Our first few days in Marloes and area:-

After a few of days of travelling, we spent most of the weekend relaxing into our new home and getting to know the village of Marloes, our "home base" for the next 2 weeks.
Marloes itself is a small village perched in the centre of the Marloes peninsula. This area is surrounded to the north, west and south by sea, with 10km of beautiful cliff scenery and beaches.
The island of Skomer can be visited - by boat - from nearby Martin's Haven, at the tip of the peninsula. This island is famous for large populations of seabirds, including puffins.
The community of the village is small, but increases when a number of holiday homes are used by tourists visiting the area.......many of whom are serious hikers......following all, or parts of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path National Trail. This long distance walking route is 300km long......it twists and turns through some of the most breathtaking coastal scenery in Britain. The trail includes a landscape of rugged cliff tops, sheltered coves and wide open beaches. Coastal flowers and bird life can be seen along the way, with evidence of human activity dating back to Neolithic times.
Marloes has one pub and one village store/cafe. There's also evidence of what may be a quaint little pasta/pizza cottage......currently closed, but with a promise of opening again for a few days during the coming week.
In the centre of the village is the Clock Tower - a landmark built in 1904 as a memorial to the 4th Baron Kensington - a local political leader. The tower, built of locally quarried stone, stands 30ft high.
With its picture picture perfect cottages (some with thatched roofs) and open fields stretching down to the ocean, Marloes brings to mind the British TV programme "Escape To The Country!"
The beginning of the week saw us starting a wider exploration of the area. We decided to visit the coastal town of Tenby......but when our resident family historian - Marjie - suggested making a couple of interesting stops along the route....it turned out that Tenby would have to wait for another day!
Our first stop was to see the Bishop's Palace in Lamphey - a detour that did, of course, lead us away from the main road and back onto the narrowest of country lanes.
Set deep in the countryside, we arrived to find this retreat of choice for medieval bishops, eerily peaceful and quiet. With no one to mark our entrance or exit, we wandered around and through the remains. With Marjie explaining the purpose and history of each section, the remains of these old buildings "came alive."
This palace is mainly the work of the dynamic Henry de Gower, the bishop of St David's from 1328 to 1347. Thanks to his vision, elegant Lamphey became the "away from it all" palace for high-ranking members of the clergy keen to play at being country gentlemen. The medieval bishops of St David's were worldly men who enjoyed the privileges of wealth, power and status. Lamphey did not disappoint......A palace fit for royalty…or at least the occasional bishop!
What we can now see is the remains of Bishop Gower’s great hall - 82 feet long - a particularly fine architectural achievement.......its sheer grandeur would have impressed even the most privileged of bishops. Equally well-preserved and detailed in their architecture are the western hall and inner gatehouse.
Lamphey’s gilded existence came to an abrupt end during the reign of King Henry VIII when many Church estates fell into the hands of the Crown.
We left this unspoiled historical sight for a more "modern" take on "ruins."
Our next stop was Manorbier Castle, a privately owned and operated Norman Castle.
This very well cared for castle offers a location for events, weddings, etc. and with an on-site cafe set in lovely garden surroundings, it makes for very nice place to wander.....although it does give the impression of being somewhat "staged."
The walled gardens are beautifully designed and maintained.
An insight into the castle's history is given - with the help of some life size mannequins. There is an impressive Great Hall, a Chapel & some Turrets for visitors to stroll around + some fabulous views of a small beach can be seen from the higher locations.
The Castle was built at the end of the 11th century and fortified with stone early in the 12th century. Gerald of Wales, a great Welsh scholar was born there in 1146. It was only attacked twice - both minor events - but it was seized in 1645, during the English Civil War, by Parliamentarian forces. Allowed to decay throughout the next 200 years it was partially repaired in the late 19th century.
After a day full of history, our next outing was coastal - with visits to both
Little Haven & Broad Haven - a real test on Trevor's driving skills as he maneuvered us through twists and bends on ever narrowing roads. With grass growing down the centre of these country "roads" he delivered us safely to both places!
Little Haven, with a couple of pubs, a tiny beach and a population of only 85 (boosted in the summer by tourists) is lovely but, in our opinion, not worth the life threatening journey.
Around the cliffs, and just a mile away, is Broad Haven - a nice little seaside town with a wide expanse of beach popular for surfing. On this day there were no surfers, but plenty of walkers, many with dogs + a kite surfer practising his skills while riding a 3 wheeled vehicle.
The seaside promenade is the only part of the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path that is wheelchair accessible. This provided a great place for us all to stroll and enjoy the views while sampling a local ice cream