Haverfordwest

Haverfordwest

Haverfordwest is the attractive and ancient county town of Pembrokeshire. As well as being the county’s administrative centre, Haverfordwest has a great variety of shops in the town and the outlying retail parks.

The centre of Haverfordwest is dominated by the Western Cleddau that runs through the middle of the town and the castle that towers above it.

Haverfordwest is the county town so most bus services radiate to the whole of Pembrokeshire and also a railway station.

Haverfordwest has been established for almost 1,000 years. In Elizabethan times, Haverfordwest was the second largest port in Wales and remained the main port in West Wales until the coming of the railway in 1853.

The castle is in the centre of Haverfordwest and dominates the town.  Built in about 1110, the castle has had an eventful history.  In 1779-80, the County Gaol was built in the inner ward and the museum now occupies the old prison governor’s house.

Attractions

Haverfordwest castle was built about 1120, although no masonry remains before the late 12th century. The majority of the existing structure was built by successive Earls of Pembroke and Queen Eleanor of Castile in the late thirteenth century.

The castle changed hands several times during the Civil War but in 1648, Cromwell ordered its destruction. Thankfully, lack of gunpowder left much of it still standing.

Situated within the Castle wall and previously the old prison governor’s house is the town museum. It houses exhibitions of art and local history and has artefacts relating to the town’s past.

Downriver on the west bank of the river are the ruins of an Augustinian Priory that have recently been excavated and repaired. They occupy a pleasant setting beside the river, a short walk from the town centre.

Three miles north of Haverfordwest towards Fishguard is Hanger 5, Wales’ first indoor trampoline park.

Food & drink

There are plenty of pubs, cafés and restaurants found in the town as well as delis.

Haverfordwest Farmers Market is held on the riverside every Friday.

Accommodation

There are plenty of places to stay with a number of independent hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs. The nearest campsites and touring caravan sites are towards Newgale or Broad Haven and there are plenty of self-catering cottages in surrounding villages.