A walk around the historic buildings and sites of Haverfordwest
Haverfordwest has a long, interesting history which you can get a sense of if you stroll through the town and view the many fine buildings on show. Over the centuries Haverfordwest has served many functions; as a frontier town and fortress for the Normans; as a major port and principal trading centre for West Wales, and as the administrative hub for Pembrokeshire. All of these roles have left their mark on the town if you know where to look and what to look for.
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Haverfordwest, 18th Century
Haverfordwest, late 20th Century
It is certainly true that the town has seen much change since the Second World War not all of which has been welcomed and the list is unfortunately a long one; the loss of important historical buildings; unsympathetic changes to the layout of the town to serve the needs of the motor car and careless development which has seen the picturesque replaced by the ugly. Yet despite this there is perhaps more hope now than for a generation, as organisations such as Haverfordwest Civic Society campaign for the preservation of our heritage, and lobby for a more sensitive attitude to future development.
In producing this booklet we hope to guide visitors on a walk that will introduce them to some of the key buildings and features of our town. Our goal is to explain how these have contributed to the history of Haverfordwest and have given it such a unique character.
We hope as well to remind local people of the special features of Haverfordwest that are so often overlooked, to encourage them to take pride in their town, and to fight to preserve it.
Dave Harries
Chairman
Haverfordwest Civic Society
Route devised by Lesley Turner, Secretary, Haverfordwest Civic Society, and Mark Muller, Vice Chairman, Haverfordwest Civic Society
Script by Mark Muller MA; Pg. Dip.
Digital design by Judith Pilawa