Manorbier
Encyclopedia
Manorbier is a village
on the south coast of Pembrokeshire
, Wales
.
The name means the 'Manor
of Pyr
'.
knight
Odo de Barri was granted the lands of Manorbier, Penally
and Begelly
in gratitude for his military help in conquering Pembrokeshire after 1003. The first castle was motte and bailey style, with the stone walls added the next century by later Normans. Giraldus Cambrensis
, son of William de Barri, was born in the village in 1146, calling it "the pleasantest place in Wales".
Fossil
s can be found along the stream bed, although some are of poor quality, and along the cliffs to the side of the beach the rock formations are revealed as vertical beds. The evidence of early human habitation consist of many flint microlith
s, housed in museums around the area, from the Mesolithic
and Neolithic
ages. The King's Quoit cromlech
is the most notable monument in the local area and is to be found to the south east of Manorbier bay and beach.
Later evidence points to occupation of The Dak with the finding of a perforated mace head as well as Bronze age
burial mounds on the Ridgeway. Fortifications also seem to have been prominent including an Iron Age
enclosure near Manorbier station and the site of a multivallate, meaning multiple ditches, promontory fort
at Old Castle Head where there are remains of hut platforms within the ditches. There are also some old lime kilns near the sites of quarries and a restored version in Mud Lane shows how they looked originally. There is also an area of strip lynchets and fields dating back to early Anglo Saxon times and perhaps as early as the Bronze age which are to the east of the town alongside the road to Lydstep. There is a higher concentration near Manorbier Newton to the north west.
site. Attractions in the village include Manorbier Castle
, and a popular beach
in the cove
about half a mile to the south west of the village. Manorbier also lies in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
and on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path
, and there are plenty of places for people to stay including Manorbier Country Park.
with Vernou-la-Celle-sur-Seine
, France
.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
on the south coast 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....
, 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...
.
The name means the 'Manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Pyr
Saint Pyr
Pyr was a Welsh abbot of the 6th century who may later have been revered as a saint.He has been described as being "an unsuitable abbot and...one of those Celtic 'saints' who would never have been canonized by any formal process"...
'.
History
The NormanNormans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
Odo de Barri was granted the lands of Manorbier, Penally
Penally
Penally is a coastal village near Tenby in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The village is known for its Celtic Cross, Penally Abbey, with neighbouring St.Deiniol's Well, and Penally Training Camp .Served by Penally railway station Penally is a coastal village near Tenby in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The...
and Begelly
Begelly
Begelly is a village and parish in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated in the south of the county, 7 km north of Tenby. In addition to the village, the parish includes the hamlet of Thomas Chapel and a web of small settlements associated with the 19th century anthracite mining industry. ...
in gratitude for his military help in conquering Pembrokeshire after 1003. The first castle was motte and bailey style, with the stone walls added the next century by later Normans. Giraldus Cambrensis
Giraldus Cambrensis
Gerald of Wales , also known as Gerallt Gymro in Welsh or Giraldus Cambrensis in Latin, archdeacon of Brecon, was a medieval clergyman and chronicler of his times...
, son of William de Barri, was born in the village in 1146, calling it "the pleasantest place in Wales".
Fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s can be found along the stream bed, although some are of poor quality, and along the cliffs to the side of the beach the rock formations are revealed as vertical beds. The evidence of early human habitation consist of many flint microlith
Microlith
A microlith is a small stone tool usually made of flint or chert and typically a centimetre or so in length and half a centimetre wide. It is produced from either a small blade or a larger blade-like piece of flint by abrupt or truncated retouching, which leaves a very typical piece of waste,...
s, housed in museums around the area, from the Mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
and Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
ages. The King's Quoit cromlech
Cromlech
Cromlech is a Brythonic word used to describe prehistoric megalithic structures, where crom means "bent" and llech means "flagstone". The term is now virtually obsolete in archaeology, but remains in use as a colloquial term for two different types of megalithic monument.In English it usually...
is the most notable monument in the local area and is to be found to the south east of Manorbier bay and beach.
Later evidence points to occupation of The Dak with the finding of a perforated mace head as well as Bronze age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
burial mounds on the Ridgeway. Fortifications also seem to have been prominent including an Iron Age
British Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
enclosure near Manorbier station and the site of a multivallate, meaning multiple ditches, promontory fort
Promontory fort
A promontory fort is a defensive structure located above a steep cliff, often only connected to the mainland by a small neck of land, thus utilizing the topography to reduce the ramparts needed. Although their dating is problematic, most seem to date to the Iron Age...
at Old Castle Head where there are remains of hut platforms within the ditches. There are also some old lime kilns near the sites of quarries and a restored version in Mud Lane shows how they looked originally. There is also an area of strip lynchets and fields dating back to early Anglo Saxon times and perhaps as early as the Bronze age which are to the east of the town alongside the road to Lydstep. There is a higher concentration near Manorbier Newton to the north west.
Tourism
Modern day Manorbier has become well known as a tourist spot and as a surfingSurfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
site. Attractions in the village include Manorbier Castle
Manorbier Castle
Manorbier Castle is a Norman castle located in the village of Manorbier, five miles south-west of Tenby, West Wales.-Construction:Manorbier is a rectangular enclosure castle, curtain walls, and round and square towers. Its tower gateway was protected by a great door and portcullis as well as roof...
, and a popular 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...
in the cove
Cove
A cove is a small type of bay or coastal inlet. They usually have narrow, restricted entrances, are often circular or oval, and are often inside a larger bay. Small, narrow, sheltered bays, inlets, creeks, or recesses in a coast are often considered coves...
about half a mile to the south west of the village. Manorbier also lies in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is a national park along the Pembrokeshire coast in West Wales.It was established as a National Park in 1952, and is the only one in the United Kingdom to have been designated primarily because of its spectacular coastline...
and on 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...
, and there are plenty of places for people to stay including Manorbier Country Park.
Twinned towns
Manorbier is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with Vernou-la-Celle-sur-Seine
Vernou-la-Celle-sur-Seine
Vernou-la-Celle-sur-Seine is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-External links:* * * *...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
See also
- Manorbier railway stationManorbier railway stationManorbier railway station serves the village of Manorbier in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It lies on the Pembroke Dock branch of the West Wales Line operated by Arriva Trains Wales. There are only a handful of services along this line....
on the West Wales LineWest Wales LineThe West Wales Lines are a group of railway lines from Swansea through Carmarthenshire to Pembrokeshire, West Wales...
. - RAF ManorbierRAF ManorbierRAF Manorbier was a Royal Air Force airfield in World War II. It was operational from 1935, closing on 1 September 1946. The airfield was located near the village of Manorbier, Pembrokeshire, Wales....
, a World War II airfield