Remains of the Priory, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire

Haverfordwest Priory ( cy, Priordy Hwlffordd) was a house of Augustinian

Canons Regular Canons regular are priests who live in community under a rule ( and canon in greek) and are generally organised into religious orders, differing from both secular canons and other forms of religious life, such as clerics regular, designated by a ...

on the banks of the

Western Cleddau The River Cleddau ( cy, Afon Cleddau) consists of the Eastern and Western Cleddau rivers in Pembrokeshire, west Wales. They unite to form the Daugleddau estuary and the important harbour of Milford Haven. The name of the combined estuary – ...

Haverfordwest Haverfordwest (, ; cy, Hwlffordd ) is the county town of Pembrokeshire, Wales, and the most populous urban area in Pembrokeshire with a population of 14,596 in 2011. It is also a community, being the second most populous community in the county, ...

Pembrokeshire Pembrokeshire ( ; cy, Sir Benfro ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and the rest by sea. The count ...

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 ...

. Dedicated to St. Mary and St. Thomas the Martyr and situated on land given by Robert fitz-Richard, castellan of Haverford Castle and second cousin of

Gerald of Wales Gerald of Wales ( la, Giraldus Cambrensis; cy, Gerallt Gymro; french: Gerald de Barri; ) was a Cambro-Norman priest and English historians in the Middle Ages, historian. As a royal clerk to the king and two archbishops, he travelled widely and w ...

. The priory was first mentioned around 1200. According to William Latham Bevan, “It owned the three churches in Haverfordwest, Haroldston St. Issels, adjacent to it,

Llanstadwell Llanstadwell ( cy, Llanudwal) is a small village, parish and community in south Pembrokeshire, Wales, on the north bank of the River Cleddau between Milford Haven and Neyland. The community of Llanstadwell includes the settlements of Hazelbeach ...

, Dale, Lambston, Camrose, Llanwynio, St. Ishmael's (

Milford Haven Milford Haven ( cy, Aberdaugleddau, meaning "mouth of the two Rivers Cleddau") is both a town and a community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, an estuary forming a natural harbour that has ...

Reynalton Reynalton is a small village and parish in Pembrokeshire, Wales, near Tenby and Kilgetty, and is in Kilgetty/Begelly community. History Parish The parish is small, just , and rural. There were 109 inhabitants in the 1830s. The population in 187 ...

, and a chapel now extinct named Cristiswell, probably situated at Cresswell Quay, near

Cresselly Jeffreyston (also known as Jeffreston) is a village, parish and community in Pembrokeshire. Jeffreyston lies on the B4586 road about northwest of the main A477 St Clears to Pembroke road; the nearest town is Tenby about to the southeast. C ...

. At the time of

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

’s Dissolution of the Monasteries (1536–1541), it was acquired by Roger and Thomas Barlow, brothers of William Barlow, bishop of

St David's St Davids or St David's ( cy, Tyddewi, , "David's house”) is a city and a community (named St Davids and the Cathedral Close) with a cathedral in Pembrokeshire, Wales, lying on the River Alun. It is the resting place of Saint David, Wa ...

. From 1983 to 1996, the site (now under control of

Cadw (, a Welsh verbal noun meaning "keeping/preserving") is the historic environment service of the Welsh Government and part of the Tourism and Culture group. works to protect the historic buildings and structures, the landscapes and heritage s ...

) was excavated and the outlines of the buildings are visible. Much architectural material of a high standard was discovered and can be seen in Haverfordwest museum. Also unearthed was a unique medieval garden with raised beds.

References

{{coord, 51.7981, N, 4.9644, W, region:GB_type:landmark, display=title Augustinian monasteries in Wales History of Pembrokeshire Grade I listed buildings in Pembrokeshire Archaeological sites in Pembrokeshire Ruins in Wales

Priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of mon ...

Scheduled monuments in Pembrokeshire Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales