOP GOWER'S PALACE, ST. DAVIDS J 36 THE PALACE, ST. DAVIDS, FROM THE MEADOWS 137 OLD COTTAGE NEAR ST. DAVIDS - 140 THE PRIEST AND THE LAYMAN - 141 THE ROYAL OAK, FISHGUARIl '42 xiv INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIOSS. PAGE " - CLOCK AT HRESTGARN - - - " - • '44 ' LLANWNDA CHURCH - - - " " " " '45 " - - - - - - THE CHALICE AT LLANWNDA 1 4O - " " " • " - 48 A DERELICT - - 1 - " " SALMON FISHER WITH CORACLE - - - '49 - - - TREWERN CHAPEL AND HYRNACH'S CROSS, NEVERN - '53 PILGRIMS' CROSS AT NtVERN - - - - " " " '55 " " - THE TOAD OF TRELLYFAN - - " V 1 " - • - " " 5^ CROMLECH AT PENTRE EVAN 1 A TEIVVSIDE CORACLE 161 KILGERRAN FERRY - 162 - - " " KILGERRAN CASTLE, FROM THE TEIFV - " 163 LLECHRHYD BRIDGE 164 - - " 164 CASTLE MALGWYN • CROMLECH AT NEWPORT 166 OLD WELSHWOMAN 167 THE SKIRTS OF PRECELLY 168 THE HOWARD MONUMENT, AT RUDBAXI'ON 176 AT HAVERFORDWESr - - - " " ' " -177 - - - - - 78 CARVED BENCH-END, HAVERFORDWEST - 1 - - - - - 78 OLD STAIRCASE AT HAVERFORDWEST - 1 • - - - - • - - - UZMASTON - 179 LANGWM FISHWIVES ------- 181 LAWRENNV CASTLE ------- 1S2 " " - " " " " " l"o BENTON CASTLE ' J PICTON CASTLE -------- 185 SLEBECH OLD CHURCH ------- 188 - - " I9I LLAWHADEN CASTLE AND BRIDGE - EGLWYSFAIR GLAN TAF - '97 REDBERTH FONT - 198 MAP OF PEMBROKESHIRE - ... - - - at begimung ((/ end SPEED'S MAP OK THE COUNTY ; NOOKS AND CORNERS OF PEMBROKESHIRE. CHAPTER I. A GENERAL SURVEY. THE KING'S TOWN OF TEXBV. AWAY be3-ond the many-folding hills of Brecon and Glamorgan, whose hollow 'cwms' are seamed with smoke from many a pit and furnace : far away beyond the broad uplands and fertile straths where Towey and Teivy seek the sea ; the ancient shire of Pembroke thrusts forth, against the western main, its bold and rugged coast- line. From Strumble Head to Caldey, the grim primeval rocks that guard these storm-beaten shores bear the full brunt of the Atlantic gales upon their which, under the ceaseless influence W^ craggy bastions ; of time and tempest, have assumed endless varieties of wild, fantastic outline and rich harmonious colouring. A weather-beaten land is this, where every tree and hedgerow tells, in horizontal leeward sweep, of the prevalent ' sou'-wester.' Few hills worthy the name break these wide-expanded landscapes, above whose 'meane hills and dales' one graceful mountain range rises in solitary pre-eminence. Stretching athwart the northern portion of the county, the shapely peaks of the Precelly Mountains dominate every local prospect, attaining in Moel Cwm Cerwyn a height of 1,760 feet, and throwing out westwards the picturesque heights of Carn Englyn I 2 NOOk'S AND CORNERS OF rEMBROKESHIRE. whence the range finally plunges seawards in the bold buttress of Dinas Head, and the wild and rugged hills of Pencaer. The inferior heights of Treffgarn and Plumstone ' mountain,' whose singular crags recall the tors of Cornwall, form a quaint feature in the prospect during the otherwise tedious drive to St. Davids. Perched upon the westernmost spur of these hills, the lonely peel-tower of Roch Castle looks out across the wind-swept plains of old Dewis- land to the fantastic peaks of Cam Lhdi and Pen-beri, whose ancient rocks rise abruptly from the ocean. Down from the broad, fern-clad shoulders of Precelly flow the few Pembrokeshire streams that approach the dignity of rivers.