Wisemans Bridge (Welsh; Pont-yr-ŵr) is a coastal

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 ...

between Amroth and

Saundersfoot Saundersfoot ( cy, Llanusyllt; Old Welsh: ''Llanussyllt'') is a large village and community (and former electoral ward) in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is near Tenby, both being holiday destinations. Saundersfoot lies in the Pembrokeshire Coast Nat ...

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. The small beachfront

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, tow ...

, which is part of the

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

of Amroth, was once an important centre for the mineral industry in

West Wales West Wales ( cy, Gorllewin Cymru) is not clearly defined as a particular region of Wales. Some definitions of West Wales include only Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, which historically comprised the Welsh principality of ''Deheuba ...

. It is now a popular holiday destination within

Carmarthen Bay Carmarthen Bay ( cy, Bae Caerfyrddin) is an inlet of the South Wales coast, including notable beaches such as Pendine Sands and Cefn Sidan sands. Carmarthen Bay is partially within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. The Joint Nature Conserva ...

Toponym

left, The bridge at Wisemans Bridge The name Wisemans Bridge has no definitive origin. In early

medieval Wales {{Commons category Period 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 Ce ...

, the area was part of ''Llanussyllt'' but after the

Norman conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conque ...

it became known as the Parish of St Issells in dedication to the Welsh saint Issel. In 1598, a local entry in the parish records of St Issells mentions a bridge in the locale. This has led to the theory that the name Wisemans Bridge derives directly from the decision to use the crossing rather than take another route. However, research of St Issells' parish records in the 14th century show that an Andrew Wiseman held lands thereabouts as early as 1324. It was first officially recorded as Wisemans Bridge between 1898 and 1908.

History

The valley behind Wisemans Bridge between the 14th and 19th centuries was a centre of industrial activity within the

Pembrokeshire Coalfield The Pembrokeshire Coalfield in West Wales is one of the smallest British coalfields, but continuously worked from the 14th to 20th centuries. The main coalfield extends across south Pembrokeshire from Saundersfoot on Carmarthen Bay westwards to Bro ...

s. By the 19th century, the local high-quality coal was shipped out of Wisemans Bridge in 50- or 60-ton vessels. A 4-foot

narrow-gauge railway A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard-gauge railway, standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with Minimum r ...

also transported coal to Saundersfoot Harbour via Coppet Hall. The line was permanently closed in 1939. The old railway through Wisemans Bridge and its tunnels to Saundersfoot are now part of 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 ...

, a designated

National Trail National Trails are long distance footpaths and bridleways in England and Wales. They are administered by Natural England, a statutory agency of the UK government, and Natural Resources Wales (successor body to the Countryside Council for Wa ...

that was established in 1970. In 1943,

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

visited the area as the allies practised for the D Day landings.Amroth & District Community Association
/ref>

References

{{Pembrokeshire Amroth, Pembrokeshire Hamlets in Wales Carmarthen Bay Coast of Pembrokeshire