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Tours > Wales > Haverfordwest
Haverfordwest
 Once a busy port before the arrival of the railways, Haverfordwest is still the commercial, shopping and administrative centre of the county of Pembroke. Recent projects to bring back ships include a deepening of the west branch of the River Cleddau (Kletheye) into the town centre. Much of the town has been designated a conservation area; its steep streets and rows of Georgian houses make it particularly appealing, as do the river walks and small-boat cruises.
The town may have been a Viking settlement, but the arrival of the Normans in 1120, and Henry I's Flemish settlers some time later helped Haverfordwest grow into a major town in the area. Because of its English nature, it was burned by Llywelyn the Great and then again by followers of Owain Glyndwr. During the English Civil Wars the town changed hands several times. At one time the castle was occupied by Parliamentary General Laugharne, after whom Dylan Thomas' burial place is named.
The shell of the Norman castle (pictured above) houses the town's Museum and Art Gallery, which features regular exhibitions and tells the story of Haverfordwest and the surrounding district. St. Mary's Church dates from the 13th century, but with several 15th century additions. On Quay Street are the remains of an ancient Priory Church.
 A fine regional museum can reached at Scolton Manor, about five miles northeast of town on the B4329. Also located here is the imaginary Pembroke village of Treddoe (Tray Thoy) with a street of shops, school, chapel, doctor's office, post office and pub. The name translates into English as "town of yesterday." Five miles from town in the other direction on the A477 towards Carmarthen you'll find Carew Castle, a former medieval fortress turned into an Elizabethan mansion, home of one of the finest Celtic crosses in Wales.
Next Stop: Pembroke Dock
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