[Illustration: Book Cover]
NOOKS AND CORNERS OF PEMBROKESHIRE.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: THE ROOD SCREEN ST. DAVIDS CATHEDRAL]
[Illustration: NOOKS & CORNERS OF PEMBROKESHIRE.
DRAWN & DESCRIBED BY
H. THORNHILL TIMMINS, F.R.C.S.
AUTHOR of
NOOKS & CORNERS OF HEREFORDSHIRE
LONDON:
ELLIOT STOCK, 62, PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C.
1895.]
PREFACE.
The kindly reception accorded to my 'Nooks and Corners of Herefordshire,'
both by the public and the press, has encouraged me (where, indeed,
encouragement was little 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 mediæval 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 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 varied
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
Hênllys; 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 Pembrokeshire.
H. THORNHILL TIMMINS.
_Harrow_, 1895.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
A GENERAL SURVEY. THE KING'S TOWN OF TENBY 1
ROUND ABOUT THE RIDGEWAY 23
MANORBERE CASTLE, AND GIRALDUS CAMBRENSIS 41
PEMBROKE TOWN AND CASTLE. STACKPOLE AND THE SOUTHERN COAST 54
TO ANGLE, RHÔSCROWTHER, AND THE CASTLE MARTIN COUNTRY 76
CAREW, WITH ITS CROSS, CASTLE AND CHURCH. UPTON CASTLE AND
CHAPEL. PEMBROKE DOCK AND HAVERFORDWEST 93
TO ST. BRIDES, MARLOES AND THE DALE COUNTRY 114
WESTWARD HO! TO ST. DAVIDS. THE CITY AND ENVIRONS 126
TO FISHGUARD, NEWPORT, GOODWIC AND PENCAER 142
NEWPORT, NEVERN AND TEIVYSIDE 149
A RAMBLE OVER PRECELLY HILLS, TO THE SOURCES OF THE CLEDDAU 167
ON AND OFF THE NARBERTH ROAD. LANGWM AND DAUGLEDDAU 178
INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
THE ROOD SCREEN, ST. DAVIDS CATHEDRAL _Frontispiece_
BECALMED OFF TENBY 8
TENBY 9
MACES PRESENTED TO TENBY BY CHARLES II. 11
THE CHANCEL OF ST. MARY'S CHURCH, TENBY 12
A BIT OF OLD TENBY 14
RUINS OF ST. MARY'S PRIORY AT TENBY 15
OLD HOUSES AT TENBY 16
THE WALLS OF TENBY TOWN 17
ST. GEORGE'S GATE, TENBY 18
THE PRIORY, CALDEY ISLAND 20
THE ANCIENT TREASURY OF TENBY 22
WEATHERCOCK ON TENBY STEEPLE 23
GUMFRESTON CHURCH 25
CHURCH PLATE AT GUMFRESTON 26
PENALLY HOUSE 32
AT LAMPHEY PALACE 36
THE CHANCEL, HODGESTON CHURCH 38
ANCIENT QUERN OR HAND MILL 40
KEYS OF MANORBERE CASTLE 41
MANORBERE CASTLE, FROM THE EAST 42
THE COURTYARD, MANORBERE CASTLE 42
GATE-TOWER, MANORBERE CASTLE 43
MANORBERE CASTLE, FROM THE SOUTH 44
DE BARRI 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 67
ST. GOVAN'S CHAPEL 69
ORIELTON 74
AT RHÔSCROWTHER 75
SEA-POPPY 76
SEAMEN'S CHAPEL AT ANGLE 81
RUINED CASTLE AT ANGLE 82
JESTYNTON 85
AT RHÔSCROWTHER 88
CASTLE MARTIN CHURCH 90
A WAYSIDE WELL 92
CASTLE MARTIN FONT 92
CAREW CROSS 93
THE CROSS OF THE SON OF ILTEUT, THE SON OF ECETT 94
A CORNER OF CAREW CASTLE 97
CAREW CASTLE 98
BOY-BISHOP, CAREW 99
OLD RECTORY HOUSE AT CAREW 100
UPTON CASTLE 101
OLD CHAPEL AT UPTON, NEAR PEMBROKE 103
FROM UPTON CHAPEL 106
LUCY WALTERS 107
JOHNSTONE CHURCH 108
A VIEW OF HAVERFORDWEST 109
BROTHER RICHARD'S TOMB, HAVERFORDWEST 110
ST. MARY'S, HAVERFORDWEST 111
ARMS OF HAVERFORDWEST 113
CHALICE AT DALE 114
WALTON-WEST CHURCH 115
WALWYN'S CASTLE 115
SUMMER SHOWERS, LITTLE HAVEN 116
LITTLE HAVEN 117
LOW TIDE AT LITTLE HAVEN 117
ST. BRIDES 118
ORLANDON 119
MULLOCK BRIDGE 120
MARLOES 121
MARLOES SANDS 122
DALE CASTLE, AND MILFORD HAVEN 123
'THIS IS BRUNT' 124
A RELIC OF THE SPANISH ARMADA 125
THE ST. DAVIDS COACH 126
ROCH CASTLE 127
SOLVA HARBOUR, FROM AN OLD PRINT 128
ST. DAVIDS CATHEDRAL 129
THE GATE-TOWER, ST. DAVIDS 129
THE BONE OF CONTENTION 130
SEAFARING PILGRIMS 131
THE BOATBUILDERS 132
ST. DAVID'S SHRINE 133
SYMBOL OF THE TRINITY, ST. DAVIDS 135
BISHOP GOWER'S PALACE, ST. DAVIDS 136
THE PALACE, ST. DAVIDS, FROM THE MEADOWS 137
OLD COTTAGE NEAR ST. DAVIDS 140
THE PRIEST AND THE LAYMAN 141
THE ROYAL OAK, FISHGUARD 142
CLOCK AT BRESTGARN 144
LLANWNDA CHURCH 145
THE CHALICE AT LLANWNDA 146
A DERELICT 148
SALMON FISHER WITH CORACLE 149
TREWERN CHAPEL AND BYRNACH'S CROSS, NEVERN 153
PILGRIMS' CROSS AT NEVERN 155
THE TOAD OF TRELLYFAN 156
CROMLECH AT PENTRE EVAN 158
A TEIVYSIDE CORACLE 161
KILGERRAN FERRY 162
KILGERRAN CASTLE, FROM THE TEIFY 163
LLECHRHYD BRIDGE 164
CASTLE MALGWYN 164
CROMLECH AT NEWPORT 166
OLD WELSHWOMAN 167
THE SKIRTS OF PRECELLY 168
THE HOWARD MONUMENT, AT RUDBAXTON 176
AT HAVERFORDWEST 177
CARVED BENCH-END, HAVERFORDWEST 178
OLD STAIRCASE AT HAVERFORDWEST 178
UZMASTON 179
LANGWM FISHWIVES 181
LAWRENNY CASTLE 182
BENTON CASTLE 183
PICTON CASTLE 185
SLEBECH OLD CHURCH 188
LLAWHADEN CASTLE AND BRIDGE 191
EGLWYSFAIR GLAN TÂF 197
REDBERTH FONT 198
MAP OF PEMBROKESHIRE _at beginning_
SPEED'S MAP OF THE COUNTY _at end_
[Illustration: Map of Pembrokeshire]
CHAPTER I.
A GENERAL SURVEY. THE KING'S TOWN OF TENBY.
Far away beyond 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 primæval rocks that guard these storm-beaten shores
bear the full brunt of the Atlantic gales upon their craggy bastions;
which, under the ceaseless influence 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; 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 Dewisland to the
fantastic peaks of Carn Llidi 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. Hence the
twin floods of Eastern and Western Cleddau, rising far asunder at
opposite ends of the range, meander southwards in widely-deviating
courses through the heart of the county, to unite beneath the walls of
Picton Castle, and merge at last into the tidal waters of Milford Haven.
Westwards flows the little river Gwaen, circling through a picturesque
vale beneath the shadow of Carn Englyn, and emerging from its secluded
inland course upon the narrow, land-locked harbour of Fishguard. Towards
the north a group of streamlets unite to form the Nevern River, which
flows, amidst some of the most charming scenery in the county, through
the village of that ilk. After passing beneath the luxuriant groves of
Llwyngwair, the Nevern stream enters a sandy bay and bears the modest
commerce of Newport to the waterside hamlet of Parrog.
The Newgale Brook sweeps around Roch Castle, and enters St. Bride's Bay
through a broad rampart of shingle and sand. This latter stream has from
very early times formed the boundary between the ancient provinces of
Dewisland and Rhôs; and to this day the Newgale Brook draws a line of
demarcation between an English and a Welsh speaking people. Upon its
left bank lies Rhôs, a portion of the district known as 'Little England
beyond Wales,' with its Saxon speech and Norman fortress of Roch; while
all to westward stretches venerable Dewisland, Welsh now as ever in
tongue and in title.
The Solva River, emerging from a deep and narrow 'cwm,' forms one of
the most picturesque harbours upon the coast--a tempting nook for the
artist. Lastly, the little Allan Water, rising amidst those curious
hills which overlook St. Davids, meanders past open, gorse-clad commons
and marshlands abloom with the golden flag. Thenceforth the Allan winds
around the ruins of the Bishop's palace, and finally loses itself in a
tiny haven frequented by a few trading craft and small coastwise
colliers.
Deep into the bluff outline of this sea-girt land, old Ocean encroaches
by two important inlets of widely different character. As the wayfarer
bound to St. Davids approaches his destination, the tedium of the long
coach-drive is at last relieved by the welcome outlook across a broad
expanse of sea. This is St. Bride's Bay, whose waters sweep inland past
the ancient city for a distance of ten miles or so, having the large
islands of Ramsey and Skomer lying upon either horn of the bay.
Tradition tells that, 'once upon a time,' a fair country studded with
villages and farmsteads flourished where now the ocean rolls; and traces
of submerged forests about Newgale, and elsewhere within the compass of
the bay, suggest a possible grain of truth in the local fable.
A few miles farther down the coast the famous estuary of Milford Haven
opens seaward between the sheltering heights of St. Anne's Head, and the
long, crooked peninsula of Angle. Wonderful are the ramifications of
this magnificent waterway, within whose spacious roadstead the whole
British navy might with ease find anchorage; while its land-locked tidal
reaches bear a modest local traffic to many a remote inland district,
calling up memories of savours nautical beside the grass-grown quays of
Pembroke and 'Ha'rfordwest.'
Well might Imogen marvel why Nature should have singled out 'this same
blessed Milford' for such a priceless endowment, exclaiming:
'Tell me how Wales was made so happy as
To inherit such a Haven.'
The quaint author of 'Polyolbion' no less enthusiastically remarks:
'So highly Milford is in every mouth renown'd,
Noe Haven hath aught good, that in her is not found;'
while lastly, not to be outdone, George Owen, the old Pembrokeshire
chronicler, declares his beloved 'Myllford Havon' to be the 'most
famouse Porte of Christendome.'
Ever since those legendary days when St. Patrick sailed for the Emerald
Isle upon the traditional millstone, this incomparable haven has
continued to be a favourite point of departure for the opposite shores
of Ireland; and several historical personages appear at intervals in the
annals of local events. Hence, for example, Henry II. sailed away upon
his conquest of old Erin; while in the Fourth Henry's reign a large body
of French troops disembarked upon these shores, to co-operate in the
wars of 'the irregular and wild Glendower.' Yet another famous
individual, ycleped Henry ap Edmund ap Owain ap Meredydd ap Tydwr,
better known as Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, landed at Milford Haven
in the year of grace 1485, to set forth upon the historical campaign
which won for him a crown on Bosworth field. Here, again, the ubiquitous
Oliver Cromwell embarked with an army of some 15,000 men, to carry his
victorious arms against the rebellious Irish; and hence, in these piping
times of peace, the mail-boats sail at frequent intervals to the
seaports of the Emerald Isle.
Penetrating thus deeply into the country, one crooked arm of the great
estuary 'creketh in' beneath the stately ruins of Carew Castle, in such
wise as to partially 'peninsulate' a remote but interesting portion of
South Pembrokeshire, which is still further isolated by the low range of
the Ridgeway, between Pembroke and Tenby. This little district contains
within its limited compass a wonderful variety of ruined castles,
ancient priories, quaint old parish churches and curious, fortified
dwelling-houses of the English settlers.
Nestling in the more sheltered hollows, or clinging limpet-like to the
storm-swept uplands, these characteristic structures arouse the
wayfarer's interest as he paces the short, crisp turf rendered sweet by
the driven sea-spray. Occasionally he will set his course by some
prominent church steeple, which at the same time affords a landmark to
the passing mariner as he sails around the wild and iron-bound headlands
of the southern coast.
Throughout the length and breadth of Pembrokeshire, the constant
recurrence of camps, cromlechs, hut-circles and other prehistoric
remains, points to the existence of an extremely ancient people, whose
origin is involved in the mists of unrecorded antiquity. These primæval
monuments, seemingly old as the bleak hills they crown, suggest many an
insoluble conundrum to the curious visitor, who, gazing in wonder upon
their weather-beaten yet indestructible masses, disposes of the archaic
enigma as best he may by exclaiming: 'There were giants in those days!'
Coming down to the comparative _terra-firma_ of historic times, we find,
at the period of the Roman invasion, a Celtic race called the Demetæ
dwelling in the district of which our county forms a portion. The
masters of the world appear to have pushed their way to the western
seaboard, where, according to tradition, they established their colony
of Menapia beneath the shelter of the headland known to Ptolemy as
Octopitarum; connecting it, according to their custom, by the roadway of
Via Julia with their base at Muridunum, or Carmarthen; while the
probably still older road, called Via Flandrica, or Fordd Fleming,
afforded a route across the mountains to the north.
Taking another lengthy stride across the intervening centuries, we may
trace the footsteps of the Norman invaders. Under the leadership of
Arnulph de Montgomery, they overran these newly-conquered lands, and
established themselves in those great strongholds of Pembroke,
Manorbere, Carew, Haverfordwest and Roch, whose dismantled walls still
dominate the surrounding country.
The wild Welsh proving inconveniently restive, that astute monarch Henry
I. imported a colony of sturdy Flemings to assist in keeping order upon
these distant march-lands; an event which exerted a marked influence
upon the course of local history. These thrifty settlers received
further aid from the Second Henry, and settled down to cultivate the
land wrested from the Celtic peasantry.
The natives, however, still continued to behave in a very unneighbourly
fashion, 'making,' as we are told, 'verie sharpe warres upon the
Flemings, sometimes with gaine, sometimes with losse;' so that they
were obliged to build for themselves those strong, fortified
dwelling-houses whose massive remains are so frequently met with
throughout the southern parts of the county.
In course of time the language of the immigrants superseded the ancient
tongue of Celtic Dyfed, and thus that portion of the district comprised
within the hundreds of Castlemartin and Rhôs acquired the title of
'Little England beyond Wales,' whose Saxon place-names, such as
Johnston, Williamston, Hodgeston and the like, contrast so strikingly
with the universal Llan-this, that and the other, still common
throughout the upper country.
We have already had occasion to refer to Henry of Richmond's famous
visit to Milford, and to recall the expeditions of Cromwell and other
prominent personages from that noble haven to Ireland. The French
'invasion' of Wales in 1797 will be referred to in dealing with the
scenes of that notorious exploit: and in the course of our narrative we
shall touch upon various other historical incidents connected with the
nooks and corners of this fascinating county.
Owing to the prevalence of westerly breezes from the open Atlantic,
tempered by the beneficent influence of the Gulf Stream, Pembrokeshire
is blessed with a mild and remarkably equable climate. Hence the air is
at the same time both dry and bracing, particularly in the southern
portion of the county, where, in sheltered situations, the myrtle,
fuchsia and syringa flourish _al fresco_ all the year round.
Nothing can exceed the luxuriance of the vegetation in the spacious
demesne of Stackpole Court, where, sheltered from the strong winter
gales that sweep across these gorse-clad uplands, the oak, ash, beech,
ilex, sycamore and other forest trees, 'crowd into a shade' beside the
lily-strewn meres whose placid waters mirror their spreading branches.
This favoured region boasts, we believe, an average temperature of about
50° Fahr., and it has been shown by careful analysis that, taking one
season with another, there is little to choose between the average
climates of Madeira and of Tenby.
These favourable conditions do not, of course, obtain to the same degree
in the north; where rough winds occasionally sweep down from the
Precelly Mountains, driving keenly across the open country and retarding
the vegetation. Nevertheless there are sheltered nooks around Newport
and Fishguard where the eucalyptus, mulberry and fig-tree attain a
goodly stature.
Sun-warmed spots such as these form, however, mere oases of verdure
amidst the rolling, wind-swept uplands of the interior; where the
hardier trees alone rear their stunted forms above the rough stone walls
which serve in place of hedgerows, or cluster around a group of solid,
one-storied cottages, whose low walls, deep roofs and vast, bulging
chimneys are overspread with one universal coating of dazzling
whitewash; 'to keep out the weather,' as the country-folk will tell
you--very clean, no doubt, but the reverse of picturesque in appearance.
The native style of building is well exhibited in the ancient parish
churches, more especially in those towards the southern seaboard of the
county, which are distinguished by a rugged simplicity entirely in
keeping with the stern and sombre character of the surrounding
landscape. Of architecture there is but little; such beauty as the
edifice can boast having to be sought in the picturesque grouping of its
rambling gables beneath the tall, square, fortress-like tower; and the
quaint, unlooked-for character of the cavernous interior.
The nave is frequently covered with a rude stone barrel vault, from
which low vaulted transepts open out like cells on either hand, whence
vast 'squints,' forming narrow passages, branch diagonally into the
chancel. Low arches, sometimes pointed, sometimes of a curious flat
shape and almost invariably devoid of mouldings, open into the aisles,
which are lighted by lancet windows of simple but good design; while
sometimes a roomy porch or handsome sedilia adds a touch of distinction
to an otherwise homely interior.
We may instance, as typical examples of these sacred edifices, the
churches of Gumfreston, St. Florence, Castlemartin and, _par
excellence_, of Manorbere. A handsomer development may be studied in the
parish churches of Tenby, Carew and Hodgeston, and the fine old priory
church of Monkton. The graceful thirteenth-century pillars and arches of
St. Mary's, Haverfordwest, are unusually ornate for this locality, and
are only excelled by the varied and beautiful architecture of St. Davids
Cathedral itself. There can be little doubt that the hard, intractable
nature of the local limestone is in some degree responsible for the
primitive characteristics of many of these churches; for, despite their
archaic appearance, they are rarely older than early thirteenth-century
times.
Beautiful in their decay are the time-honoured ruins of the episcopal
palaces of Lamphey and St. Davids; whose mellow-toned walls with their
singularly graceful arcades mark the constructive genius of Bishop
Gower, the Wykeham of the West.
The numerous mediæval castles, whose ruined walls and ivy-mantled towers
so frequently meet the eye, form a striking feature in many a
picturesque scene; from the rugged bastions which cluster beneath the
mighty keep of Pembroke, and the many-windowed front of lordly Carew, to
the lonely peel-tower of Roch and the remote and isolated block-houses
which keep ward around the coast.
Having thus obtained a general _coup d'oeil_ of our field of action,
we will proceed to explore at our leisure the nooks and corners of this
pleasant countryside; so, with this purpose in view, we now make our way
to that highly-favoured watering-place, the 'King's town of Tenby.'
[Illustration: BECALMED OFF TENBY.]
One clear, calm evening in May of this drouthy year of grace 1893, we
emerge dusty and sun-baked from the tropical recesses of the 'tunnel
express,' alight at Tenby Station, and wend our way through the streets
of that clean little town to seaside quarters overlooking a
picturesque bay, where some fishing-craft lie quietly at anchor off the
harbour mouth. Towards sundown a miniature fleet of trawlers sweeps
gracefully landwards around the Castle Hill, looking for all the world
like a flight of brilliant butterflies; their russet sails glowing in
the warm light of the sun's declining rays with every hue from gold to
ruddy purple, recalling memories of gorgeous scenes on far-away Venetian
lagoons. Hailing from many a haven between Milford and strong-savoured
Brixham, these handy little vessels ply their calling around our
south-western shores; pushing their ventures, when opportunity serves,
to the North Sea fishing-grounds, and even to the remoter shores of
Scotland. The visitor curious in such matters soon learns to distinguish
between the well-found Brixham trawler and the handy sloop from Milford,
certain cabalistic letters painted upon the parti-coloured sails
denoting the port where, according to custom, each boat is respectively
registered.
[Illustration: TENBY.]
Tenby town is in many respects happy in what a local historian quaintly
terms its 'approximation.' Turning its back upon the quarter whence blow
the strongest gales, and sheltered by the high ground of the Ridgeway,
that part of the town most frequented by visitors faces south by east
across the land-locked waters of Carmarthen Bay.
Hence a pleasant view is obtained of the opposite coast of Gower and the
more distant highlands of North Devon; while Caldey Island lies like a
breakwater against the waves of the open Channel. As shrewd old Leland
observes: 'Tinbigh Town standith on a main Rokke, but not very by; and
the Severn Se so gulfith in about hit that, at the ful Se, almost the
third part of the Toun is inclosid with water.'
Tenby can boast a fair sprinkling of good hotels and lodging-houses. The
town is made further attractive as a place of residence by a
well-appointed club, a circulating library, excellent public baths and a
small museum of local interest. Last, but by no means least amongst its
attractions, Nature has provided a broad expanse of firm, dry sands,
much appreciated by children and bathers at holiday times.
With a fair train-service upon the railway, good carriages and boats for
hire, and steamboats calling at intervals, Tenby affords a convenient
centre whence to explore the remoter recesses of South Pembrokeshire,
for few and far between are the resting-places for the wayfarer in that
rather inaccessible region.
Dynbych-y-Pysgod--the Little Town of Fish--appears to have been a place
of some importance from very early times. By the middle of the twelfth
century we find the town in the hands of the Flemish soldiery; and
subsequently disasters came thick and threefold upon the devoted
inhabitants. During the reign of Henry II., Maelgwyn ap Rhys, a person
who is euphemistically described as 'of civil behaviour and honesty in
all his actions,' ascertaining that many of the townsfolk were absent at
the foreign wars, made a sudden onslaught, set fire to the ill-fated
town, and burnt it to the ground. Less than a century later the place
was again taken and destroyed by Llewelyn ap Grufydd: and after a
further respite of about 200 years, the notorious Owain Glyndwr appeared
before the walls, laid siege to, and made himself master of the little
Western seaport.
Notwithstanding these misfortunes, 'the King's town of Tenby' henceforth
grew and prospered unmolested. In 1402 Tenby was made a corporate town;
and by the middle of the fifteenth century it had already become a
centre of considerable trade and enterprise, encompassed by strong stone
walls and towers built by Earl William de Valentia, Lord of Pembroke.
The town walls are said to have been rebuilt by one Thomas White, the
scion of a famous burgher family, who was Mayor of this ancient borough
in 1457.
When Leland passed this way in the reign of bluff King Hal, he found the
'Toun strongeli waullid and well gatid, everi Gate having hys Port
collis _ex solide ferro_.' 'But,' says Fenton, writing in the early part
of the present century, 'it was left for Queen Elizabeth, who was a
great benefactress of the town in general, and whose initials are still
extant over parts of the town walls, to contribute that strength and
perfection to them which the present remains are a striking proof of.'
Earl William (who appears to have been a generous patron of the town)
granted the first charter of liberties, which was afterwards renewed and
confirmed by successive reigning sovereigns. Several of these
interesting documents are still in the possession of the Corporation,
including an illuminated charter of Richard III.'s reign, and another
granted by Edward VI., which is enriched with a quaint, archaic portrait
of that youthful monarch.
[Illustration: Maces Presented to Tenby by Charles II.]
Tenby also boasts a handsome pair of silver maces, presented to the town
by Charles II. They are about 2 feet in length, and are emblazoned with
the royal arms, the arms of Tenby, and other appropriate devices, with
the inscription 'Rice Borrow Maior, 1660.' The upper portion of the head
is formed as a moveable lid, so that the mace could be used upon festive
occasions as a loving-cup.
Since those turbulent days of its earlier career, Tenby has played the
modest _rôle_ of a town without a history, and has happily combined the
avocations of a fishery town with the seductions of a modern
watering-place.
[Illustration: The Chancel of St. Mary's Church, Tenby]
Turning out into the steadfast sunshine, we now thread our way amid the
intricacies of the older byways to the 'faire Paroche chirche,' whose
steeple, soaring high aloft, appears a landmark to mariners far out at
sea. Dedicated to St. Mary, this church is one of the largest and
handsomest in the county, and is unrivalled in the beauty and interest
of its monuments.
Foremost amongst these are the twin marble monuments in St. Anne's
Chapel, which figure in the foreground of our sketch. Here lie buried
several distinguished members of that famous family, the Whites of
Tenby, which has given many worthy citizens to the town.
Beneath the right-hand tomb rests Thomas White, merchant and sometime
Alderman of Tenby; whose recumbent effigy, habited in the distinctive
costume of his calling, adorns the monument. He it was who enabled
Henry, Earl of Richmond, to escape after the battle of Tewkesbury, by
concealing him in his house at Tenby until such time as he could ship
him safely off in one of his own vessels to France. In gratitude for
this yeoman service the Earl, upon his accession to the throne,
presented his trusty friend with the lease of all the Crown lands around
the town.
The adjacent monument, which closely resembles its neighbour, records
another member of the White family. Both these tombs are enriched with
figures, in panels of bold relief, with a running inscription in
mediæval character carved upon the margin.
Our attention is next attracted by the gaily-tinted effigy of William
Risam, who, clad in aldermanic robes, kneels beneath a canopy built
into the chapel wall. The figure is coloured in such a life-like manner
that, as the story goes, a Parliamentarian soldier fired at the supposed
enemy; in witness whereof a bullet-hole may be discerned above the head
of the effigy.
Near at hand lies the last of that ancient family the Vaughans, of
Dunraven in South Wales; a man who, having run through his patrimony at
breakneck pace, allowed the ancestral mansion to fall into ruin, and
betook himself to a lonely turret upon the seaward cliffs. Here he is
said to have spent his time in showing false lights along the coast, in
order to lure passing vessels ashore and enrich himself by the plunder
of their cargoes. One stormy night, during one of these sinister
exploits, the body of his only son was washed ashore at his feet; when,
overcome by this ominous catastrophe, he quitted the neighbourhood,
withdrew from all intercourse with his fellow-creatures, and ended his
days in seclusion at Tenby.
Standing upon the chapel floor hard by, we espy a fine old
fifteenth-century church bell bearing in black-letter characters the
words SANCTA ANNA, with the initials R. T. This is the ancient
sanctus-bell of this same chapel of St. Anne, which has descended to its
present lowly position from the exterior of the tower, having been hung
there, as is supposed, long years ago by Thomas ap Rhys, of
Scotsborough, a descendant of the famous Rhys ap Thomas who played so
important a part in the establishment of Henry VII. upon the throne. The
memory of this worthy knight is kept evergreen by the gaudy and rather
pretentious-looking monument seen on the farther wall. There he kneels,
with folded hands, arrayed in ruffles and trunk-hose; his 'better half,'
who is represented as of gigantic proportions, reposing uncomfortably
upon her side; while in panels beneath appear the sons and daughters,
arranged in symmetrical gradation. A glance at the sketch will show the
pretty contrast afforded by the diversified forms of the arches; while
the lofty flight of steps ascending to the chancel, and the dark timbers
of the roof supported by well-carved angels upon massive brackets,
enhance the effect of the handsome interior.
[Illustration: RUINS OF ST. MARYS PRIORY AT TENBY.]
Quitting the church by its massive south porch, we pause beneath the
spreading elms that adorn the churchyard to admire a singular group of
arches, set in a crumbling fragment of ruined wall, whose gray,
time-worn stones are abloom with bright tufts of pink valerian. These
appear to be the sole remains of a house of Carmelite nuns, established
A.D. 1399 by one John de Swynemore; and so graceful are these
richly-moulded arches that we can but regret that more of the structure
has not been spared to us. It is probable that these ruins are of coëval
date with the adjacent western doorway of the church, which has a
peculiar ogee arch surmounted with the following inscription in Gothic
characters: BENEDICTUS DEUS IN DONIS SUIS.
Rambling haphazard around the little town, such names as Frog Street,
Crackwell Street and the like, tickle our fancy as a quaint relief to
modern street nomenclature, which, usually devoid of originality, too
often supplants local names racy of the soil.
[Illustration: A BIT OF OLD TENBY]
A sudden turn down a narrow lane, hanging, as it were, upon the steep
hillside, reveals glimpses of old-world Tenby which beguile our
wandering steps from the hard highway.
At a secluded corner of these by-lanes a gray and weather-beaten old
house stands, forsaken and neglected, amid the meaner dwellings that
encompass it. The well-proportioned windows and pointed doorway which
adorn the massive front lend a certain air of faded dignity, as though
the old place had once 'seen better days'; while above the high-pitched
roof peers one of those curious, rounded erections called hereabouts
'Flemish' chimneys.
In conjunction with the ancient gables at the rear of the adjacent
saddler's shop, this interesting old structure forms one of the most
picturesque relics yet remaining of the Tenby of 'auld lang syne.'
Following hence the groups of stalwart fisher-folk as, with large air of
leisure, they stroll adown the hill, we soon find ourselves upon the
'Peere made for Shyppes' which encloses the little harbour. Here stood
in olden times the seamen's chapel of St. Julian, which was subsequently
converted into a bath-house: thus 'cleanliness comes next to godliness';
and a pretty modern chapel now stands beside the quay.
Close at hand, in a sheltered cove, the lifeboat lies in wait beside a
rudimentary iron 'peere,' which threatens to stretch its spindle shanks
athwart the comely crescent of the bay, beneath the fortress-crowned
islet of St. Catherine.
The adjacent Castle Hill is crowned by a lofty watch-tower, some ruined
outworks of the ancient city walls, and a handsome marble statue of the
late Prince Consort, of heroic size: lower down stands a small but
well-arranged museum, which contains a representative collection of
local natural history, besides valuable cases of shells, coins, etc.
[Illustration: OLD HOUSES AT TENBY.]
Archæologists will notice with interest the small alabaster group of St.
George and the Dragon, rescued from a cottage in course of demolition
at Tenby; and a fine specimen of a quern, used for grinding corn, found
near Popton. The exterior is fashioned into the form of a human face,
and as it is known that only the earlier examples were ornamented, this
quern is considered to be of very high antiquity.
The seaward face of the hill is laid out in winding walks, with
sheltered seats at intervals, where visitors and townsfolk congregate
upon the sunny slopes to indulge in a spell of _dolce far niente_, or to
enjoy the wide panorama of land and sea that lies outspread around.
[Illustration: THE WALLS OF TENBY TOWN]
The return to the town may be varied by strolling along the broad, firm
sands beneath curiously contorted rocky cliffs, aglow just now with
masses of the white and red valerian. Clambering up a long flight of
steps, we soon find ourselves abreast of the massive walls which in
olden times protected the town upon its landward side, and terminated
upon the precipitous edge of the cliff in the quaint, ivy-clad tower
that rises right here before us.
These ancient walls are still (in spite of hard treatment in bygone
times from vandalistic hands) in a fair state of preservation; and form,
with their boldly-projecting towers and broken battlements, the most
striking and picturesque feature of the town. They are perhaps seen to
the best advantage from near the north-west corner, whence a general
_coup d'oeil_ is gained of their respective sides.
Sauntering under the shady trees on the site of the ancient moat, we
pass beside the south-west front, to which, as by far the most complete,
we now devote our attention. Here we notice how the sturdy round tower
which guards the converging angle spreads boldly out at its base; anon
we observe another tower of similar form, through which the easy-going
authorities of some past time have actually permitted a huge opening to
be hewn to admit the passage of a ropewalk!
[Illustration: ST. GEORGE'S GATE, TENBY.]
A stone's-throw farther on rises the broad bulk of the great St.
George's Bastion, marking the entrance to one of the principal town
gates, and pierced with five archways, in two of which the grooves for
the portcullis may still be discerned. Overhead a gangway ran around the
inner face of the wall, which is provided with lancet-holes for the use
of archers, and is crowned with the usual corbelled battlements.
Altogether this fine old structure presents a most picturesque
appearance; its ancient archways being frequently enlivened by groups of
market folk passing to and fro, while the rough gray stones of its
venerable walls are wreathed with masses of flowering plants. A number
of shabby dwellings which encumbered the approach have recently been
swept away; one dilapidated old building with curious circular chimneys
(said to have been used as a lazar-house) alone being spared.
Beyond St. George's Bastion rises another ivy-mantled tower, near which
we espy a stone panel let into the wall, bearing the superscription 'Ao
1588, E. R.' Being interpreted, this inscription records that Tenby
walls were repaired in the thirtieth year of good Queen Bess's reign.
Farther on the wall is pierced with a wide open archway, and terminates
abruptly upon the precipitous edge of the cliff in a square,
battlemented turret bearing a strong family likeness to the church
towers of this locality. The walls seem to have been pierced with a
double row of lancet-holes for the use of archers, the upper tier being
commanded by a gangway carried upon pointed arches, while the lower row
is accessible from the ground.
The day waxing warm and sunny, we now make for the harbour again, and
charter one of the numerous well-found pleasure-boats which lie in wait
for visitors. An hour's pleasant sail over a sea blue as the
Mediterranean, and we land upon the shores of Caldey Island, like the
Old Man of the Sea, pick-a-back fashion astride the boatman's back.
'This island,' says George Owen, 'is verie fertile and yeldeth plentie
of corne; all their plowes goe with horses, for oxen the inhabitantes
dare not keepe, fearing the purveyors of the pirattes as they themselves
told me, whoe often make their provisions there by theire owne
comission, and comonlie to the good contentment of the inhabitantes,
when conscionable theefes arrive there.'
A grassy track, winding up the sloping bank amidst gorse and bracken,
now leads across a stream and beside a few quarrymen's cottages to a
dejected-looking chapel. In a neglected corner of the interior we
discover the object of our visit--to wit, a recumbent oblong stone
inscribed with certain archaic characters, which have been rendered as
follows: 'In the Name both of the Cross itself and of Him who was fixed
thereon, pray for the soul of Catuoconus.' Certain lines of the
character known as Ogham may also be discerned upon the sides or edges
of this hoary monolith.
[Illustration: THE PRIORY CALDY ISLAND]
Striking across the open fields, with the tall white lighthouse for our
guide, we turn aside to visit an old farmstead that contains the scanty
ruins of Caldey Priory. This venerable foundation owes its origin to
Robert, son of Martin de Turribus, and was annexed as a cell to the
abbey of St. Dogmaels, near Cardigan.
A wise old saw which observes 'There is nothing new but what has been
forgotten,' may find a verification amidst such neglected nooks as
these; whose long-forgotten relics of a bygone age greet the wayfarer
with all the charm of novelty.
Above the adjacent farmyard premises rises the quaint little
weather-beaten tower of the old priory chapel; its slender spire leaning
perilously awry, its stonework fast crumbling to decay. From the summit
of the tower hangs the crazy bell, with rusty chain and silent clapper.
One daintily-fashioned window is roughly blocked with brickwork, another
gives entrance to a pigeon-cot.
Within the adjoining house we are shown a fine old vaulted kitchen, with
deep-browed windows, and rude stone settle along the wall. Thence we
penetrate to a cool, dark chamber exhibiting traces of a gracefully
proportioned window enclosed by a pointed arch, long since blocked up.
Retracing our steps beneath hedges of flowering fuchsia, we return by
breezy, fern-clad commons and well-tilled fields to the landing-place;
where an amphibious-looking individual is laying out lobster-pots among
the weed-strewn rocks.
Caldey has ever been famed for the excellence of its oyster fisheries;
not to speak of the crabs and lobsters caught around its rocky shores,
which are commended by an Elizabethan writer who appears to have been an
authority on such matters. 'The Lapster,' says this enthusiast, 'sett
whole on the table, yieldeth Exercise, Sustenance and Contemplation;
exercise in cracking his legs and Clawes, sustenance by eating the Meate
thereof, and contemplation by beholding the curious Work of his complete
Armour, both in hue and workmanship.'
'And the Crabbe,' continues the same writer, 'doth sensiblye feele the
Course of the Moone; fillinge and emptyeing yt selfe with the encrease
and decrease thereof, and therefore ys saied to be best at the full
Moone.'
Once more afloat, we are speedily wafted past the cave-pierced cliffs of
St. Margaret's Isle, and across the placid waters of Caldey Sound.
Running beneath the fortress-crowned St. Catherine's Rock, we round the
Castle Hill and disembark in Tenby's sheltered haven.
Though our rambles about its old streets have by no means exhausted the
curious nooks of Tenby, yet we have all broad Pembrokeshire lying as it
were at our doors, and waiting only for an 'open sesame' to disclose its
most interesting features. By far the larger number of these lie within
a measurable distance of Tenby, whence access is easily obtained to them
by road, rail, or boat. Moreover, by taking counsel with the local
time-table, the visitor may fare forth upon his way at a conscionable
hour of the morning and be back again at Tenby ere nightfall supervenes.
The curious old chest figured at the foot of this chapter formed the
ancient treasury of Tenby. It is enriched with sixteenth-century German
ironwork of very quaint design--witness the ladies pulling the
elephants' 'noses,'--and has seven bolts and two padlocks. The keys of
these latter were held by the two town bailiffs, while the Mayor was
responsible for those of the main lock and of the tiller inside. After
having been sold as old iron some five-and-thirty years ago, this
interesting relic was rescued by a Tenby resident, through whose
courtesy we are enabled to show the accompanying sketch.
[Illustration: THE ANCIENT TREASURY OF TENBY.]