Pembrokeshire

Template:Short description Template:Good article Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox settlement Pembrokeshire (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell; Template:Langx Template:IPA) 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.Template:NoteTag Haverfordwest is the largest town and administrative headquarters of Pembrokeshire County Council.

The county is generally sparsely populated and rural, with an area of Template:Convert and a population of 123,400. After Haverfordwest, 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 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 Template:Convert Pembrokeshire Coast Path. The interior of Pembrokeshire is relatively flat and gently undulating, with 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 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.

Settlements

See List of places in Pembrokeshire for a comprehensive list of settlements in Pembrokeshire.

The county town is Haverfordwest. Other towns include Pembroke, Pembroke Dock, Milford Haven, Fishguard, Tenby, Narberth, Neyland and Newport. In the west of 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)<ref name="UKCensus2011Saunders"/> in Pembrokeshire. Less than 4 per cent of the county, according to CORINE, is built-on or green urban.<ref name="BBCNews9Nov2017"/>

Geography

Climate

Template:Climate chart

There are three weather stations in Pembrokeshire: at Tenby, Milford Haven and Penycwm, all on the coast. Milford Haven enjoys a mild climate and Tenby shows a similar range of temperatures throughout the year,<ref name="MetOfficeTenby"/> while at Penycwm, on the west coast and 100m above sea level, temperatures are slightly lower.<ref name="MetOfficePenycwm"/>

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.<ref name="MetOffClimate"/>

The air pollution rating of Pembrokeshire is "Good", the lowest rating.<ref name="BBCNews10Jan2018"/>

Geology

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 the Pembrokeshire Coalfield.<ref name="PVMCoal"/> 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.<ref name="PVMGeology"/><ref name="HowellsGeoHistPembs"/> While Pembrokeshire is not usually a seismically active area, in August 1892 there was a series of pronounced activities (maximum intensity: 7) over a six-day period.<ref name="Davison1924"/>Template:Rp

Coastline and landscape

map of area of national park in the county

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park shown in green

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,<ref name="VWExploring"/><ref name="NatGeo2Nov2017"/> occupies more than a third of the county. The park contains the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, a near-continuous Template:Convert long-distance trail from Amroth, by the Carmarthenshire border in the southeast, to St Dogmaels just down the River Teifi estuary from Cardigan, Ceredigion, in the north.<ref name="NTPembsCoastPath"/> The National Trust owns Template:Convert of Pembrokeshire's coast.<ref name="BBCNews27Jan2018"/> Nowhere in the county is more than Template:Convert 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), the Eastern Cleddau, and rivers Cresswell<ref name="PCNPACresswell"/> and Carew. Since 1975, the estuary has been bridged by the Cleddau Bridge,<ref name="Hansard8Dec1994"/> 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.<ref name="PCNPAIslands"/> The seas around Skomer and Skokholm, and some other areas off the Pembrokeshire coast are Marine protected areas.<ref name="DEFRAIslands"/>

There are many known shipwrecks off the Pembrokeshire coast with many more undiscovered.<ref name="BBCNews26Oct2014"/><ref name="DiveWrecks"/> A Viking wreck off The Smalls has protected status.<ref name="WO6Jan2018"/> The county has five lifeboat stations, the earliest of which, at Fishguard, was established in 1822; in 2015 a quarter of all Royal National Lifeboat Institution Welsh rescues took place off the Pembrokeshire coast.<ref name="MM27Jan2016"/>

grey stone blocks in the foreground and hills in the background

View from the bluestone quarry to other peaks in the Preselis

Pembrokeshire's diverse range of geological features was a key factor in the establishment of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and a number of sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs).<ref name="PCNPAGeology"/> 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.<ref name="DATPreseli"/> The highest point is Foel Cwmcerwyn at Template:Convert, 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.<ref name="BBCNews9Nov2017"/>

Biodiversity

Pembrokeshire's wildlife is diverse, with marine, estuary, woodland, moorland and farmland habitats.<ref name="WWPembs"/><ref name="Guardian10Jul2012"/> The county has a number of seasonal seabird breeding sites, including for razorbill, guillemot, puffin and Manx shearwater,<ref name="PCNPASeabirds"/> and rare endemic species such as the red-billed chough;<ref name="Madge1994"/>Template:Rp Grassholm has a large gannet colony.<ref name="VPGrassholm"/> Seals,<ref name="VPSeals"/> several species of whales (including rare humpback whale sightings<ref name="BBCNews14Aug2021"/><ref name="BBCNews20Jan2024"/>), dolphins and porpoises can be seen off the Pembrokeshire coast; whale-watching boat trips are frequent, particularly during the summer months.<ref name="VPWhales"/> An appeal for otter sightings in 2014 yielded more than 100 responses,<ref name="BBCNews17Jun2014"/> and a rare visit by a walrus occurred in the spring of 2021.<ref name="BBCNews20Mar2021"/>

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.<ref name="BBCNews24Sep2020"/>

Ancient woodland still exists, such as Tŷ Canol Wood, where biofluorescence, seen under ultraviolet light under the dark sky, is a feature that has led to the wood being described as "...one of the most magical and special woodlands in the UK."<ref name="BBCNews17Feb2024"/>

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.<ref name="BBCNews6Sep2024"/> Although temperate rainforests once covered much of western Britain's coasts, they were destroyed over centuries and only remain in fragments.<ref name="WTrust15Jul2024"/> The Template:Convert site will connect with remnants of the remaining rainforest in the Gwaun valley.<ref name="FoJo15Jul2024"/> The project is part of a larger, 100-year Atlantic rainforest recovery programme.<ref name="TimeOut16Jul2024"/>

History

Template:Main

exterior view of prehistoric structure

Pentre Ifan neolithic burial chamber

Human habitation in what is now Pembrokeshire dates back to between 125,000 and 70,000 years ago,<ref name="Davies1994"/>Template:Rp with prominent prehistoric sites including Pentre Ifan and other Neolithic remains. Aerial surveys during the 2018 heatwave revealed many previously unrecorded sites,<ref name="BBCNews28Dec2018"/> and in the same year, Wales’s first known Celtic chariot burial was discovered in Llanstadwell.<ref name="BBCNews31Jan2019"/><ref name="BBCNews26Jun2019"/> Roman influence was limited; although a few forts, coins, and roads have been found,<ref name="DATWiston"/><ref name="BBCNews2Aug2024"/> much of the area remained beyond sustained Roman control. In the sub-Roman period, the Irish Déisi settled and merged with local populations, forming the Kingdom of Dyfed, which became part of Deheubarth in the 10th century. The region saw Viking raids and limited settlement.<ref name="Davies1994"/>Template:Rp

Normans and Flemings arrived between 1067 and 1111, building castles such as Pembroke Castle and transforming Dyfed into the county of Pembroke.<ref name="Davies1994"/>Template:Rp Although Norman control was contested by Welsh rulers including The Lord Rhys and Llywelyn the Great, it endured in many parts of the region. Pembrokeshire was declared a county palatine in 1138 and saw a wave of Flemish settlement.<ref name="Laws1888"/>Template:Rp In 1485, Henry Tudor had launched his campaign from Pembroke, ultimately becoming Henry VII of England.<ref name="Davies2000"/>Template:Rp The Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 later reorganised it into seven hundreds, aligning it with the English shire system. The county supported Parliament in the English Civil Wars, with Oliver Cromwell besieging Pembroke in 1648 following a local mutiny.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Pembrokeshire remained largely agricultural, with modest urban centres and limited industrial growth. The Battle of Fishguard in 1797 marked the last invasion of Britain, ending in French surrender. Poor relief and infrastructure remained key concerns, with water supply improved only later in the century.<ref name="PH14Apr1882"/> In the 20th century, military use of the county intensified, particularly during the world wars: a naval base at Milford Haven, multiple airfields, D-Day training by U.S. forces,<ref name="BBCNews22Oct2019"/> and accommodation of German POWs all featured. Pembrokeshire’s wartime casualties are commemorated at the County of Pembroke War Memorial.<ref name="WarMem"/> After 1945, modern development included the construction of the Llys y Fran reservoir (1972), with the local economy later benefiting from tourism, agriculture, and energy infrastructure.

Demography

Graphic showing the proportion of Welsh speakers throughout Wales in 2011

Proportion of Welsh speakers (Wales 2011 census) in Pembrokeshire (county border shown by white line)

Population

Pembrokeshire's population was 122,439 at the 2011 census,<ref name="UKCensusData"/> 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.<ref name="Census2021"/>

Language

The 2021 census recorded that Welsh is spoken by 17.2 per cent of the population, a fall from 19.2 per cent in 2011.<ref name="Census2021"/> As a result of differential immigration over hundreds of years, such as the influx of Flemish people,<ref name="BBCLegaciesFlemish"/> 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 the line has been termed "Little England Beyond Wales". The first objective, statistically based description of this demarcation was made in the 1960s,<ref name="John1972"/>Template:Rp but the distinction was remarked upon as early as 1603 by George Owen of Henllys.<ref name="Owen1994"/> 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.<ref name="WT26Jun2018"/>

Religion

In 1851, 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).<ref name="Jones2017"/> 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 the figures for the whole of Wales.<ref name="UKcensus2011Preseli"/> 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.<ref name="Census2021"/>

Ethnicity

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 the UK.<ref name="UKcensus2011Preseli"/> In 2021, 52.7 per cent of residents identified as "Welsh only", a slight decrease since 2011.<ref name="Census2021"/>

Governance, politics and public services

Template:Multiple image 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.<ref>Template:NHAW</ref> This and the administrative county of Pembrokeshire were abolished under the Local Government Act 1972, with Pembrokeshire forming two districts of 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<ref name="OS1909"/> were replaced by communities across the whole of Wales.<ref name="Wood1976"/><ref name="LGA1972"/> 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.<ref name="Hansard23Jun2009"/> A new County Hall 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.<ref name="PCCCouncillors"/>

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 was causing concern and confusion in the Pembrokeshire business community.<ref name="Hansard23Jun2009"/> 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.<ref name="BBCNews26Sep2018"/> In 2023 the council published its corporate strategy document for 2023-28.<ref name="PCCcorpstrat"/>

The Pembrokeshire (Communities) Order 2011 established 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.<ref name="NAPCO2011"/>

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.<ref name="BBCNews7May2010"/> The corresponding Members of the Senedd (MSs) returned to the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) in Cardiff are Paul Davies and Samuel Kurtz respectively, both Conservatives.<ref name="WO6May2016"/>

File:2024 Wales Pembrokeshire Constituencies map.svg

The two UK parliament constituencies covering Pembrokeshire (in pink) from 2024. 1 = Mid and South Pembrokeshire, 2 = Ceredigion Preseli.

From 2024, Pembrokeshire was represented by the new UK Parliament constituencies Ceredigion Preseli and Mid and South Pembrokeshire<ref name="ParlReview2023"/> which, in the 2024 General Election, returned Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru)<ref name="parliament"/> and Henry Tufnell (Labour)<ref name="WO5Jul2024"/> respectively.

Pembrokeshire is served by the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service<ref name="MAWWFire"/> and Dyfed-Powys Police.<ref name="DPPolice"/>

Transport

modern bridge spanning a broad river

Cleddau Bridge

There are no motorways in Pembrokeshire; the nearest is the M4 motorway from London which terminates at the Pont Abraham services in Carmarthenshire some Template:Convert from Haverfordwest. The A40 crosses Pembrokeshire from the border with Carmarthenshire westwards to Haverfordwest, then northwards to Fishguard.<ref name="BingMaps"/> The A477 from St. Clears to Pembroke Dock is Template:Convert long, of which only Template:Convert are dual carriageway. The Cleddau Bridge, toll-free from 28 March 2019,<ref name="BBCNews28Mar2019"/> 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 Template:Convert. The A487 is the other major route, running northwest from Haverfordwest to St Davids, then northeast following the coast, through Fishguard and Newport, to the boundary with Ceredigion at Cardigan.<ref name="BingMaps"/> 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.<ref name="WT27Jun2010"/> The B4329 former turnpike runs from Eglwyswrw in the north to Haverfordwest across the Preselis.<ref name="OS145_157_158"/>

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.<ref name="PCCPublicTransport"/>

Pembrokeshire 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.<ref name="TFWRouteMap"/> Seasonal ferry services operate from Tenby to Caldey Island,<ref name="TGCaldeyFerry"/> from St Justinians (St Davids) to Ramsey Island<ref name="VPRamseyFerry"/> and Grassholm Island,<ref name="VPGrassholmFerry"/> and from Martin's Haven to Skomer Island.<ref name="VPSkomerFerry"/> Haverfordwest (Withybush) Airport provides general aviation services.<ref name="NATSHaverfordwest"/>

Economy

Pembrokeshire's economy now relies heavily on tourism; agriculture, once its most important industry with associated activities such as milling, 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 the UK."<ref name="GovUK18Mar2016"/>

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.<ref name="WT13Aug2019"/>

Agriculture

Until the 12th century, a great extent of Pembrokeshire was virgin woodland. Clearance in 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 the land was arable or rough pasture in a ratio of about 1:3.<ref name="GENUKIFarming1580"/>

Solva Woollen Mill

Kelly's Directory of 1910 gave a snapshot of the agriculture of Pembrokeshire: Template:Convert were cropped (almost half under oats and a quarter barley), there were Template:Convert of grass and clover and Template:Convert of permanent pasture (of which a third was for hay). There were Template:Convert of mountain or heathland used for grazing, with Template:Convert 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.<ref name="GENUKIAgriStats1908"/>

Pembrokeshire had a flourishing wool industry.<ref name="WoollenMills2013"/> There are still working woollen mills at Solva and Tregwynt.<ref name="WMSMillsOpen"/> One of the last few watermills in Wales producing flour is in St Dogmaels.<ref name="TA11Feb2019"/>

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.<ref name="Davies1995"/>Template:Rp Pembrokeshire's mild climate means that crops such as its new potatoes (which have protected geographical status under European law)<ref name="BBCNews4Dec2013"/> often arrive in British shops earlier in 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.<ref name="PVMFarming"/>

The county lends its name to the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, a herding dog whose lineage can be traced back to the 12th century,<ref name="Wheeler2010"/>Template:Rp but which in 2015 was designated as a "vulnerable" breed.<ref name="DT8Feb2015"/>

Since 2006, Pembrokeshire Local Action Network for Enterprise and Development (PLANED) has provided a forum to promote an integrated approach to rural development, in which communities, public sector and voluntary partners and specialist interest groups come together to influence policy and promote projects aimed at sustainable agriculture. Sub-groups include promoting food and farming in schools and shortening supply chains.<ref name="PLANEDSustAgri"/>

Fishing

File:Milford Marina2.jpg

Milford Haven dock, 2009

With Pembrokeshire's extensive coastal areas and tidal river estuaries, fishing was an important industry at least from the 16th century. Many ports and villages were dependent on the fishing.<ref name="PVMfish"/> The former large sea fishing industry around Milford Haven is now greatly reduced, although limited commercial fishing still takes place. At its peak, Milford was landing over 40,000 tons of fish a year.<ref name="PVMfish"/> Pembrokeshire Fish Week is a biennial event<ref name="WO3Jun2014"/> which in 2014 attracted 31,000 visitors and generated £3 million for the local economy.<ref name="WO28Nov2014"/>

Mining

Slate quarrying was a significant industry in the 19th and early 20th centuries with quarrying taking place at about 100 locations throughout the county.<ref name="Tucker1983"/> Over 50 coal workings in the Pembrokeshire Coalfield were in existence between the 14th and 20th centuries,<ref name="GENUKICoal"/> with the last coal mine, at Kilgetty, closing in 1950.<ref name="PVMCoal"/><ref name="BBCNews14Feb2019"/> Pembrokeshire has 61 disused coal tips; only one of these is in Category C (carrying a potential safety risk), but its location has not been disclosed.<ref name="BBCNews26Oct2021"/>

Oil, gas and renewable energy

View of power Station

Pembroke Power Station in 2013

There are two oil refineries, two liquified natural gas (LNG) terminals and the 2,000 MW gas-fired Pembroke Power Station (opened in 2012) at Milford Haven. The LNG terminals on the north side of the river, just outside Milford Haven were opened in 2008;<ref name="BBCNews19Mar2009"/> a Template:Convert pipeline connecting Milford Haven to Tirley in Gloucestershire was completed in 2007.<ref name="BBCNews27Nov2007"/> The two oil refineries are operated by Chevron (formerly Texaco) producing Template:Convert and Murco (formerly Amoco/Elf) producing Template:Convert; the latter was sold to Puma Energy in 2015 with the intention of converting it to a storage facility.<ref name="BBCNews13Mar2015"/> At the peak, there were a total of five refineries served from around the Haven: the Esso refinery operated from 1960 to 1983, was demolished in the late 1980s and the site converted into the South Hook LNG terminal; the Gulf Refinery operated from 1968 to 1997 and the site now incorporates the Dragon LNG terminal; BP had an oil terminal at Angle Bay which served its refinery at Llandarcy and operated between 1961 and 1985.<ref name="RCAHMW14Apr2010"/>

The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority has identified a number of areas in which renewable energy can be, and has been, generated in the county.<ref name="PCNPARenewable"/> Following several years of planning after the initial impact studies begun in 2011,<ref name="BBCNews8May2011"/> the first submarine turbine of three was installed in Ramsey Sound in December 2015.<ref name="BBCNews13Dec2015"/> The cumulative impact of single and multiple wind turbines is not without controversy<ref name="WT10Apr2013"/> and was the subject of a comprehensive assessment in 2013.<ref name="PCNPA11Dec2013"/> In 2011 the first solar energy farm in Wales was installed at Rhosygilwen, Rhoshill with 10,000 panels in a field of Template:Convert, generating 1 MW.<ref name="BBCNews8Jul2011"/>

Tourism

View of Barafundle Beach from a high vantage point

Barafundle Beach, a recipient of both the 2019 Seaside and Green Coastal awards

Pembrokeshire's tourism portal is Visit Pembrokeshire, run by Pembrokeshire County Council.<ref name="VPWelcome"/> In 2015 4.3 million tourists visited the county, staying for an average of 5.24 days, spending £585 million; the tourism industry supported 11,834 jobs.<ref name="WT23Jul2011"/> Many of Pembrokeshire's beaches have won awards,<ref name="VPBeachesMay2017"/> including Poppit Sands and Newport Sands.<ref name="TA17May2018"/> In 2018, Pembrokeshire received the most coast awards in Wales, with 56 Blue Flag, Green Coast or Seaside Awards.<ref name="WT17May2018"/><ref name="BBCNews18May2018"/> In the 2019 Wales Coast Awards, 39 Pembrokeshire beaches were recognised, including 11 awarded Blue Flag status.<ref name="WT15May2019"/>

The Pembrokeshire coastline is a major draw to tourists; in 2011 National Geographic Traveller magazine voted the Pembrokeshire Coast the second best in the world and in 2015 the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park was listed among the top five parks in the world by a travel writer for the Huffington Post.<ref name="WT22May2015"/> Countryfile Magazine readers voted the Pembrokeshire Coast the top UK holiday destination in 2018,<ref name="VPCountryfileJan2018"/> and in 2019 Consumers' Association members placed Tenby and St Davids in the top three best value beach destinations in Britain.<ref name="CA2019"/> With few large urban areas, Pembrokeshire is a "dark sky" destination.<ref name="PCNPDarkSky"/> The many wrecks off the Pembrokeshire coast attract divers.<ref name="DiveWrecks"/> The decade from 2012 saw significant, increasing numbers of Atlantic bluefin tuna, not seen since the 1960s, and now seen by some as an opportunity to encourage tourist sport fishing.<ref name="BBCNews1Apr2021"/>

People surfing at a beach in Pembrokeshire

The county has a number of theme and animal parks (examples are Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo, Manor House Wildlife Park and Blue Lagoon Water Park), museums and other visitor attractions including Castell Henllys reconstructed Iron Age fort, Tenby Lifeboat Station and Milford Haven's Torch Theatre.<ref name="VPWelcome"/> There are 21 marked cycle trails around the county.<ref name="PCCCycle"/>

Pembrokeshire Destination Management Plan for 2020 to 2025 sets out the scope and priorities to grow tourism in Pembrokeshire by increasing its value by 10 per cent in the five years, and to make Pembrokeshire a top five UK destination.<ref name="PDMP"/>

Culture

Flag

The flag of Pembrokeshire is a yellow cross on a blue field; in the centre of the cross is a green pentagon bearing a red and white Tudor rose, divided quarterly and counterchanged, the inner and outer roses having alternating red and white quarters.<ref name="FIPembsFlag"/><ref name="CRWFlags"/>

Physical heritage

Template:Main

exterior of large ecclesiastial building with tower

St Davids Cathedral

Pembrokeshire has more than 1,600 listed buildings, ranging from mud huts to castles, and including bridges and other ancient and modern structures, under the auspices of Cadw and the County Council.<ref name="PCCListedBldg"/> The National Monuments Record of Wales of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales identifies nearly 6,000 sites in Pembrokeshire as worthy of study, preservation and recording, including prehistoric and modern buildings, wrecks and natural features.<ref name="RCAHMWSites"/> There are 10 National Trust properties in Pembrokeshire.<ref name="NTPembs"/>

The arts and media

Music festivals in Pembrokeshire include those at St Davids, Fishguard (folk, jazz and the International Music Festival) and Tenby (Blues Festival).<ref name="VPMusic"/> Milford Haven's Torch Theatre produces drama, screens films and holds exhibitions of art and crafts,<ref name="VPTorch"/> and there is a theatre-cinema in Fishguard (Theatr Gwaun)<ref name="VPGwaun"/> and a cinema in Haverfordwest.<ref name="WT14Jan2018"/> There are museums and art galleries in several locations in the county, including Scolton Manor, Narberth, Tenby, Milford Haven and Fishguard;<ref name="VPMuseums"/> in Fishguard, the Template:Convert long Last Invasion Tapestry, commemorating the Battle of Fishguard in 1797, is on display.<ref name="VPTapestry"/> The Llangwm Literary Festival is a literary festival held in Llangwm.<ref name="Llangwmlitfest"/>

Pembrokeshire's coastal landscape and wealth of historic buildings has made it a popular location choice for film and television, including Moby Dick at Fishguard, and the final two Harry Potter films at Freshwater West. Others include:

Year	Film title	Location	Template:Ref heading
1940	The Thief of Bagdad	Freshwater West	<ref name="Film_ThiefIMDb"/>
1956	Moby Dick	Fishguard	<ref name="VWBlockbusters"/>
1961	Fury at Smugglers' Bay	Abereiddy	<ref name="Film_FuryIMDb"/>
1968	The Lion in Winter	Pembroke Castle, Marloes Sands, Milford Haven	<ref name="VWBlockbusters"/>
1972	Under Milk Wood	Fishguard	<ref name="VWBlockbusters"/>
1977	Jabberwocky	Pembroke Castle & Bosherston	<ref name="Film_JaberwockyIMDb"/>
1994	Dragonworld	Manorbier	<ref name="Film_DragonworldIMDb"/>
1994	The Lifeboat (BBC TV)	Pembrokeshire Coast	<ref name="Film_LifeboatIndie"/>
1998	Basil	Tenby, Manorbier, Bosherston	<ref name="Film_BasilIMDb"/>
2003	Baltic Storm	Fishguard	<ref name="Film_BalticIMDb"/>
2003	I Capture The Castle	Manorbier Castle	<ref name="Film_CaptureIMDb"/>
2008	The Edge of Love	Tenby & Laugharne	<ref name="VWBlockbusters"/>
2010	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1	Freshwater West	<ref name="VWBlockbusters"/>
2010	Robin Hood	Freshwater West	<ref name="Youngman2011"/>Template:Rp
2010	Third Star	Barafundle Bay, Stackpole Estate	<ref name="Film_ThirdIMDb"/>
2011	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2	Freshwater West	<ref name="Miller2012"/>Template:Rp
2012	Snow White and the Huntsman	Marloes Sands	<ref name="Film_SnowWhite"/>
2015	Under Milk Wood	Solva	<ref name="BBCNews23Jun2014"/>
2015	The Bad Education Movie	Pembroke Castle	<ref name="WO27Mar2015"/>
2016	Their Finest	Trecwn, Haverfordwest, Cresswell Quay, Freshwater West, Porthgain	<ref name="BBCNews18Apr2017"/>
2016	Me Before You	Pembroke, Pembroke Castle	<ref name="WT10May2016"/>
2020	The Pembrokeshire Murders (TV series)	Goodwick, Fishguard, Freshwater East, coast path	<ref name="BBCNews7Jan2021"/><ref name="RadioTimes13Jan2021"/>
2021	The Toll	Dale, Preseli Mountains, Rosebush, Scolton Manor	<ref name="ClarkeAug2021"/>

There are seven local newspapers based in Pembrokeshire: the Western Telegraph (the largest in Pembrokeshire), The Milford Mercury, Tenby Observer, Pembroke Observer, County Echo and The Pembrokeshire Herald (founded 2013.<ref name="BBCNews5Jul2013"/> The Milford Mercury (circulation 3,681) and Western Telegraph (circulation 19,582) are part of the Newsquest group. Radio Pembrokeshire, and several other West Wales radio stations, were broadcast from Narberth until 2016, when they were relocated to the Vale of Glamorgan, while retaining satellite offices at Narberth and Milford Marina.<ref name="BBCNews14Sep2016"/><ref name="RadioPembs"/>

Sport

As the national sport of Wales, rugby union is widely played throughout the county at both town and village level. Haverfordwest RFC, founded in 1875, is a feeder club for Llanelli Scarlets. Village team Crymych RFC in 2014 plays in WRU Division One West.<ref name="SWALECLeague"/> There are numerous football clubs in the county, playing in five leagues with Haverfordwest County A.F.C. competing in the Cymru Premier.<ref name="PSFootball"/>

Triathlon event Ironman Wales has been held in Pembrokeshire since 2011, contributing £3.7 million to the local economy, and the county committed in 2017 to host the event for a further five years.<ref name="BBCNews7Sep2017"/> Ras Beca, a mixed road, fell and cross country race attracting UK-wide competitors, has been held in the Preselis annually since 1977. The record of 32 minutes 5 seconds has stood since 1995.<ref name="TA13Aug2014"/> Pembrokeshire Harriers athletics club was formed in 2001 by the amalgamation of Cleddau Athletic Club (established 1970) and Preseli Harriers (1989) and is based in Haverfordwest.<ref name="PemHarriers"/>

The annual Tour of Pembrokeshire road-cycling event takes place over routes of optional length.<ref name="TourofPemb"/> The 4th Tour, in April 2015, attracted 1,600 riders including Olympic gold medallist Chris Boardman<ref name="PH22Apr2015"/> and there were 1,500 entrants to the 2016 event.<ref name="PH20May2016"/> Part of Route 47 of the Celtic Trail cycle route is in Pembrokeshire. The Llys y Fran Hillclimb is an annual event run by Swansea Motor Club,<ref name="MSCLyFClimb"/> and there are several other county motoring events held each year.<ref name="BBCNews10Jun2019"/>

Abereiddy's Blue Lagoon was the venue for a round of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in 2012,<ref name="BBCNews8Sep2012"/> 2013,<ref name="BBCNews13Sep2013"/> and 2016;<ref name="BBCNews10Sep2016"/> the Welsh Surfing Federation has held the Welsh National Surfing Championships at Freshwater West for several years,<ref name="WSF30Mar2015"/> and Llys y Fran Country Park hosted the Welsh Dragonboat Championships from 2014 to 2017.<ref name="BBCNews29May2016"/><ref name="MM27May2017"/>

While not at major league level, cricket is played throughout the county and many villages such as Lamphey, Creselly, Llangwm, Llechryd and Crymych field teams in minor leagues under the umbrella of the Cricket Board of Wales.<ref name="CWDoC"/>

Notable people

Painting of Henry VII in 1505 wearing a gold collar and holding a rose

Henry VII (1505)

From mediaeval times, Rhys ap Gruffydd (Template:Circa-1197), ruler of the kingdom of Deheubarth, was buried in the Monastery of Saint David,<ref name="JonesPierce1959"/> later the Cathedral, and Gerald of Wales was born Template:Circa at Manorbier Castle.<ref name="MacCaffrey1909"/> Henry Tudor (later Henry VII) was born in 1457 at Pembroke Castle.<ref name="Rogers2005"/>

Robert Recorde, inventor of the equals sign (=) in mathematics was from Tenby.<ref name="ODNB"/>

The pirate Bartholomew Roberts (Black Bart) (Welsh: Barti Ddu) was born in Casnewydd Bach, between Fishguard and Haverfordwest in 1682.<ref name="Yount"/>

In later military history, Jemima Nicholas, heroine of the so-called "last invasion of Britain" in 1797, was from Fishguard,<ref name="BBCNews4Apr2006"/> Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Picton GCB, born in Haverfordwest, was killed at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815<ref name="Johnston1959"/> and Private Thomas Collins is believed to be the only Pembrokeshire man that fought in the Battle of Rorke's Drift in 1879.<ref name="BBCNews22Jan2006"/>

In the arts, siblings Gwen and Augustus John were both born in Pembrokeshire,<ref name="Mintle2002"/>Template:Rp as was the novelist Sarah Waters;<ref name="Guardian1Jun2006"/> singer Connie Fisher grew up in Pembrokeshire.<ref name="PTV16Sep2006"/> The actor Christian Bale was born in Haverfordwest.<ref name="Bale"/>

Stephen Crabb, a former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Secretary of State for Wales, was brought up in Pembrokeshire and until 2024 was one of the county's two Members of Parliament,<ref name="DT26Mar2016"/> the other being Simon Hart,<ref name="BBCNews7May2010"/> who served as Secretary of State for Wales from 2019 to 2022.<ref name="BBCNews16Dec2019"/><ref name="SkyNews20Jul2023"/>

Education and health

Template:See also

A comprehensive review of education in Pembrokeshire was carried out in 2014 with a number of options for discussion in 2015.<ref name="WT22Jan2015"/> In 2018 there were 58 primary schools, eight secondary schools (two for ages 3 to 16) and one special school, in all providing education for more than 18,300 pupils. These include 15 Welsh medium primary schools in the county, three dual stream schools and two transition schools; four primary schools are classified as English Welsh schools (English medium schools with significant use of Welsh). In 2017/18, 22 per cent of seven-year-old pupils were educated through the medium of Welsh. This figure was expected to rise to 25 per cent by 2019/20.<ref name="PCCSchools"/> In 2019, there were two fewer primary schools. The local authority's education budget for 2019/2020 was £88 million, equating to £4,856 per pupil. A February 2020 report by schools' inspection body Estyn, however, considered the local authority's performance in education provision "a significant concern".<ref name="WO12Feb2020"/>

Pembrokeshire has had a branch of the University of the Third Age (U3A) since 1991 and has a wide range of groups.<ref name="Ind16Jun2011"/><ref name="U3APembs"/><ref name="PCCLifelong"/>

exterior of large hospital

Withybush General Hospital, Haverfordwest

Health services in the county are provided by Hywel Dda University Health Board which also provides for Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire. The county's principal hospital is Withybush General Hospital in Haverfordwest,<ref name="NHSWithybush"/> with local hospitals in Tenby<ref name="NHSTenby"/> and Pembroke Dock.<ref name="NHSSouthPembs"/> In November 2018, the health board informed Pembrokeshire's Community Health Council that the county had 38 full-time and 34 part-time GPs.<ref name="TA14Nov2018"/>

Notes

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References

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:Wikivoyage Template:Commons category Template:Wikisource

Historical information about Pembrokeshire on GENUKI
Pembrokeshire County Council
Visit Pembrokeshire (official council tourism website)
Pembrokeshire Cultural Services (archives, libraries, museums)
Pembrokeshire Historical Society: Pembrokeshire Antiquarians
19th century Ordnance Survey maps, page 1 and page 2
List of documents and collections held at Pembrokeshire Archives and Local Studies
Iolo's Pembrokeshire: BBC Documentary series by Iolo Williams

Template:Pembrokeshire Template:Communities of Pembrokeshire Template:Transport in Pembrokeshire Template:Wales subdivisions Template:Historic Counties of Wales Template:Authority control