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Porthclais (also known as Porth Clais) is a small sheltered inlet harbour near St Davids, Pembrokeshire,
Video of walk up Porthclais cliffPhotos of Porthclais and surrounding area
{{authority control Villages in Pembrokeshire
Porthclais (also known as Porth Clais) is a small sheltered inlet harbour near St Davids, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
, in the community
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, ...
of St Davids and the Cathedral Close
St Davids and the Cathedral Close is a community in western Pembrokeshire, Wales. It comprises the city of St Davids and its surrounding rural area.Ordnance Survey It was established in 1987.
Geography
The community occupies the northwestern t ...
.
History
Porthclais harbour was built in the 12th century, importing coal and timber. The entire harbour is within the St David's Peninsula Site of Special Scientific Interest. Porthclais is still used as a small port by local fishermen and recreational sailors. The largely intact old harbour wall may have been built by the Romans, and the harbour was mentioned in the mediaeval Mabinogion. The earliest recorded date of trade through the port is 1385. The harbour dries out at low tide and is a good launching spot for small boats, dive craft andkayaks
A kayak is a small, narrow watercraft which is typically propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word '' qajaq'' ().
The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each s ...
who are setting out to explore St Bride's Bay
St Brides Bay ( cy, Bae Sain Ffraid) is a bay in western Pembrokeshire, West Wales.
Either Skomer Island or the mainland extremity of Wooltack Point at the western end of the Marloes Peninsula marks the southern limit of the bay whilst its nort ...
.
Porthclais harbour has some of the best preserved remains of stone Lime kiln
A lime kiln is a kiln used for the calcination of limestone ( calcium carbonate) to produce the form of lime called quicklime (calcium oxide). The chemical equation for this reaction is
: CaCO3 + heat → CaO + CO2
This reaction can take p ...
s in Pembrokeshire.
Harbour authority
Porthclais Harbour Authority Limited provides harbour services; the harbour can accommodate around 50 small boats and is very busy at peak times.Facilities
There is a car park on the site of what used to be the now defunct St. Davidsgasworks
A gasworks or gas house is an industrial plant for the production of flammable gas. Many of these have been made redundant in the developed world by the use of natural gas, though they are still used for storage space.
Early gasworks
Coal ...
, which in turn was built on the site of a spring where it is said St. David himself was baptised
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...
.
References
External links
Video of walk up Porthclais cliff
{{authority control Villages in Pembrokeshire