Canaston Bridge is the location in Pembrokeshire, southwest

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 ...

where the A40 trunk road crosses the

Eastern 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 – ...

. It is on the edge of 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 be ...

, northeast of Pembroke, and close to

Oakwood Theme Park Oakwood Theme Park (formerly Oakwood Leisure Park, Oakwood Coaster Country & Oakwood Park) is a theme park in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Oakwood opened in the late 1980s as a very small family park with BMXs, a wooden fort, a 3D-style cinema expe ...

and

Blue Lagoon waterpark Blue Lagoon Water Park is an indoor waterpark near Canaston Bridge, Narberth in Pembrokeshire, Wales in the Bluestone National Park Resort. It opened in 2008. Features The waterpark features a beach-style swimming pool with a wave machine ...

. It is about half a mile upstream of

Blackpool Mill Blackpool Mill is a 19th century flour mill in the community of Martletwy, in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. It sits to the west of Blackpool Bridge on the southern bank of the Eastern River Cleddau, downstream from Canaston Bridge. Built ...

, at the normal tidal limit of the river.

Name

The origin of the name is obscure. Several properties use the name Canaston, as well as Canaston Wood.

Activity

A pumping station removes some 33 megalitres of water per day for

Welsh Water Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

. The river is monitored at Canaston Bridge for flood risk downstream. Hydrometric data at the bridge are kept by

Natural Resources Wales Natural Resources Wales ( cy, Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru) is a Welsh Government sponsored body, which became operational from 1 April 2013, when it took over the management of the natural resources of Wales. It was formed from a merger of the Coun ...

. Canaston Woods Walk, promoted by Pembrokeshire County Council, starts at Canaston Bridge.

History

In 1914, the Royal Commission on Monuments published details of the bridge, with an illustration: Canaston Bridge is on the border between the ancient

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

es of

Robeston Wathen Robeston Wathen is a rural village and parish in Pembrokeshire, Wales, west of Narberth, on the former Narberth to Haverfordwest turnpike subsequently designated the A40 which bypassed the village in 2011. Robeston Wathen is in the community ...

and

Slebech Slebech was a community (prior to 1974, a civil parish) in Pembrokeshire, Wales, which is now part of the combined community of Uzmaston and Boulston and Slebech, a sparsely populated community on the northern shore of the Eastern River Cleddau. ...

. It is marked on a 1578 parish map as ''Cannaston'', with a bridge shown, but there was no recorded parish or settlement of that name. The Royal Commission recorded the name as a historic place name. Canaston Bridge is listed as a place name in the parish of

and others, as it borders several. Canaston Wood is a remnant of the mediaeval Narberth Forest, which was recorded in the early 12th century. The Manor of Canaston was recorded in the 14th century. Canaston Wood was mentioned as significant by George Owen in about 1600. Canaston Bridge itself is mediaeval, and is a Grade II

listed structure In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

. In 1635 there was a charcoal-fuelled blast furnace at Canaston Wood, the only known example of its period. In 1828, an Act for repairing the roads also repealed an earlier Act of 1808, exacting tolls on the roads around the bridge. Up to the time that the

Cleddau Bridge The Cleddau Bridge (, cy, Pont Cleddau) in Pembrokeshire, Wales, carries the A477 road over the River Cleddau between Neyland and Pembroke Dock. Errors in the box girder design caused the collapse during construction in 1970. The bridge be ...

was opened in 1975, Canaston Bridge was the lowest bridging point on the

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the ...

. In 2009, when the Robeston Wathen bypass was being constructed (including a new bridge), Dyfed Archaeological Trust carried out an investigation close to the bridge. They discovered flint scattering (mesolithic or neolithic) and evidence of early metal working.

Wildlife

Swallows and martins nest between the girders beneath the A40 road.

References

{{authority control Villages in Pembrokeshire Roundabouts in the United Kingdom