Dinas Cross
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Dinas Cross () is a village, a
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 ...
and a former parish 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 ...
. Located 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 Newport most commonly refers to: *Newport, Wales *Newport, Rhode Island, US Newport or New Port may also refer to: Places Asia *Newport City, Metro Manila, a Philippine district in Pasay * Newport (Vietnam), a United States Army and Army of t ...
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 ...
, 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 H ...
. The two hamlets, Cwm-yr-Eglwys and
Pwllgwaelod Pwllgwaelod (originally Y Pwll Gwaelod, Welsh language, Welsh for ''The Bottom Cove/Creek'') is a small scattered hamlet centred on a bay on the south-western side of the Dinas Island peninsula. It is in the community of Dinas Cross between F ...
, 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. ...
and until 2022 gave its name to an
electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected t ...
of
Pembrokeshire County Council Pembrokeshire County Council () is the local authority for the county of Pembrokeshire, one of the principal areas of Wales. History There have been two bodies called Pembrokeshire County Council. The first existed from 1889 until 1974, and th ...
which covered the communities of Dinas Cross,
Cwm Gwaun 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, the population was 313. The valley is know ...
and
Puncheston Puncheston ( or ) is a village, parish and community in Pembrokeshire, southwest Wales. It sits below the mountain known as Castlebythe (), one of the peaks in the Preseli Mountains, just outside the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Parish h ...
.


History

The parish was in the
Hundred 100 or one hundred (Roman numerals, Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 (number), 99 and preceding 101 (number), 101. In mathematics 100 is the square of 10 (number), 10 (in scientific notation it is written as 102). The standar ...
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 on Dinas Island into the
Preseli Mountains The Preseli Mountains (, ; or ), also known as the Preseli Hills, or just the Preselis, are a range of hills in western Wales, mostly within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and entirely within the county of Pembrokeshire. The range ...
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 A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected t ...
of the same name exists which includes the communities of Dinas Cross,
Cwm Gwaun 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, the population was 313. The valley is know ...
and
Puncheston Puncheston ( or ) is a village, parish and community in Pembrokeshire, southwest Wales. It sits below the mountain known as Castlebythe (), one of the peaks in the Preseli Mountains, just outside the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Parish h ...
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 Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru () is a Welsh Government sponsored body, responsible for defining local government boundaries and Senedd constituency boundaries in Wales, also known as . The Commission was established originally as t ...
, effective from the 2022 local elections, the Dinas Cross county ward was merged with the neighbouring community of
Newport Newport most commonly refers to: *Newport, Wales *Newport, Rhode Island, US Newport or New Port may also refer to: Places Asia *Newport City, Metro Manila, a Philippine district in Pasay * Newport (Vietnam), a United States Army and Army of t ...
to create a new ward of 'Newport and Dinas', electing one county councillor. The communities of
Cwm Gwaun 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, the population was 313. The valley is know ...
and
Puncheston Puncheston ( or ) is a village, parish and community in Pembrokeshire, southwest Wales. It sits below the mountain known as Castlebythe (), one of the peaks in the Preseli Mountains, just outside the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Parish h ...
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 t ...
, a new ward of Bro Gwaun.


Amenities

Dinas has four
pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...
s: ''The Country Club'', ''The Ship Aground'', ''The Freemasons Arms'' and ''The Old Sailors''. At one time there was also a café, a school, Rhoshelyg garden centre, a garage, a petrol station, a full-time post office, one shop and a local blacksmith. Now the old school is a Community hall (Yr Hen Ysgol), the post office is part-time, and one shop, garage, petrol station and a chip shop remain, as well as the local blacksmith, now 5th generation. There are also a few artists based in Dinas Cross: two of them have studio / gallery spaces that are open to the public – namely ''Coast and Wild'' on Feidr Fawr, and ''The David Light Gallery'' at Myrtle Hill; both are situated on the road to Pwllgwaelod.


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 Pwllgwaelod (originally Y Pwll Gwaelod, Welsh language, Welsh for ''The Bottom Cove/Creek'') is a small scattered hamlet centred on a bay on the south-western side of the Dinas Island peninsula. It is in the community of Dinas Cross between F ...
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, with a total death toll estimated at over 800. It takes its name f ...
in 1859. In 1880,the walls were demolished and the church reduced to the present west end wall only, to allow a defensive seawall to be built. A replacement church was built 1860–61 higher up in the village. * Dinas Island – A small peninsula, a popular walk and an old farm. 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 ...
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 people, Lakota and other Plains Indians as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, and commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota Si ...
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 GeographCoast & Wild's studio / gallery websiteDavid Light's gallery website
{{authority control Villages in Pembrokeshire Communities in Pembrokeshire Former electoral wards of Pembrokeshire