Villages
The county is dotted with villages both large and small. Most have basic amenities and many offer accommodation of varying types.
The County Council has provided visitor information boards in all the touristy villages. These boards give a potted history of each village with line drawings of notable features and buildings. As with all communications from the County Council they bilingual in Welsh and English.
Presented below is a guide to the more popular villages in Pembrokeshire, starting in the south-east at Amroth.
The view from Wiseman's Bridge to Amroth.
Amroth
A coastal village with a long beach. Holiday village at Amroth Castle. The National Trust’s Colby Woodland Gardens is close by. It is the start or end, depending on which way you travel, of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. Touristy shops, cafes and restaurants and two pubs. Car parking in high season can be difficult due to popularity of the beach.
Wisemans Bridge
A small coastal hamlet with a nice beach. The Coast Path from here to Saundersfoot follows the track of the former Saundersfoot railway and leads through three tunnels. In the valley behind the hamlet a path leads to the remains of the Stepaside Iron works where there is an interpretive centre outlining the history of the area. Pub which serves food at the edge of the beach.
Penally
A suburb of Tenby. The village is now by-passed by a new road. It is well worth taking the old road through this pretty area. Interesting Norman church. The village has its own Railway station. From the station car park, a path leads through the Golf Course to the south end of Tenby south beach. The village boasts hotels, a shop, pubs that serve food and a Night Club at the Tenby end of the village.
Lydstep
On the coast road from Tenby to Pembroke, this small village has a shop and pubs. There is a large holiday park at the back of the beach. Lydstep Head is a dramatic limestone headland overlooking Caldey Island and Tenby.
The rugged Pembrokeshire coastline at Manorbier.
Manorbier
Has a dramatic castle (Open to the public) overlooking the beach. On the eastern headland of Manorbier bay stands a prehistoric burial chamber known as Kings Quoit. The 12th century church faces the castle across the narrow valley. Manorbier boasts a shop, a pub, a hotel and guest houses. There is a rail station approximately half mile from the village.
St.Florence
The village which is approximately four miles west of Tenby owes its origins to the Norman kings who encouraged people from Flanders to settle in the area. Street names such as Flemish Court and Flemish Close give a clue as to its history. One cottage near the church has an enormous grey stone Flemish style chimney. The village has won several awards for its floral displays. Parts of the church dates from 12th century. Village facilities include a hotel, pubs, a garden centre with cafe and a village shop.
Lamphey
A growing village one mile east of Pembroke. Its main attraction is the ruined Bishops Palace, former summer residence of the Bishops of St.Davids. The village has a church, hotels, pubs, a shop and a bakery.
Angle
Situated at the mouth of the Milford Haven, Angle is a long straggling village with west Angle beach at one end and Angle bay at the eastern end. The bay is a good place for watching wading birds. A track from the eastern end of the village leads to the RNLI lifeboat station which is situated on the Haven. The village offers the following facilities: a church, a pub, a shop, a cafe and a range of accommodation.
Dale
On the opposite side of the mouth of the Milford Haven lies the village of Dale. It has a wide shingle and sand beach and is a popular spot for sailing and wind surfing. A road from Dale leads to St Ann’s Head at the entrance to the Haven. A lighthouse and coastguard station together with some cottages command the headland. Below the cliffs east of the headland is Mill Bay where Henry Tudor landed in 1485 on his way to defeat King Richard III at Bosworth Field and claim the throne as King Henry VII. Dale's facilities include a church, a pub, a shop and a cafe. Dale is reputedly the sunniest place in Wales.
Marloes
A near neighbour of Dale, this small village is on the road to Martins Haven where boats sail to Skomer Island. There are two beaches nearby, Marloes sands on the south side of the peninsular and Musselwick sands overlooking St.Brides Bay to the north and west. The village has a church, a shop and a pub.
The coastline at Little Haven & Broad Haven.
Little Haven
Pretty Little Haven gets very crowded in summer. It is approached by steep roads which lead to the small beach. A walk from the back of the beach leads past the Swan Inn to a view point over St.Brides bay. This small village has pubs, a restaurant, a cafe and a shop. There is a large car park.
Broad Haven
As Broad Haven has the closest beach to Haverfordwest, the village gets busy in summer. A lot of modern development above the old village is let as self catering holiday accommodation. A great place to watch the sun set over the sweep of St.Brides Bay. The village has a large car park, a shop and a cafe.
Solva
On the road to St Davids, Solva is situated in a narrow valley with steeply overhanging hills which gives the village the appearance of a mini fjord. The fjords winding entrance protects the village from the open sea. It is a popular sailing and boating centre. Solva offers the following facilities: Pubs, restaurants, shops, an art gallery and a working woolen mill.
Nevern
Situated off the Fishguard to Cardigan road north of Newport. In the church yard of St. Brynach’s church is a fine example of a Celtic Cross. The finely carved cross is 13 feet high. In the church grounds is a avenue of Yew Trees one of which is a bleeding Yew.The tree drips with sap which is blood red in colour.
St.Dogmaels
This large village on the banks of the river Teifi grew up around the ruins of the Abbey which was established in the 7th century. It has been in ruins since Tudor times. It is the northern starting point of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. St Dogmaels offers pubs, a cafe and shops. Full facilities are available in nearby Cardigan.
