Cwm-yr-Eglwys (English: ''Valley of the Church'') is a

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

in a picturesque

cove A cove is a small type of bay or coastal inlet. Coves usually have narrow, restricted entrances, are often circular or oval, and are often situated within a larger bay. Small, narrow, sheltered bays, inlets, creeks, or recesses in a coast are o ...

on the eastern side of the

Dinas Island Dinas Island (Welsh language, Welsh: ''Ynys Dinas'') is a peninsula, partially detached from the mainland, in the Community (Wales), community of Dinas Cross between Fishguard and Newport, Pembrokeshire, in southwest Wales. A triangulation poin ...

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...

in the community of

Dinas Cross Dinas Cross ( cy, Dinas) is both a village, a community and a former parish in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Located between Fishguard and Newport in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, it is a popular holiday destination on the A487 road. The two h ...

between

Fishguard Fishguard ( cy, Abergwaun, meaning "Mouth of the River Gwaun") is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, Wales, with a population of 3,419 in 2011; the community of Fishguard and Goodwick had a population of 5,407. Modern Fishguard consists of two pa ...

and

Newport, Pembrokeshire Newport ( cy, Trefdraeth, meaning: "town by the beach") is a town, parish, community, electoral ward and ancient port of ''Parrog'', on the Pembrokeshire coast in West Wales at the mouth of the River Nevern ( cy, Afon Nyfer) in the Pembrokeshire ...

, in southwest

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

. It has a full time population of around 10 people. There are 27 homes and a small private caravan site.

Beach and facilities

The beach has earned a Seaside Award and a

Green Coast Award Keep Wales Tidy is a Welsh national voluntary environmental charity which works towards achieving "a clean, safe and tidy Wales". It works in partnership with Local Authorities, schools and community groups, and organisations such as Waste Awaren ...

, similar to a

Blue Flag beach The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that a beach, marina, or sustainable boating tourism operator meets its standards. The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE, which is a not-for-profit non-gov ...

award but for rural beaches with safe bathing. There is a narrow slipway for launching small boats, limited car parking (charges applies at certain times) and a public toilet. Dogs are allowed on the beach.

Holiday cottage A holiday cottage, holiday home, vacation home, or vacation property is accommodation used for holiday vacations, corporate travel, and temporary housing often for less than 30 days. Such properties are typically small homes, such as cottag ...

lettings are available. There is access to the

Pembrokeshire Coast Path The Pembrokeshire Coast Path ( cy, Llwybr Arfordir Sir Benfro), often called the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, is a designated National Trail in Pembrokeshire, southwest Wales. Established in 1970, it is a long-distance walking route, mostly at ...

, which runs round to Pwllgwaelod, a cove on the opposite side of the peninsula. Alternatively, Pwllgwaelod may be reached via a purpose-built direct path through the wooded valley that almost divides Dinas Head from the mainland; being level, it is suitable for disabled access.

Church of St. Brynach the Abbot

The church of St. Brynach is on the site of an ancient ''llan'', and the dedication is pre-Norman. The building suffered storm damage in 1850 and 1851 when the chancel was destroyed by the sea, the church footings left hanging over an abyss. The graveyard was severely damaged, the level being reduced by at least three feet, exposing human remains in large quantity. The great storm of October 1859 (the ''Royal Charter'' Storm) removed the church roof and damaged the walls. The building was abandoned immediately. In 1880, the remaining ruins were demolished apart from the west entrance wall. A new sea wall was built to protect what was left of the graveyard. In 1979, damage after another storm caused the sea wall to be repaired by Preseli District Council and the gravestones to be rearranged. The ruins of the church are now a popular tourist attraction and a pleasant public space. There is a scale model of a Cwm Trader by the gate. This is type of

coastal trading vessel Coastal trading vessels, also known as coasters or skoots, are shallow-hulled ships used for trade between locations on the same island or continent. Their shallow hulls mean that they can get through reefs where deeper-hulled seagoing ships usua ...

that would have plied these waters.

Climate

Sheltered from prevailing winds, Cwm-yr-Eglwys has its own

microclimate A microclimate (or micro-climate) is a local set of atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often with a slight difference but sometimes with a substantial one. The term may refer to areas as small as a few squ ...

, being a few degrees warmer and drier than other parts of the Pembrokeshire coast. This allows the growth of trees and shrubs of almost

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

luxuriance.

Regatta

A popular event every year, the Cwm-yr-Eglwys boat club reunites during the first two weeks of August for sailing events and

regatta Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and other wate ...

s. The annual in-shore regatta is for families, comprising a whole day of swimming races, rowing races, sandcastle competitions and other activities. There are regular in-shore diving competitions and activities for children.

References

External links

Forces of Nature Coastal Sports – Cwm-yr-Eglwys

Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales – St. Brynach's Church, Cwm-yr-eglwysHistorical information and sources on GENUKI
{{authority control Beaches of Pembrokeshire Coast of Pembrokeshire Villages in Pembrokeshire Hamlets in Wales