Arts and crafts in Pembrokeshire

Pembrokeshire is in South West Wales. It has a population of around 122,000 and covers approximately 161,000 hectares. Here is a list of nearby or neighbouring counties: Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion.

Pembrokeshire (Sir Benfro in Welsh) reaches further west than any other county in Wales and its beautiful coastline, warmed by the Gulf Stream, has attracted tourists for generations. The Pembrokeshire Coast is the only coastal National Park in the United Kingdom, due to the range and quality of its landscape, with sandy beaches, cliffs, caves and islands, that are home to a variety of wildlife. National Geographic voted Pembrokeshire one of the best coastal destinations in the world and there are a number of picturesque villages and seaside towns where tourists can stay during their visit. Among the most popular resorts is Tenby, where as well as enjoying clean beaches that have been awarded blue flag status, visitors can see the medieval town walls and take boat trips to nearby islands. Tenby Museum and Art Gallery has collections drawn from local maritime history, exhibitions of art work by well know Welsh artists such as Kyffin Williams and Gwen and Augustus John, as well as changing exhibitions by contemporary artists working in mediums such as sculpture, ceramics, painting and photography. The Tudor Merchants House was built in Tenby during the fifteenth century and has been decorated and furnished as it would have looked when the town was a major port.

The county town of Pembrokeshire is Haverfordwest (Hwlffordd in Welsh), a market town in the centre of which are the remains of Haverfordwest Castle. Built during the thirteenth century, nearby Picton Castle is set among beautiful gardens and its galleries have served as a venue for exhibitions of works of art and crafts. Pembroke Castle was built by the Normans during the twelfth century on the site of an earlier castle and was the birthplace of Henry VII, who founded the Tudor dynasty that produced monarchs including Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. Exhibitions help visitors to learn about the role the castle played in British history and during the holiday season events are held such as historic re-enactments. Visitors to Castell Henllys Iron Age Fort near Newport can see a reconstructed Iron Age village, with round houses built using natural materials, as they would have been when lived in by local Celts more than two thousand years ago. Other attractions in Pembrokeshire include Oriel y Parc, which hosts arts and crafts exhibitions and workshops, the Torch Theatre in Milford Haven, Narberth Museum and Solva Woollen Mill, whose looms have been used to weave carpets and rugs for more than a hundred years.