Pwllgwaelod (originally Y Pwll Gwaelod, Welsh for The Bottom Cove/Creek) [1] is a small scattered hamlet centred on a bay on the south-western side of the Dinas Island peninsula. It is in the community of Dinas Cross between Fishguard and Newport, Pembrokeshire, Wales. Many of the properties within the hamlet of Pwllgwaelod are holiday cottages.
The small sandy beach, which is wide and open, with fine dark sand, has rocks and cliffs on either side, making it protected and unsuitable for watersports such as surfing. It offers good views across Fishguard Bay to Fishguard Harbour.
Pwllgwaelod beach failed to meet EU water quality standards in 2011 and 2012, possibly as a result of landwater run-off following two exceptionally wet summers. [2] Nearby Cwm-yr-Eglwys has a Green Coast Award and a Seaside Award. [3]
Pwllgwaelod is reached by a narrow, twisty road from the centre of Dinas Cross (on the A487). [4] In the summer months (May - September) it is also served by the "Poppit Rocket", a bus which follows the coastline from Fishguard to Cardigan in the north. [5]
Pwllgwaelod lies on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path which from here runs for 3 miles all round the peninsula of Dinas Island, reaching Cwm-yr-Eglwys on the other side. Cwm-yr-Eglwys can also be reached by a direct footpath (a little over a mile in length) through the valley that almost divides Dinas Head from the mainland, and is suitable for wheelchairs. [3] [6]
There are two car parks and public toilets, and the boat-park has a slipway for launching dinghies. [7] Dogs are allowed on the beach. [8]
Close to the beach is an old pub, now a bar/restaurant called the Old Sailors. [7] This is the only building by the beach itself, and has seen some 500 years of use (although it closed for a period from 1994). [9] Formerly called the Sailors Safety, it supposedly dates from 1593, the name referring to the light it once kept burning as a guide to ships. [10] It was visited by Dylan Thomas at least once. [3]
Pwllgwaelod was at times used as a sheltered harbour when strong winds from the east made Fishguard dangerous.
There is a medium-sized "three-quarter" lime kiln by the beach, used for converting the limestone brought in by boat to quicklime. This was used on the land, in this case on Dinas Island.
Pwllgwaelod is mentioned in "Sailing directions for the West Coast of England" , published by the Admiralty Hydrographic Department in 1870 :
In "A Book of South Wales" , published in 1905, Sabine Baring-Gould wrote:
The Pembrokeshire Coast Path, often called the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, is a designated National Trail in Pembrokeshire, southwest Wales. Established in 1970, it is a 186-mile (299 km) long-distance walking route, mostly at cliff-top level, with a total of 35,000 feet (11,000 m) of ascent and descent. At its highest point – Pen yr afr, on Cemaes Head – it reaches a height of 574 feet (175 m), and at its lowest point – Sandy Haven crossing, near Milford Haven – it is just 6 feet (2 m) above low water. Whilst most of the coastline faces west, it offers – at varying points – coastal views in every direction of the compass.
Fishguard is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, Wales, with a population of 3,419 in 2011; the community of Fishguard and Goodwick had a population of 5,407. Modern Fishguard consists of two parts, Lower Fishguard and the "Main Town". Fishguard and Goodwick are twin towns with a joint Town Council.
Goodwick is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, Wales, immediately west of its twin town of Fishguard.
Newport is a town, 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.
Cardigan Bay is a large inlet of the Irish Sea, indenting the west coast of Wales between Bardsey Island, Gwynedd in the north, and Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire at its southern end. It is the largest bay in Wales.
Dinas Cross is both a village, a community and a former parish in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Located between Fishguard and Newport in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, it is a popular holiday destination on the A487 road. The two hamlets, Cwm-yr-Eglwys and Pwllgwaelod, are in the community. The community has an elected community council and until 2022 gave its name to an electoral ward of Pembrokeshire County Council which covered the communities of Dinas Cross, Cwm Gwaun and Puncheston.
Cwm-yr-Eglwys is a hamlet in a picturesque cove on the eastern side of the Dinas Island peninsula in the community of Dinas Cross between Fishguard and Newport, Pembrokeshire, in southwest Wales. It has a full time population of around 10 people. There are 27 homes and a small private caravan site.
Cilymaenllwyd is a community on the extreme northwest of Carmarthenshire in Wales. The community population at the 2011 census was 742. It lies about 25 miles (40 km) west of Carmarthen, 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Fishguard and 15 miles (24 km) northeast of Haverfordwest. The A478 road runs through the community.
Pencaer is a community which covers an area of dispersed settlement in Pembrokeshire, Wales, on the peninsula of Pen Caer and comprises the village of Llanwnda and the smaller settlements of Granston, Llangloffan, St Nicholas (Tremarchog) and Trefasser. The population of the community taken at the 2011 census was 474.
Ceibwr Bay is a bay opening into the Irish Sea in Pembrokeshire, west Wales. It is about 7 km west of Cardigan, and 3 km south of the headland of Cemaes Head. It is owned by the National Trust, and lies within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path.
Cwm Gwaun is a community and valley in north Pembrokeshire, Wales. The community is centred around Pontfaen, a parish and hamlet 4 miles (6.4 km) southeast of Fishguard, and includes the ancient parish of Llanychaer. In 2011, the population was 313. The valley is known for its unspoilt nature and old-world pub, and there are numerous other listed buildings.
Dinas Island is a peninsula, partially detached from the mainland, in the community of Dinas Cross between Fishguard and Newport, Pembrokeshire, in southwest Wales. A triangulation point shows 466 feet (142 m) above sea level at Pen-y-fan. Although Dinas Head is the northernmost part of the promontory where the cliffs meet the sea, the name is sometimes loosely used to refer to this highest point. Dinas Island is contained within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and the headland is under the care of the National Trust.
Fishguard and Goodwick is the name of a community that wraps around Fishguard Bay, on the northern coast of Pembrokeshire, Wales. It comprises the two towns of Fishguard and Goodwick, with their neighbourhoods of Dyffryn, Harbour Village, Penyraber, Lower Town, and Stop-and-Call. Within the community are two railway stations and Goodwick Ferry Terminal, which is the terminus of the A40 London to Fishguard Trunk Road.
Pembrokeshire has been called "the cottage garden of Wales", due to its good soil and the beneficial effects of the Gulf Stream, which provide a mild climate and a longer growing season than other parts of the country. The good climate and soil meant that the south of the peninsula was coveted by the Norsemen and Normans because it had "great plentie" of corn and cattle The county has prime agricultural land, much of which is located at about 70m above sea level, while to the north, the Preseli Hills rise to 500m above sea level and form uplands that are made up of heather and bracken, which are used for grazing sheep. Consequently, Pembrokeshire is classed as one of the most fertile counties in Wales, with its 392,300 agricultural acres having 14% of its land classed as of good quality, 67% being classed as medium quality and 19% being classed as poor quality. However, agricultural production is subject to market forces and in the 1890s, as a result of the Panic of 1893, a deep agricultural depression led to the area under cultivation falling by a third. Many labourers and farmers had no option but to emigrate to the New World and many of the large farming estates were sold. World War I brought prosperity again, but by the 1930s, as a result of the Great Depression, there was another agricultural depression which lasted until World War II. During the Post-war period agriculture has benefited from marketing schemes and marketing boards, which have helped in the regulation, marketing and distribution of the county's agricultural production.
Bryn-henllan, Bryn Henllan or Brynhenllan is a small settlement in the community of Dinas Cross, north Pembrokeshire, Wales, just north of the A487 road between Fishguard and Newport, on the road leading to Pwllgwaelod.
Newport Bay is a bay on a section of the north Pembrokeshire coast, Wales, which is within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. The bay is one of many in the much larger Cardigan Bay, and it stretches from Dinas Island to the headland of Pen-y-bâl, two miles to the east. It is overlooked by the town of Newport and the River Nevern flows into the bay.
Fishguard Bay is a bay on the north Pembrokeshire coast, Wales. Much of the bay's coastline is within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park though the developed areas of Fishguard and Goodwick are excluded. Fronting onto the much larger Cardigan Bay, it stretches from Dinas Island to Crincoed Point, three miles to the west. Several smaller inlets pierce its southern shore whilst in the southwest it has been developed as Fishguard Harbour. The small sandy bay of Pwllgwaelod is located at its eastern extremity. The Pembrokeshire Coast Path, itself a part of the longer Wales Coast Path runs around the bay, taking a slight detour inland along its western side.
