Pembroke River is a short waterway near Pembroke,

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 ...

, West

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 ...

Course

Rising at Hogeston Hill, near Manorbier Newton, the river meanders through

Lamphey Lamphey ( cy, Llandyfái ) is both a village, a parish and a community near the south coast of Pembrokeshire, Wales, approximately east of the historic town of Pembroke, and north of the seaside village of Freshwater East. The 2011 census re ...

and flows past

Pembroke Castle Pembroke Castle ( cy, Castell Penfro) is a medieval castle in the centre of Pembroke, Pembrokeshire in Wales. The castle was the original family seat of the Earldom of Pembroke. A Grade I listed building since 1951, it underwent major restoratio ...

to its

confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...

with

Milford Haven Waterway Milford Haven Waterway (''Welsh: Dyfrffordd Aberdaugleddau'') is a natural harbour in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is a ria or drowned valley which was flooded at the end of the last ice age. The Daugleddau estuary winds west to the sea. As on ...

at Pennar Mouth. Pembroke Castle 1

When the river reaches the town of Pembroke, there are three pools, the first of which is Mill Pond, then downstream is Middle Mill Pond, followed by Castle Pond below the castle. The river is navigable to small craft from Pennar to Mill Pond, but is normally closed at Castle Pond. A rally is held once a year to allow small craft into Castle Pond, and since 1994 an annual canoe race has been held in the river.

History

An Elizabethan map of 1578 does not name the river, but does note Pennar Mouth. In 1804, ''The Cambrian'' reproduced text from Campbell' ''Political Survey of Britain'', quoting A dockyard was built soon afterwards, not on the Pembroke River, but on the

River 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 – ...

just to the north, which became

Pembroke Dockyard Pembroke Dockyard, originally called Pater Yard, is a former Royal Navy Dockyard in Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales. History It was founded in 1814, although not formally authorized until the Prince Regent signed the necessary Order in Cou ...

, developing into the town of

Pembroke Dock Pembroke Dock ( cy, Doc Penfro) is a town and a community in Pembrokeshire, South West Wales, northwest of Pembroke on the banks of the River Cleddau. Originally Paterchurch, a small fishing village, Pembroke Dock town expanded rapidly following ...

. Writing in 1810,

Richard Fenton Richard Fenton (January 1747 – November 1821) was a Welsh lawyer, topographer and poet. Biography Fenton was born in January 1747 in St David's, Pembrokeshire, and was baptised in St David's Cathedral on 20 February 1747, "being then a month ...

notes that there is a Pembroke Ferry, although he does not name the river, which may have been across the Cleddau. The River Pembroke, though, was clearly still an important waterway, as

Lewis's Lewis's was a chain of British department stores that operated from 1856 to 2010. The owners of Lewis's have gone into administration many times over the years, including 1991. The first store, which opened in Liverpool city centre, became ...

''Topographical Dictionary'' of 1833 describes: Lewis also refers to the river as "a branch of Milford Harbour (which) terminates at the town". Further, it says: In February 1889 the river was the scene of a tragedy when the

Bentlass Bentlass is a small rural riverside settlement in the community of Hundleton and parish of Monkton in south Pembrokeshire, Wales. There was for many years a ferry crossing between Bentlass and Pennar, a suburb of Pembroke Dock, and the place bec ...

ferry boat capsized and sank, drowning all 16 passengers and crew.

References

External links

Pembroke Town Guide 2019 (includes maps of stretches of the river)
{{authority control Rivers of Pembrokeshire