St Brides () is a
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...
and small coastal village in
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire ( ; ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and otherwise by the sea. Haverfordwest is the largest town and ...
,
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
, at the south of
St Brides Bay, about north of the larger village of
Marloes, with which it forms the
Marloes and St Brides community
A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...
.
The village is in the
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park () is a National Parks of England and Wales, national park along the Pembrokeshire coast in west Wales.
It was established as a National Park in 1952. It is one of the three National parks of Wales, the others ...
and is on the
Pembrokeshire Coast Path
The Pembrokeshire Coast Path (), 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 cliff-top level, with a total ...
.
Parish church

The
Norman parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...
is dedicated to St Bridget.
The earliest recorded church was 13th century, and the site may have been a religious one since the 9th century. The present Grade II
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
is 19th century, incorporating some earlier structural features.
St Brides Castle
Formerly known as ''St Brides Hill'', or just ''Hill'',
St Brides Castle is a 19th-century baronial-style mansion.
It was developed for William Philipps (1810-1864) in 1833 from an earlier house which
Richard Fenton
Richard Fenton (January 1747 – November 1821) was a Welsh lawyer, topography, 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 t ...
referred to as an "elegant modern structure". It was acquired by the 5th Baron Kensington in 1899, added to in 1906, and in 1923 became a
sanatorium
A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, is a historic name for a specialised hospital for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments, and convalescence.
Sanatoriums are often in a health ...
, Kensington Hospital. In the 1990s the building underwent extensive renovation by current owners Holiday Property Bond and was converted into holiday accommodation. It is a grade II*
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
.
Scouting
Scouting in Pembrokeshire have a campsite in the village; it is used by Scouting and Girl Guiding groups both locally and nationally.
Notable people
St Brides was the birthplace of
Rowland Laugharne (ca.1607 – 1675), a prominent soldier during the
Wars of the Three Kingdoms
The Wars of the Three Kingdoms were a series of conflicts fought between 1639 and 1653 in the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland and Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland, then separate entities in a personal union un ...
, who fought for
Parliament
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
in the
First English Civil War
The First English Civil War took place in England and Wales from 1642 to 1646, and forms part of the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. An estimated 15% to 20% of adult males in England and Wales served in the military at some point b ...
, and the
Royalists in the
Second English Civil War
The Second English Civil War took place between February and August 1648 in Kingdom of England, England and Wales. It forms part of the series of conflicts known collectively as the 1639–1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms, which include the 164 ...
.
References
External links
Further historical information and sources on GENUKIMarloes & St Brides Community CouncilPhotographs of St Brides and surrounding area on GeographSt. Brides Camp Site - Scoutbase
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Saint Brides