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Fishguard ( cy, Abergwaun, meaning "Mouth of the River Gwaun") is a coastal town in
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, 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 parts, Lower Fishguard and the "Main Town". Fishguard and
Goodwick Goodwick (; cy, Wdig) is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, Wales, immediately west of its twin town of Fishguard. Fishguard and Goodwick form a community that wraps around Fishguard Bay. As well as the two towns, it consists of Dyffryn, Stop-and ...
are twin towns with a joint Town Council. Lower Fishguard is believed to be the site of the original hamlet from which modern Fishguard has grown. It is in a deep valley where the River Gwaun meets the sea, hence the Welsh name for Fishguard. It is a typical fishing village with a short tidal quay. The settlement stretches along the north slope of the valley. The main town contains the parish church, the High Street and most of the modern development, and lies upon the hill to the south of Lower Fishguard, to which it is joined by a steep and winding road. The west part of the town that faces Goodwick grew in the first decade of the 20th century with the development of Fishguard Harbour.


Etymology

The English name Fishguard derives from Old Norse meaning "fish catching enclosure", cognate with Modern English ' + ''.'' In Welsh, means "the mouth of the River Gwaun", the name of the river referring to the high, wet, level ground of a marsh or moor.


History

Fishguard is within the historic Welsh
cantref A cantref ( ; ; plural cantrefi or cantrefs; also rendered as ''cantred'') was a medieval Welsh land division, particularly important in the administration of Welsh law. Description Land in medieval Wales was divided into ''cantrefi'', which were ...
of , and part of the Welsh province of , within the historic Principality of .Davies, John, ''A History of Wales'', Penguin, 1994, ''foundations of'' pp. 17, 19, 43; ''Migration of the Desi into Demetia'', p. 52; ''Demetia'' 17, 30, 34; ''ruling house of'' pp. 52, 72, 85, 87; ''and the Vikings'' p. 85' ''relations with Alfred of Wessex'', p. 85; ''and the Vikings/Northmen'' p. 98, ''and the Normans'' pp. 106, 112, 114 The coasts of Wales were subject to Norse raids during the Viking era, and in the latter part of the 10th century Norse trading posts and settlements emerged within Dyfed, with Fishguard established sometime between 950 and 1000 AD. In 1078 Goodwick Moor, was the scene of a bloody battle in which Rhys, son of Owain ap Edwyn, was defeated and slain by Trahaearn ap Caradog (Brut y Tywysogion) in the Battle of Pwllgwdg, The English place name indicates that there may have been a Scandinavian trading post, although no evidence has been found. However the "V" shaped stone structures of ancient fish traps can still be seen at low tide on both sides of the bay and it is believed these were the foundations for wooden fences that would trap the fish as the tide went out. Other examples can be found around the country and they probably date from Saxon times, though similar devices have been in use since Neolithic times. Called ''Fiscard'' until the turn of the 19th century when the name was Anglicised, Fishguard was a marcher borough and in 1603 was described as one of five Pembrokeshire boroughs overseen by a portreeve. The
Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...
settlement lay along what is now High Street between the church at its north end and the remains of a Norman motte at its south end. In 1912,
Denys Corbett Wilson Denys Corbett Wilson (1882 – 10 May 1915) was a pioneering Irish aviator. He is most notable for his 100-minute flight on 22 April 1912, from Goodwick in Pembrokeshire to Crane near Enniscorthy in county Wexford – from the island of G ...
made the first flight between Britain and Ireland. Starting his journey from Hendon aerodrome on 17 April 1912, he eventually landed in Goodwick on 21 April having made a few unscheduled stops along the way. He then set off from a field near Harbour Village at 5:47 on 22 April and crash-landed 100 minutes later in Crane near Enniscorthy in County Wexford. Lower Fishguard developed as a
herring Herring are forage fish, mostly belonging to the family of Clupeidae. Herring often move in large schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans, i ...
fishery and port, trading with Ireland, Bristol and Liverpool. In the late 18th century it had 50 coasting vessels, and exported oats and salt herring. In 1779, the port was raided by the privateer ''Black Prince'', which bombarded the town when the payment of a £1,000 ransom was refused. As a result, Fishguard Fort was completed in 1781, overlooking Lower Fishguard. The port declined in the latter half of the 19th century. Fishguard's ancient Royal Oak public house was the site of the signing of surrender after the Battle of Fishguard. This brief campaign, on 22–24 February 1797, is the most recent landing on British soil by a hostile foreign force, and thus is often referred to as the "last invasion of mainland Britain". A force of 1,400 French soldiers landed near Fishguard but surrendered two days later. A 19th-century vicar of Fishguard, the Rev. Samuel Fenton MA, wrote the book ''The History of Pembrokeshire''. The ancient Parliamentary Borough of Fishguard was contributory to the Borough of Haverfordwest. During the Second World War, the Fishguard Bay Hotel was Station IXc of Special Operations Executive where
submersible A submersible is a small watercraft designed to operate underwater. The term "submersible" is often used to differentiate from other underwater vessels known as submarines, in that a submarine is a fully self-sufficient craft, capable of ind ...
s were tested in Fishguard Bay. Fishguard & Goodwick Golf Club was founded in 1921 and closed in the 1960s.


Governance

There are two tiers of local government covering Fishguard, at community (town) and county level: Fishguard and Goodwick Town Council and Pembrokeshire County Council. The town council is based at
Fishguard Town Hall Fishguard Town Hall ( cy, Neuadd y Dref Abergwaun) is a municipal building in the Market Square, Fishguard, Pembrokeshire, Wales. The structure, which is the meeting place of Fishguard and Goodwick Town Council, is a Grade II listed building. ...
in Market Square. Fishguard was an
ancient parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority. ...
. When parish and district councils were established in 1894, the parish of Fishguard was included in the Haverfordwest Rural District. In 1906 it was decided to create an
urban district Urban district may refer to: * District * Urban area * Quarter (urban subdivision) * Neighbourhood Specific subdivisions in some countries: * Urban districts of Denmark * Urban districts of Germany * Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland) (hist ...
covering Fishguard, making it independent from the Haverfordwest Rural District Council. The whole parish of Fishguard was considered too large to be an urban district and so it was split into two parishes: Fishguard North covering the main built up area, to be governed by Fishguard Urban District Council, and Fishguard South which stayed in the Haverfordwest Rural District. These changes took effect on 1 April 1907. The first meeting of Fishguard Urban District Council was held on 8 April 1907 at the Town Hall, when John Robertson Richards, a Conservative, was appointed the first chairman of the council. The urban district was enlarged in 1934 to include neighbouring
Goodwick Goodwick (; cy, Wdig) is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, Wales, immediately west of its twin town of Fishguard. Fishguard and Goodwick form a community that wraps around Fishguard Bay. As well as the two towns, it consists of Dyffryn, Stop-and ...
, becoming Fishguard and Goodwick Urban District. Fishguard and Goodwick Urban District was abolished under the
Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...
, with the area becoming part of the district of
Preseli Pembrokeshire Preseli Pembrokeshire (, ; cy, Preseli Sir Benfro) was one of six local government districts of Dyfed in West Wales from 1974 to 1996. Until 1987 the name of the district was Preseli. The district took its name from the Preseli Hills. Creation Th ...
on 1 April 1974. A community covering the former urban district was established at the same time, with its council taking the name Fishguard and Goodwick Town Council. Preseli Pembrokeshire was abolished in 1996 to become part of a re-established Pembrokeshire.


Geography

The town is situated at the back of a north facing bay known as Fishguard Bay ( cy, Bae Abergwaun) which offers protection from waves generated by prevailing westerly winds. It has a relatively mild climate due to its coastal position. The winds coming from the west or south-west have a determining influence on temperature and precipitation. There is an islet in Fishguard Bay, Needle Rock which reaches 131 feet (40 metres). Wildlife around Fishguard is rich with a wide variety of colourful wild flowers and sea mammals including the grey seal,
porpoise Porpoises are a group of fully aquatic marine mammals, all of which are classified under the family Phocoenidae, parvorder Odontoceti (toothed whales). Although similar in appearance to dolphins, they are more closely related to narwhals an ...
s and dolphins. The local birdlife include
Eurasian curlew The Eurasian curlew or common curlew (''Numenius arquata'') is a very large wader in the family Scolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across temperate Europe and Asia. In Europe, this species is often referred t ...
, common redshank and sanderling regularly foraging in the lower Fishguard Harbour and European stonechat, great cormorant and
northern fulmar The northern fulmar (''Fulmarus glacialis''), fulmar, or Arctic fulmar is a highly abundant seabird found primarily in subarctic regions of the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. There has been one confirmed sighting in the Southern Hemis ...
can be seen from the coastal path.


Demography

According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, Fishguard had 3,193 inhabitants and 1,465 households. In 2001, 39.8% of the population could speak Welsh. This compares with 58.9% in 1951 and 90.3% in 1901. The population of 3,193 breaks down as follows:


Landmarks

Outside Fishguard there is a stone monument commemorating the signing of the Peace Treaty after the last invasion of Britain in 1797. Women dressed in Welsh costume are said to have startled the invaders. The 19th-century parish church of St Mary's contains a memorial stone to the heroine
Jemima Nicholas Jemima Nicholas (also spelt Niclas; c. 1750 – July 1832), also known as Jemima Fawr, was a Welsh heroine during the 1797 Battle of Fishguard (commonly known as the last invasion of Britain). Early life Jemima Nicholas was the daughte ...
, who helped repel the French invasion. There is also a Bi-Centenary memorial stone monument in West Street, Fishguard to commemorate the invasion. A tapestry was created in 1997 to commemorate the invasion and is on display to the public in
Fishguard Town Hall Fishguard Town Hall ( cy, Neuadd y Dref Abergwaun) is a municipal building in the Market Square, Fishguard, Pembrokeshire, Wales. The structure, which is the meeting place of Fishguard and Goodwick Town Council, is a Grade II listed building. ...
. There are more than 80 listed buildings in and around the town.


Community and culture

Fishguard has hotels and is the main shopping town of North Pembrokeshire with a market in the town hall on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Fishguard has a
Round Table The Round Table ( cy, y Ford Gron; kw, an Moos Krenn; br, an Daol Grenn; la, Mensa Rotunda) is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that e ...
doing community work including running the Fishguard & Goodwick Carnival and the Fishguard Autumn Festival. The Gwaun Lodge of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes, is a charitable organisation within the community who host sponsored events and other community works throughout the year. Fishguard has a 180-seat cinema/theatre called
Theatr Gwaun Theatr Gwaun is a cinema/theatre in Fishguard, Pembrokeshire. Built in 1885 as a Temperance hall, it was briefly converted for use as a school in January 1895 before being converted into a cinema in the 1920s. Originally, the building was know ...
which provides a venue for film, music and live theatre and hosted the
National Eisteddfod The National Eisteddfod of Wales (Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competitors ...
in 1936 and 1986.


Transport

Fishguard is the terminus of the London to Fishguard Trunk Road (A40). A regular
ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...
operated by
Stena Line Stena Line is a Swedish shipping line company and one of the largest ferry operators in the world. It services Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden. Stena Line is a major unit of Ste ...
leaves for Rosslare in Ireland from the port of Fishguard Harbour,
Goodwick Goodwick (; cy, Wdig) is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, Wales, immediately west of its twin town of Fishguard. Fishguard and Goodwick form a community that wraps around Fishguard Bay. As well as the two towns, it consists of Dyffryn, Stop-and ...
. Following the Brexit withdrawal agreement, freight traffic from Rosslare fell by 50% in January 2021. Rail services are operated by Transport for Wales Rail from Fishguard Harbour and Fishguard and Goodwick railway stations on the West Wales line to
Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...
and Cardiff. Through trains to London were withdrawn in 2004. Starting in 1909 the fast Cunard liners from New York began anchoring at Fishguard to allow passengers to take a Great Western train to London, saving a few hours compared to Liverpool.


In the media

Lower Fishguard was used as "Llareggub" in the film of
Dylan Thomas Dylan Marlais Thomas (27 October 1914 – 9 November 1953) was a Welsh poet and writer whose works include the poems "Do not go gentle into that good night" and "And death shall have no dominion", as well as the "play for voices" ''Under ...
's '' Under Milk Wood'', starring Richard Burton,
Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...
and
Peter O'Toole Peter Seamus O'Toole (; 2 August 1932 – 14 December 2013) was a British stage and film actor. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and began working in the theatre, gaining recognition as a Shakespearean actor at the Bristol Old Vic ...
. Many local people were involved in the production of this film as background characters. The film '' Moby Dick'' (starring
Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood ...
) was filmed there in 1955.


Business

Fishguard and Goodwick Chamber of Trade and Tourism is a business support group.


Notable people

:''See :People from Fishguard'' *
Jemima Nicholas Jemima Nicholas (also spelt Niclas; c. 1750 – July 1832), also known as Jemima Fawr, was a Welsh heroine during the 1797 Battle of Fishguard (commonly known as the last invasion of Britain). Early life Jemima Nicholas was the daughte ...
, armed only with a pitchfork, single-handedly captured 12 French soldiers in 1797. *
Willie Thomas William Henry Thomas (22 March 1866 – 11 October 1921) was a Welsh international rugby union player who played club rugby for Llanelli and London Welsh. He was capped eleven times for Wales and captained the team on two occasions. In 1888, ...
(1866–1921), rugby player * Arthur Wade-Evans (1875–1964), historian * Sue Jones-Davies, actress and singer, attended Fishguard County Secondary School during the 1960s. * Mark Delaney, footballer, grew up in Fishguard. * Cerys Matthews, lead singer of Catatonia went to
Ysgol Bro Gwaun Ysgol Bro Gwaun (formerly Fishguard County Secondary School) is a secondary comprehensive school in the town of Fishguard in north Pembrokeshire. It is a predominantly English-medium school with significant use of Welsh, and has a catchment area ...
.


Twinning

Fishguard is twinned with Loctudy in Brittany, France.


See also

*
Fishguard Folk Festival Since 1999, the seaport town of Fishguard in Wales has hosted a traditional music festival, held over the late May Spring Bank Holiday weekend. A feature of the festival is the blur between audience and performers, creating an opportunity to meet ...
* Fishguard Lifeboat Station


References


External links


historic-uk.com An historic account of Fishguard
{{authority control Towns in Pembrokeshire Coast of Pembrokeshire Fishguard and Goodwick Populated coastal places in Wales