Pwllgwaelod (originally Y Pwll Gwaelod,

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, of or about Wales * Welsh language, spoken in Wales * Welsh people, an ethnic group native to Wales Places * Welsh, Arkansas, U.S. * Welsh, Louisiana, U.S. * Welsh, Ohio, U.S. * Welsh Basin, during t ...

for ''The Bottom Cove/Creek'') is a small scattered hamlet centred on a bay on the south-western side of the Dinas Island

peninsula A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...

. It is in the community of

Dinas Cross Dinas Cross () is a village, a community and a former parish in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Located between Fishguard and Newport in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, it is a popular holiday destination on the A487 road. The two hamlets, Cwm-yr ...

between

Fishguard Fishguard (, meaning "Mouth of the River Gwaun") is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, Wales, with a population of 3,400 (rounded to the nearest 100) as of the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census. Modern Fishguard consists of two parts, Lowe ...

and

Newport, Pembrokeshire Newport () is a town, Community (Wales), community, electoral ward and ancient port of ''Parrog'', on the Pembrokeshire coast in West Wales at the mouth of the River Nevern () in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. The town gives its name to ...

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 ...

. Many of the properties within the hamlet of Pwllgwaelod are holiday cottages.

The beach

The small sandy beach, which is wide and open, with fine dark sand, has rocks and cliffs on either side, making it protected and unsuitable for watersports such as surfing. It offers good views across Fishguard Bay to Fishguard Harbour. Pwllgwaelod beach failed to meet EU water quality standards in 2011 and 2012, possibly as a result of landwater run-off following two exceptionally wet summers. Nearby Cwm-yr-Eglwys has a

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and a

Seaside Award Keep Wales Tidy is a Welsh national voluntary environmental charity which works towards achieving "a clean, safe and tidy Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is border ...

.Visit Pembrokeshire website
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Access and facilities

Pwllgwaelod is reached by a narrow, twisty road from the centre of Dinas Cross (on the A487). In the summer months (May - September) it is also served by the "Poppit Rocket", a bus which follows the coastline from Fishguard to Cardigan in the north. Pwllgwaelod lies 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 ...

which from here runs for 3 miles all round the peninsula of Dinas Island, reaching Cwm-yr-Eglwys on the other side. Cwm-yr-Eglwys can also be reached by a direct footpath (a little over a mile in length) through the valley that almost divides Dinas Head from the mainland, and is suitable for wheelchairs. There are two car parks and public toilets, and the boat-park has a slipway for launching dinghies.Pembrokeshire - A personal Guide
/ref> Dogs are allowed on the beach.

The Old Sailors

Close to the beach is an old pub, now a bar/restaurant called the Old Sailors. This is the only building by the beach itself, and has seen some 500 years of use (although it closed for a period from 1994). Formerly called the Sailors Safety, it supposedly dates from 1593, the name referring to the light it once kept burning as a guide to ships.Do Pembrokeshire - Pwllgwaelod
It was visited by

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" ''Un ...

at least once.

A harbour

Pwllgwaelod was at times used as a sheltered harbour when strong winds from the east made Fishguard dangerous. There is a medium-sized "three-quarter"

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 tak ...

by the beach, used for converting the limestone brought in by boat to quicklime. This was used on the land, in this case on Dinas Island.

In literature

Pwllgwaelod is mentioned in '' "Sailing directions for the West Coast of England" '', published by the Admiralty Hydrographic Department in 1870 : :''There is a similar but smaller beach, the Pwll-gwaelod, which terminates a small strip of swamp that lies within Dinas head, and almost insulates it. This beach has better shelter than that of Goodie*, and small vessels frequently beach upon it in fine weather and easterly winds.'' (* ie. Goodie Sands, by Fishguard) In '' "A Book of South Wales" '', published in 1905,

Sabine Baring-Gould Sabine Baring-Gould (; 28 January 1834 – 2 January 1924) of Lew Trenchard in Devon, England, was an Anglican priest, hagiographer, antiquarian, novelist, folk song collector and eclectic scholar. His bibliography consists of more than 1,240 pu ...

wrote: :''Now the story goes that under the sea by Dinas Point, in Pwll Gwaelod, lies a fairy city inhabited by a mysterious people called the Bendith y Mamau (the Blessing of the Mothers). When the sea is calm, through the crystal waters can be seen the golden roofs and spires and marble palaces of the underwater folk. The vision lasts for from five to ten minutes at a time. One day a ship of a Dinas fisherman cast anchor in the Pwll, when up the chain came swarming one of these subaqueous people, who stepped on deck and said to the captain, "What is this that you are doing? Your anchor is in the roof of my house." The captain promised to disengage it and not cast anchor there again.''

References

External links

Nearestbeach.co.uk - Pwllgwaelod

Forces of Nature Coastal Sports - Pwllgwaelod
{{coord, 52.0215, -4.9085, type:city_region:GB, display=title Beaches of Pembrokeshire Coast of Pembrokeshire Hamlets in Wales