Martin's Haven

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Martin's Haven Martin's Haven - geograph.org.uk - 185040.jpg
Martin's Haven

Martin's Haven is a small, north-facing cove in Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK, on the Dale Peninsula, with views across St Bride's Bay towards St David's. It is recorded by the Royal Commission as a historic place name. [1]

Contents

Features

The Haven's shingle beach has a stone slipway which acts as an embarkation point for the ferry which visits the nearby island of Skomer, a national nature reserve, during summer. Martin's Haven lies within the Skomer Marine Conservation Zone and is popular for scuba diving and attractive for its dark sky. [2] Grey seals can be seen basking on the rocks.

Amenities

The Haven is on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path and in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. It has its own car park and toilet facilities, owned by the National Trust, as is much of the small peninsula on which Martin's Haven lies. [3] [4] [5] The National Trust area features a peninsula walk from which most of Pembrokeshire's islands can be seen. [6]

Anchorage

For sailors and divers there is safe anchorage at Martin's Haven for small boats, with the mouth of the cove having 6 metres of water. Onshore is a Wildlife Trust visitor centre. [7] On the west side of the Haven, at Wooltack Point, there is a National Coastwatch Institution watch station. [8]

Mediaeval stone

When constructing the visitor toilets 100m inland from the Haven, workmen found an inscribed stone with a ring-cross, whose possible original function in the 9th or 10th centuries was as a marker or prayer station for travellers; the Haven is a well-established landing place from Skomer, which has been occupied since before recorded history. [9]

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References

  1. "RCAHMW: Martin's Haven" . Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  2. "Visit Pembrokeshire: Martin's Haven" . Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  3. Ordnance Survey
  4. Rees, Trevor. (5 March 2009). Shorething: Martin’s Haven, Pembrokeshire. Dive Magazine. "Shorething: Martin's Haven, Pembrokeshire - DIVE Wales". Archived from the original on 31 March 2009. Retrieved 14 April 2009.
  5. Pembrokeshire Outdoor Charter Group: Martin’s Haven Archived 2008-09-08 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "National Trust: Marloes Peninsula Walk" . Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  7. Stickland, Katy (19 July 2021). "Martin's Haven, Pembrokeshire". Yachting Monthly. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  8. Harry Jamshidian (1 June 2021). "Person rescued from Wooltack Point, Martin's Haven, by helicopter". Western Telegraph. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  9. "Marloes 1, Cross-Carved Stone, Martin's Haven (305364)". Coflein. RCAHMW . Retrieved 21 September 2024.

51°44′10″N5°14′42″W / 51.736°N 5.245°W / 51.736; -5.245