A former county councillor believes that he may have some answers to a long running debate as to who owns the playground land at Narberth CP School. David Watkins, of Narberth, has been delving into archives to research the background of the matter as there is confusion as to who owns the land and what will become of it when the school at Moorfield Road closes. "There's been plenty of debate amongst the town as to who owns the extended playground at the school and whether or not it should be returned to the town when the facility is closed," said Mr. Watkins. "Having seen a deed from May 9, 1972, it is clear that the playground land is in the ownership of Pembrokeshire County Council as the conveyance explains that the Narberth District Council in the County of Pembroke (the old County Council) purchased the land for £489," he explained. However, Mr. Watkins believes that there are more questions to be asked as to who the actual school land belongs to. "After reading further documentation, it still needs to be clarified as to whether the school was actually built on common land or was it land given to them by the Elliott family," he continued. "I can't find any documentation to say who decided to build the school there; the town or county councils were not in existence at the time and it was described as a national school when opened in 1867." A passage from a journal of Carmarthenshire notes Mr. Watkins read through from 1889, edited by Arthur Mee, read as follows: 'The last of the Miss Elliotts' did a very good thing for Narberth by making over to the town forever the gift of a large piece of common, on the edge of which the board schools are built, on the side of the Haverfordwest road, commonly called the Town Moor.' "I guess the question still remains - does the school belong to the ancestors of the Elliott family or did they sell that section of land for the school to be built on," concluded Mr. Watkins.
