Pembroke, Pembrokeshire

infobox UK place |country = Wales
welsh_name=Penfro
constituency_welsh_assembly=
latitude= 51.67604
longitude=-4.9158
official_name= Pembroke
unitary_wales= Pembrokeshire
lieutenancy_wales= Dyfed
constituency_westminster= Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire
post_town= PEMBROKE
postcode_district = SA71
postcode_area= SA
dial_code= 01646
os_grid_reference= SM985015
population= 7,214 (2001 census)

Pembroke ( _cy. Penfro) is the traditional county town of Pembrokeshire in west Wales. However, the administrative centre and de facto county town is Haverfordwest. The town and the county derive their name from that of the cantref of Penfro: "Pen" = "head" or "end", and "bro" = "region", "country", "land", and so it means essentially "Land's End" [Charles, B. G., "The Placenames of Pembrokeshire", National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, 1992, ISBN 0-907158-58-7, p 671] .

History

One point of interest in the town is Pembroke Castle, the impressive remains of a mediæval castle which was the birthplace of King Henry VII of England. Pembroke and its surroundings are linked with the early Christian church. Later this was the site of the Knights of St John in the UK. Monkton Priory has very early foundations and was renovated by the Knights in the last century. There was a Knights' Bath House on the foreshore in Neyland which was demolished unlawfully on Boxing Day 2005. The first stone building was a defensive tower, now known as the Medieval Chapel, 69a Main Street, built on a cliff edge between 950AD and 1000AD. There are the remains of a grand hall to the North and recently filled-in arched cellars. The building was used as an early church. The layout is the same as St Govans Chapel and it was used by John Wesley from 1764 to preach Methodism. After Westgate Chapel was built we do not know what it was used for after 1810. In 1866 it became the Brewery for the York Tavern which was Cromwell's headquarters at the siege of Pembroke during the Civil War. On both banks of Pembroke River to the West of the Castle are many remains of early activities. The buildings of Catshole Quarry and the rare vegetation with the irreplaceable foreshore have recently been buried by dumped materials. The North Shore Quarries are relatively complete as are the remains of Medieval and Elizabethan slipways where wooden vessels were built before the industrial Dockyard and Admiralty town was built on the grid pattern of Pembroke Dock.

There is a very early graving dock complete in what was Hancocks Yard, about to be buried by a massive infill of the mud flats to the North. The reclaimed land will be used to build high rise flats.

At Pennar flats the early submarine base used for experiments in submarine warfare has been recently bulldozed to allow speculative development by executive housing.Three of the houses on the then foreshore, part of the shipyard before the Admiralty Dock Yard was built, are still standing but are heavily altered.

The ferry port of Pembroke Dock is a separate town, which was established in 1814. It lies three miles to the north of Pembroke.

Geography

Pembroke is located on the south Pembrokeshire peninsula on the Pembroke river which is fed by the main Cleddau estuary. Pembroke town is located at the bottom of a small valley, flanked on all sides by woodland and arable farmland.

At the 2001 census, the Community of Pembroke had a population of 7,214 [ [http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=801072&c=Pembroke&d=16&e=15&g=416233&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1194190388296&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 Census data] ] . The town has expanded over the last 50 years with a number of new housing developments to the east and south of the town centre.

Education

Comprehensive Education

Pembroke School (in Welsh: "Ysgol Penfro") is a mixed 11–18 comprehensive school of 1600 pupils with a sixth form of about 200. The school was formed in 1972 as a result of the amalgamation of the former grammar and secondary modern schools.

Famous residents

Besides King Henry VII, famous natives of Pembroke include the composer Daniel Jones and John Lawrence from the popular music band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci.

Sport

Pembroke's main sporting asset is Pembroke Rugby Club located on upper Lamphey road. The ground is called Crickmarren. The club is currently situated in Division 4 west. Pembroke's main game of the season is often the local derby between rivals the Pembroke Dock Quins. Pembroke has produced famous players such as Ospreys and Welsh international Jonathan Thomas.

Other sporting clubs in the area consist of the football team Monkton Swifts.Monkton swifts are the leading team in the region having won the league title for the past four seasons. Managed by Richard 'Benno' Jones they pride themselves on playing attractive, free flowing football and with an average age in the early 20's it seems they will dominate local football for years to come. Skippered by Weaver Callan, (who cites frankie donavan as his mentor) most of the team such as Ben Nicholas, Daniel Scourfield, Ben Jones, Shaun Jones, Lee Jones, Ben Goldsmith have grown up playing in the same youth team.

The town is also home to Pembroke Cricket Club. The club plays its home games at its Treleet ground on the Upper Lamphey Road, opposite the Rugby Club. The club currently has a 1st and a 2nd team playing in divisions 2 and 4 of the Pembrokeshire league. The club colours are green and gold.Pembroke's most successful players include the likes of - Ray Kane, Eifion Powell, Nigel Phillips, Paul White and Daniel Williams. Williams has also represented Pembrokeshire and West Wales at youth level, where he was a hard hitting batsman and medium pace swing bowler. White has since moved to Local rivals Lamphey and will be playing his cricket in division 3 in 2008.

Transportation

Rail

Pembroke railway station on Station Road serves the town of Pembroke. The station is on a branch of the West Wales Line. There is also a two-hourly service from Swansea terminating at Pembroke Dock and also services to Cardiff Central.

Air

The nearest passenger airport is Cardiff International Airport which is about 150 kilometres away.

Pembroke shown within Pembrokeshire UA