A walk around Fishguard

Click here to open or download the town trail map

1     St Mary's Church

The present building was erected in 1857 although it is likely that the foundation dates to the Middle Ages. The only medieval remains today are a pair of sculpted arches in the north wall of the nave; taken from the subsidiary chapel of Llanfartin.

The People's window by John Petts in the west wall shows the episode in St Mark’s Gospel where Christ rescues the distressed fishermen. The altar window is also by John Petts.

In the churchyard there are memorial stones to Jemima Nicholas, the Welsh heroine who warned Fishguard of the French invasion in 1797, and to John Mendus who was vicar during the sixteenth century.

2    Market Hall (behind the Town Hall)

Contains an interesting mural of ceramic tiles created by local school children to mark the twentieth anniversary of the Fishguard Music Festival in 1989. During the Rebecca Riots in 1843, some 2,000 rioters occupied Fishguard Square, firing guns, demolishing property, and beating up any who opposed them. The town magistrates and constables were terrified and went into hiding, but later thirty suspects were locked in the market hall surrounded by three ranks of Marines with fixed bayonets. When they came to trial, the sole prosecution witness disappeared and they were released.

3    Royal Oak Inn

This tavern became the headquarters of the local forces during the French invasion of February 1797. It was here that Lord Cawdor, Lt Col Knox, Col Colby and others were gathered when two French mediators arrived in the evening to present cease fire terms which included safe return to France for the French troops.

With magnificent bluff, Cawdor, although greatly inferior in numbers, rejected the terms and demanded the unconditional surrender of the French. The bluff worked and Col Tate of the French Legion surrendered on Goodwick beach the following day.

4    Gorsedd Circle

From the Royal Oak walk along West Street, past the flower beds and turn right along Penslade, at the end of which you will see a circle of large stones. This is the Gorsedd Circle, erected for the proclamation of the National Eisteddfod of Wales held at Fishguard in 1936. Fifty years later when the 'National' came to the town again, the Gorsedd Circle was erected in Lota Park. From the Gorsedd Circle at Penslade there is a good view of Lower Town, or Cwm Abergwaun. Abergwaun (“Mouth of the river Gwaun”) is the original name for Fishguard, the latter having Norse or Saxon origins.

5    Lower Town

The little harbour in the Cwm was the hub of the town’s commerce and a thriving port in the sixteenth century. Its main trade was in herrings, which were transported in massive quantities as far as the Mediterranean. In the last century there was a flourishing coastal trade and a ship building yard was located in the Slade. The development of Goodwick at the turn of the century overshadowed the picturesque Cwm, which still retains its unique charm and was the setting for the films Moby Dick and Under Milk Wood.

6 Marine Walk

From this point you can walk around the Marine Walk (where there are a number of explanatory boards) to the French Walk and thence along the main road to the centre of town.

If time presses, however, retrace your steps along the Penslade and across the main road into Rope Walk.

7    Rope Walk

In the mid eighteenth century Benjamin Williams set up a rope works in Fishguard. At this time communication by sea was very important because overland transport was difficult and slow. The larger ropes were taken from Ropeyard Lane to the Rope Walk and even across West Street and down the Slade for stretching and straining.

8    Hermon
Just after the Health Centre turn left into Lota Park (1986 Gorsedd Circle) and walk through to the High Street. Turn left again and walk past Hermon Chapel.

The first Baptists met in a dwelling house in the Main Street but since 1776 the Baptists have worshipped on this site in the High Street. Continue down the High Street to your starting point on Fishguard Square.

Fishguard and Goodwick Civic Society

Secretary: Hatty Woakes, 2 Hill Terrace, Fishguard, Pembrokeshire

The original town trail leaflet was produced by Preseli Pembrokeshire District Council (deceased) in collaboration with the Fishguard Civic Society.

Design and artwork by Nicky Richards. Illustrations by Russell Lewis. Devised and written by John Davies.

HTML formatting by Matthew Griffiths 1998.