Haverfordwest Priory (Welsh : Priordy Hwlffordd) was a house of Augustinian Canons Regular on the banks of the Western Cleddau at Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales. Dedicated to St. Mary and St. Thomas the Martyr and situated on land given by Robert fitz-Richard, castellan of Haverford Castle [1] and second cousin of Gerald of Wales. [2] The priory was first mentioned around 1200.
According to William Latham Bevan, “It owned the three churches in Haverfordwest, Haroldston St. Issell's, adjacent to it, Llanstadwell, Dale, Lambston, Camrose, Llanwynio, St. Ishmael's (Milford Haven), Reynalton, and a chapel now extinct named Cristiswell, probably situated at Cresswell Quay, near Cresselly. [3]
At the time of Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries (1536–1541), it was acquired by Roger and Thomas Barlow, brothers of William Barlow, bishop of St David's. [4]
From 1983 to 1996, the site (now under control of Cadw) was excavated and the outlines of the buildings are visible. Much architectural material of a high standard was discovered and can be seen in Haverfordwest museum. Also unearthed was a unique medieval garden with raised beds. [5] The gardens are listed at Grade I on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales. [6]
In February 2022, archaeologists began to excavate Haverfordwest Priory, and a gravesite containing 240 burials at the location of a former department store was identified. [7]
Ewenny Priory, in Ewenny in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, was a monastery of the Benedictine order, founded in the 12th century. The priory was unusual in having extensive military-style defences and in its state of preservation; the architectural historian John Newman described it as “the most complete and impressive Norman ecclesiastical building in Glamorgan”. Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, parts of the priory were converted into a private house by Sir Edward Carne, a lawyer and diplomat. This Elizabethan house was demolished between 1803 and 1805 and replaced by a Georgian mansion, Ewenny Priory House. The house is still owned by the Turbervill family, descendants of Sir Edward. The priory is not open to the public apart from the Church of St Michael, the western part of the priory building, which continues to serve as the parish church for the village. The priory is in the care of Cadw and is a Grade I listed building.
Haverfordwest is the county town of Pembrokeshire, Wales, and the most populous urban area in Pembrokeshire with a population of 14,596 in 2011. It is also a community, being the second most populous community in the county, with 12,042 people, after Milford Haven. The suburbs include the former parish of Prendergast, Albert Town and the residential and industrial areas of Withybush.
Newport is a town, parish, community, electoral ward and ancient port of Parrog, on the Pembrokeshire coast in West Wales at the mouth of the River Nevern in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.
Picton Castle is a medieval castle near Haverfordwest in the community of Uzmaston, Boulston and Slebech, Pembrokeshire, Wales. Originally built at the end of the 13th century by a Flemish knight, it later came into the hands of Sir John Wogan. The castle and estate are now run by the Picton Castle Trust, a registered charity, and are no longer occupied by Wogan's descendants, the Philipps family. It is of unusual construction and has been remodelled several times during its history. The castle is a Grade I listed building and its gardens and park are designated at Grade II* on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.
Llawhaden Castle is a ruined castle in Llawhaden, Pembrokeshire, Wales, 10 miles (16 km) east of Haverfordwest. A motte-and-bailey castle is thought to have previously occupied the site and the present structure was built by the bishops of the Diocese of St David in the 13th century. The castle was abandoned in the 16th century and some of the stone was removed for local building projects. The site is privately owned by the Lord of the Manor of Llawhaden and managed by Cadw.
Cresswell Castle is a castle half a mile north of the village of Cresswell Quay, Pembrokeshire, west Wales. It is situated on the banks of the River Cresswell in what is currently private land. The buildings were originally a 13th-century stone fortified manorial complex, founded by the Augustinian Priory of Haverfordwest.
Haverfordwest Castle is a castle located in the town centre at Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, south Wales, located in a naturally defensive position at the end of a strong, isolated ridge. The castle was established during Norman times in 1120 but much of the architecture remaining today is dated to 1290. For centuries the castle was an English stronghold. There are several other notable castles in area; Wiston Castle lies 6 miles (9.7 km) to the northeast and Pembroke Castle lies 12 miles (19 km) to the south.
Milford Haven Waterway is a natural harbour in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is a ria or drowned valley which was flooded at the end of the last ice age. The Daugleddau estuary winds west to the sea. As one of the deepest natural harbours in the world, it is a busy shipping channel, trafficked by ferries from Pembroke Dock to Ireland, oil tankers and pleasure craft. Admiral Horatio Nelson, visiting the haven with the Hamiltons, described it as the next best natural harbour to Trincomalee in Ceylon and "the finest port in Christendom". Much of the coastline of the Waterway is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, listed as Milford Haven Waterway SSSI.
Roch Castle is a 12th-century castle, located at Roch near Haverfordwest, Wales.
Slebech was a community in Pembrokeshire, Wales, which is now part of the combined community of Uzmaston and Boulston and Slebech, a sparsely populated community on the northern shore of the Eastern River Cleddau. The community shares boundaries with the communities of Wiston and Llawhaden and mainly consists of farmland and woodland. Much of the community is within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and Picton Castle's stable block loft is an important breeding roost for the rare Greater Horseshoe Bat.
Scolton Manor is a Victorian country house and country park located in Pembrokeshire, West Wales northeast of Haverfordwest and on the borders of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Built as a home, it is now a museum and is a Grade II* listed building. The stable court, some 120 m (130 yd) to the north, is also a Grade II listed building and both are owned by Pembrokeshire County Council. The gardens and parkland are listed on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales. The house, grounds and a number of exhibits are open to the public.
The Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales is a heritage register of significant historic parks and gardens in Wales. It is maintained by Cadw, the historic environment service of the Welsh Government and was given statutory status in 2022.
Pill Priory is a Tironian house founded near Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, South West Wales in the late 12th century.
This is a list of Grade I-listed buildings in the county of Pembrokeshire, Wales.
This is a list of Grade II*-listed buildings in the county of Pembrokeshire, Wales.
Haroldston St Issells is a former parish in Pembrokeshire, Wales, on the upper reaches of the Western Cleddau, 1 mile (1.6 km) southeast of Haverfordwest. Its area is 1,104 acres (447 ha); Haroldston church is co-located with Lower Haroldston and is a small attractive building. Haroldston ruins and Lower Haroldston can both be viewed from a circular walk along the banks of the Cleddau. Haroldston and other places in the parish are preserved as historic place names by the Royal Commission.
Rudbaxton Rath is a ring-shaped enclosure together with a ringed keep in the parish of Rudbaxton, Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated roughly 1.54 km northeast of Crundale and about 2.39 km east of Haverfordwest Aerodrome.
Upton Castle is a 13th-century castle or fortified manor house with an associated chapel, located near Cosheston, Pembrokeshire in Wales. Although in private ownership, the gardens are open to the public. They are listed on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south-west of Wales. It covers an area of 1,619 km2 (625 sq mi). In 2021 the population was approximately 123,700.
Haverfordwest.