Dinas Cross ( cy, Dinas) is both a village, a

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, ...

and a former parish in Pembrokeshire,

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

. Located between

Fishguard Fishguard ( cy, Abergwaun, meaning "Mouth of the River Gwaun") is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, 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 p ...

and Newport in the

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Pembrokeshire Coast National Park ( cy, Parc Cenedlaethol Arfordir Penfro) is a national park along the Pembrokeshire coast in west Wales. It was established as a National Park in 1952. It is one of three national parks in Wales, the others b ...

, it is a popular holiday destination on the

A487 road The A487, officially the Fishguard to Bangor Trunk Road, is a trunk road in Wales that follows the coast from Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, in the south, to Bangor, Gwynedd, in the north. Route The road starts at a junction with the A40 in ...

. The two hamlets, Cwm-yr-Eglwys and Pwllgwaelod, are in the community. The community has an elected

community council A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain. In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies. In ...

and until 2022 gave its name to an electoral ward of

Pembrokeshire County Council Pembrokeshire County Council ( cy, Cyngor Sir Penfro) is the governing body for Pembrokeshire, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. Political control The first election to the council was held in 1995, initially operating as a shadow authori ...

which covered the communities of Dinas Cross,

Cwm Gwaun Cwm Gwaun (English: ''Gwaun Valley'') is a community and valley in north Pembrokeshire, Wales. The community is centred around Pontfaen, a parish and hamlet southeast of Fishguard, and includes the ancient parish of Llanychaer. In 2011, ...

and Puncheston.

History

The parish was in the

Hundred 100 or one hundred (Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 and preceding 101. In medieval contexts, it may be described as the short hundred or five score in order to differentiate the English and Germanic use of "hundred" to des ...

of Cemais; as ''Dynas'', it appeared on a 1578 parish map of Pembrokeshire. In the early 19th century the parish had 741 inhabitants. At this time the walls of the parish church of St Brynach were washed by the sea at spring high tides. The parish extended from

Dinas Head Dinas Island (Welsh: ''Ynys Dinas'') is a peninsula, partially detached from the mainland, in the community of Dinas Cross between Fishguard and Newport, Pembrokeshire, in southwest Wales. A triangulation point shows above sea level at Pen-y-f ...

Dinas Island Dinas Island (Welsh language, Welsh: ''Ynys Dinas'') is a peninsula, partially detached from the mainland, in the Community (Wales), community of Dinas Cross between Fishguard and Newport, Pembrokeshire, in southwest Wales. A triangulation poin ...

into the Preseli Mountains and included several small settlements to the north and south of the turnpike from Fishguard to Newport, which is now the A487 road.

Governance

Dinas Cross has an elected community council. An electoral ward of the same name exists which includes the communities of Dinas Cross,

and Puncheston and had a population of 1,696 in 2011. Following the recommendations of a boundary review by the

Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales The Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales ( cy, Comisiwn Ffiniau a Democratiaeth Leol Cymru) is a Welsh Government sponsored body, responsible for defining borders for local elections and government in Wales. The name of the commission ...

, effective from the 2022 local elections, the Dinas Cross county ward was merged with the neighbouring community of Newport to create a new ward of 'Newport and Dinas', electing one county councillor. The communities of

and Puncheston formed, together with

Scleddau Scleddau is a village and a community in the county of Pembrokeshire, Wales, and is south of Fishguard on the main A40 road. The Western Cleddau river which lends its name to the village flows under the main road. There are several springs in th ...

, a new ward of Bro Gwaun.

Amenities

Dinas has four

pub A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

s: ''The Country Club'', ''The Ship Aground'', ''The Freemasons Arms'' and ''The Old Sailors''. At one time there was also a cafe, a school, Rhoshelyg garden centre, a garage, a petrol station, a full-time post office, two shops and a local blacksmith. Now the old school is a Community hall (Yr Hen Ysgol), the post office is part-time, and two shops, garage, petrol station and a chip shop remain, as well as the local blacksmith, now 5th generation.

Worship

The church in Dinas was founded by St Brynach, in the 5th or early 6th century. Dinas has two chapels: Tabor (a Baptist Chapel) and Gideon (an Independent Chapel). Ramah, a disused Methodist Chapel is on the way to Pwllgwaelod beach.

Places of interest

* Cwm-yr-Eglwys – the church of St Brynach the Abbot, the original parish church of Dinas, perhaps dating back to before the Norman Conquest, is situated on the picturesque beach of Cwm-yr-Eglwys. The chancel of the church was washed away in 1850, and the roof and north wall were destroyed during the

Royal Charter Storm The ''Royal Charter'' Storm (also known as the Great storm of 1859) of 25 and 26 October 1859 was considered to be the most severe storm to hit the Irish Sea in the 19th century,Dinas Island Dinas Island (Welsh language, Welsh: ''Ynys Dinas'') is a peninsula, partially detached from the mainland, in the Community (Wales), community of Dinas Cross between Fishguard and Newport, Pembrokeshire, in southwest Wales. A triangulation poin ...

– A small peninsula, a popular walk and an old farm. 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 a ...

passes by St. Brynach's church and around Dinas Island. * Hescwm Mill – an old mill now restored lying 200m inland of Hescwm cove. It is a Grade II* listed building. *Brynhenllan Chapel, a Grade II* listed building. *Pencnwc Farm was the birthplace of Sgt. William Batine James who, having emigrated to America in 1871 and joined the US Army in 1872, was the only Welshman to die at the

Battle of the Little Bighorn The Battle of the Little Bighorn, known to the Lakota and other Plains Indians as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, and also commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota Sioux, Nor ...

in 1876. He was in Company E of the 7th Cavalry.

References

External links

Further historical information and sources on GENUKIPhotographs of Dinas Cross and surrounding area on Geograph
{{authority control Villages in Pembrokeshire Communities in Pembrokeshire Former electoral wards of Pembrokeshire