Abereiddy
Encyclopedia
Abereiddy is a hamlet
in the county of Pembrokeshire
, in south-west Wales
.
It has a small beach
which was awarded the Blue flag
rural beach award in 2005. A large car park adjoins the beach, where in the summer an ice cream van can usually be found. The beach also has public toilets which are open from Easter to October half-term. The Pembrokeshire Coast Path
gives fine walking in both directions. Nearby are the ruins of a harbour built to export stone and a small village built for the quarry workers.
Located on the edge of the car park is the ruin of a small group of houses known as The Street. These were houses built for the quarry workers of the Blue Lagoon (see below) and was only abandoned after a flood in the early 20th century.
To the north of the beach is the Blue Lagoon, a large disused slate quarry, now filled with seawater through a breach in the outer wall. This is 25m deep, according to a neaby Pembrokeshire National Park information board. Despite the name, the water is always a distinct greenish hue, owing to the mineral content within the quarry.
The lagoon is a favourite for adventure groups practicing Coasteering
, and also diving
when the weather is very bad.http://www.westwalesdivingschool.co.uk/divesites.htm
Following the coast path north leads to Porthgain
. Abereiddi to Porthgain
is roughly a forty minute walk.
The coastal path taken in the other direction to the south east goes around St Davids Head
and on to Whitesands Bay.
) 2004.
Abereiddi was the main location for the 1961 film Fury at Smugglers' Bay
Fury at Smugglers' Bay on the Internet Movie Database - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057085/ starring Peter Cushing
.
Abereiddi and the ice cream van that regularly visits were also the subject of a short promotional film called "Ice Cream" for Visit Wales
, the Welsh Tourist Board, in 2009.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
in the county of Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
, in south-west Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
It has a small beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
which was awarded the Blue flag
Blue Flag beach
The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education that a beach or marina meets its stringent standards.The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE which is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation consisting of 65 organisations in 60 member countries in Europe,...
rural beach award in 2005. A large car park adjoins the beach, where in the summer an ice cream van can usually be found. The beach also has public toilets which are open from Easter to October half-term. The Pembrokeshire Coast Path
Pembrokeshire Coast Path
The Pembrokeshire Coast Path is a National Trail in southwest Wales. It was established in 1970, and is 186 miles long, mostly at cliff-top level, with 35,000 feet of ascent and descent. The northern end is at Poppit Sands, near St...
gives fine walking in both directions. Nearby are the ruins of a harbour built to export stone and a small village built for the quarry workers.
Located on the edge of the car park is the ruin of a small group of houses known as The Street. These were houses built for the quarry workers of the Blue Lagoon (see below) and was only abandoned after a flood in the early 20th century.
To the north of the beach is the Blue Lagoon, a large disused slate quarry, now filled with seawater through a breach in the outer wall. This is 25m deep, according to a neaby Pembrokeshire National Park information board. Despite the name, the water is always a distinct greenish hue, owing to the mineral content within the quarry.
The lagoon is a favourite for adventure groups practicing Coasteering
Coasteering
Coasteering is a physical activity that encompasses movement along the intertidal zone of a rocky coastline on foot or by swimming, without the aid of boats, surf boards or other craft. It is difficult to define the precise boundaries between, for example, rockpooling and ocean swimming...
, and also diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
when the weather is very bad.http://www.westwalesdivingschool.co.uk/divesites.htm
Following the coast path north leads to Porthgain
Porthgain
Porthgain is a village in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in Wales, located between St David's and Goodwick, and just north of Llanrhian.- History & amenities :...
. Abereiddi to Porthgain
Porthgain
Porthgain is a village in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in Wales, located between St David's and Goodwick, and just north of Llanrhian.- History & amenities :...
is roughly a forty minute walk.
The coastal path taken in the other direction to the south east goes around St Davids Head
St Davids Head
St Davids Head is a headland in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, in southwest Wales. This headland is considered the southern limit of the Irish Sea in Wales....
and on to Whitesands Bay.
Appearances on film
Abereiddy (The Blue Lagoon) appeared in the music video Delerium - Silence (Featuring Sarah McLachlanSarah McLachlan
Sarah Ann McLachlan, OC, OBC is a Canadian musician, singer and songwriter. Known for her emotional ballads and mezzo-soprano vocal range, as of 2006, she has sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is Surfacing, for which she won two Grammy Awards and four...
) 2004.
Abereiddi was the main location for the 1961 film Fury at Smugglers' Bay
Fury at Smugglers' Bay
Fury at Smugglers' Bay is a 1961 British adventure film produced, written and directed by John Gilling and starring Peter Cushing, Bernard Lee, Michèle Mercier and John Fraser. The story is based around smuggling in Cornwall...
Fury at Smugglers' Bay on the Internet Movie Database - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057085/ starring Peter Cushing
Peter Cushing
Peter Wilton Cushing, OBE was an English actor, known for his many appearances in Hammer Films, in which he played the handsome but sinister scientist Baron Frankenstein and the vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing, amongst many other roles, often appearing opposite Christopher Lee, and occasionally...
.
Abereiddi and the ice cream van that regularly visits were also the subject of a short promotional film called "Ice Cream" for Visit Wales
Visit Wales
Visit Wales is the Welsh Assembly Government's tourism team within the Department for Heritage to promote Welsh tourism and assist the tourism industry....
, the Welsh Tourist Board, in 2009.
External links
External links
- Photos of Abereiddy Panoramic photos of Abereiddy produced by Welsh Panoramas.