Patricia Swales Barker - Böcker

Haverfordwest is the county town of Pembrokeshire. In the Middle Ages, the town grew around its Norman castle and because of its strategic position on major routes in South West Wales from the coast, it soon became an important commercial centre for the area. In Secret Haverfordwest local author Patricia Swales Barker looks at the history of Haverfordwest below the surface of the town, from the changing story of its governance through the centuries, its religious and educational foundations, how its inhabitants were cared for in sickness, poverty and old age, the administration of justice through the years, to local charities, sport and leisure activities, the importance of the River Cleddau and the town’s trading links, businesses and industries drawn to Haverfordwest and the stories behind its street names.With tales of remarkable characters, unusual events and tucked-away or disappeared historical buildings and locations, Secret Haverfordwest will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of this town in Pembrokeshire in South West Wales.

Haverfordwest is the county of town of Pembrokeshire. The oldest buildings in the town date back to the mediaeval period when the Normans built the castle and several churches were built. The importance of Haverfordwest as a trading centre on the River Cleddau is also seen in the survival of a mediaeval store house on the quay and a merchant’s house from the period. Coaching inns arrived later Haverfordwest became a transport hub for major routes in southwest Wales and the rise of Nonconformism from the seventeenth century is also represented by numerous chapels. Nineteenth and twentieth century Haverfordwest can be seen civic, commercial and industrial buildings, schools, cinemas, the railway station and airport, the hospital, supermarket and retirement homes continuing into the twenty-first century with a new school, library, gallery, archive and leisure centre.Haverfordwest in 50 Buildings explores the history of this town in southwest Wales through a selection of its most interesting buildings and structures, showing the changes that have taken place over the years. The book will appeal to all those who live in Haverfordwest or who have an interest in the area.

Haverfordwest, the county town of Pembrokeshire, was founded around 900 years ago. The town itself has three medieval parish churches and a priory, now ruined, reflecting the wealth and significance of the town in the Middle Ages. In 1791 it was described by a visitor as a 'Little Bath' and several of its Georgian buildings have survived. Until the arrival of the railway in the mid-nineteenth century the town was a major port. The shops of Haverfordwest were many and varied, and local enterprise mingled with national stores, but over the last thirty years traffic priority and the growth of out-of town shopping have severely impacted on the town centre. The history of the town has been well documented and its development has been recorded in many prints, postcards and photographs. This book provides a unique opportunity to compare those images with the views we see today.