Rotary Club of Pembroke's

Charity Fayre

Saturday saw us participating in the Rotary Club of Pembroke's charity fayre. This gave us an opportunity, along with many other charities in Pembroke, to demonstrate what we are about and to publicise our work. We put together a small exhibition to show the various projects we are engaged in and to invite you, the community, to participate with your memories and photographs. It was a busy day chatting to visitors and we gave out a great many of our heritage leaflets, programmes of events and even colouring sheets for the children (based on George Lewis's Town Hall murals). Many thanks to the Rotary Club for the donation of £50 towards our funds.

Pembroke

Civic Trust

It is good to work alongside other organisations and develop community links. Last week, I wrote about the Sunderland Trust following the talk by John Evans and another local group with which we work closely is the Pembroke Civic Trust. Having much in common, some of us are on the committee.

Peter Thomas is chairman and has been the mainstay of the Pembroke Civic Trust for many years. Asked to say a few words to describe the aims of the Trust, he said: "Many towns have a civic society and they form part of a nationwide organisation, the Wales Civic Trust. All share a concern to protect and improve our towns, and are open to anyone who shares our concern for quality in the built environment, good design, and care for our heritage. Civic trusts are consulted in planning matters and comment on planning applications (although objections are not always successfully upheld). We hold monthly committee meetings and a series of monthly talks (October to April) in the Power Station Club."

Pembroke Civic Trust has been in existence since the late 1960s. Most people will be familiar with it through the Town Trail, which has been walked by countless people over the years. Places of interest are numbered and explained in the guide. However, as the numbered plaques are now showing signs of wear and tear, some of the committee decided recently to follow the trail with a view to assess what needs to be done in the way of refurbishment. 

A new, revised edition of the Town Trail Guide is being planned as it is currently out of print. With funding from Pembroke Town Council, a short guide in pamphlet format has been published, which is free and available at various outlets in Pembroke including the Town Hall and Tourist Information Centre. The full guide is needed however, as it gives much more information and does Pembroke's many interesting buildings and features greater justice. To find out more about the Civic Trust, visit their website http://www.pembrokecivictrust.org.uk">www.pembrokecivictrust.org.uk

Walking the

Town Trail

If you have never done it before, try taking the walk and you will see Pembroke's history unfold before you.

Beginning at the South Quay where once there would have been, hard to imagine now, schooners and ketches loading and unloading cargoes in the shadow of the large five-storey mill which stood on the bridge. Only the restored boathouse and Royal George remain of the buildings which once lined the Quay, and the Corn Store on the North Quay opposite which is unfortunately surrounded by modern flats. As a millennium project, the Civic Trust had the former wheelwright's banding platform set into the quay near the slipway.

Next follow the trail around the castle, across Monkton Bridge and up the awkward hill to see the amazing clutch of mediaeval buildings of old Monkton. The Pembroke and Monkton Local History Society's Monkton: Sense of Place leaflet will tell you more about these.

Back to Westgate, past the mediaeval cottages (Pembroke's oldest domestic buildings), the castle to St. Mary's Church and there is much of interest to relate about the buildings here. One little story told in the guide concerns the Clock Tower. On this iconic building, stand two little cherubs. The story goes that there were once four, one on each corner, but these naked lads were deemed unseemly to Victorian sensibilities and the two facing the church were removed. They were taken to the lodge house of Orielton, opposite the Speculation Inn, and placed on the gate posts: the house was thereafter named Images. This tale however, is disputed and there is a different version. This one tells that the cherubs were bought by the Saurins, of Orielton, whilst on the grand tour in Italy, but when they arrived, her ladyship disliked the naked boys and gave them to Pembroke to place on the Clock Tower. She kept the other pair which were inoffensive, modest little girls. Having seen them, I can assure you that this was the case and so the story of the spectacle of boys in the full Monty upsetting the ladies does not quite hold true. Unfortunately, the cherubs of Images can no longer be seen: one was stolen, the fate of so many metal objects these days, and the other removed for safety.

Along the Main Street, down the New Way, and follow the Town Walls to the top of Gooses Lane to the site of the old East Gate. Before it was destroyed in the Civil War, this would have looked very much like Tenby's Five Arches. Then walk across to the magnificent East End former Wesleyan Chapel where there is much to interest. Here is the old Cross Saws pub (so called because of the preaching cross which once stood there, on which Wesley preached) and adjoining it are three of the finest Georgian houses in Pembroke. In the wall of Penfro House is an old vending machine for stamps and stamped postcard. Restored by the Civic Trust many years ago, the casing is now in a sorry state and they are hoping to restore it again.

Double back to the Coach House, down the Black Horse Walk (named after the pub which once stood there) to Barnards Tower and return to the South Quay along the Mill Pond Walk. There are any stories along the way - the walk gives a real insight into Pembroke's past. It takes around 1.5 hours and is good for the fitness too!

Forthcoming

Events

May is a busy month for us: Tomorrow (Saturday, May 5), 10.30-1, we have a local history coffee morning with an exhibition and film show.  The theme of this month's exhibition is 'Royal Pembroke' celebrating the diamond jubilee. Please bring along any photographs to share particularly of Coronation parties. There will also be a film show.

On Friday, May 18, at 7.30 pm, Ann Lankshear will be presenting 'Castlemartin: life after the military requisition', with contributions by some of those affected. Free entry/ all welcome.

The following Friday, May 25, at 7.30 pm, we will be holding another of our popular quiz nights.  

All at Priory Church Hall, Monkton.

Contact

If you have any stories or photographs for this column, please contact me, Linda Asman, on 01646 622428, email [email protected]">[email protected] and visit our website http://www.pembrokeandmonktonhistory.org.uk">www.pembrokeandmonktonhistory.org.uk.