Fishguard: Beautiful Harbour & Coastal Scenery

Fishguard is a coastal town situated in Pembrokeshire in the South-West of Wales which is renowned for its beautiful scenery.  It is close to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and provides a great centre for exploring the National Park.

Ironically perhaps, Fishguard is possibly best known for the Stenna Line ferry crossing to Roslare in Ireland and its direct rain link to London (Paddington Station) via Swansea making this lovely location an unlikely transport hub.

The town is divided into two parts, the main town of Fishguard and Lower Fishguard, the latter known locally as ‘Lower Town’.  This is where you will find the old port of Fishguard. With its picturesque settings, it is no wonder that this location has been used as a location for many films including ‘Under Milk Wood’.

Places to stay

• Manor Town House
  01348 873260
  Boutique-style B&B with sea views
  Free Wi-Fi Free breakfast
• Fishguard Bay Hotel
  01348 873571
  Modern rooms in a 19th-century setting
  Free Wi-Fi Free breakfast
• 01348 874462
  Spectacular views of Fishguard harbour

Things to do in Fishguard

• Centre for scenic coastal Walks in the National Park.
• Kayak-King.
  Lovely way to connect with nature.
• The Last Invasion Tapestry Gallery.
  A fascinating piece of local history.
• Preseli Venture.
  Outdoor Activities, Tours, Boat Tours & Water Sports
• Theatr Gwaun.
  Theatre, Concert & Shows.
• Dyffryn Fernant Gardens.
  A hidden gem for anyone liking informal gardens with some great creative features, set in beautiful surroundings.
• Archaeotours Day Tours.
• Gwaun Valley Brewery.
• Fishguard Fort.
• The Gate Inn.
  Local Friendly pub.
• Fishguard Antiques Centre.

History

A little known historical fact about this coastal haven is that Fishguard is where the last French invasion of Mainland Britain took place in 1797.  This is splendidly depicted in its own version of the Bayeux Tapestry which pictures the invasion in the Last Invasion Tapestry Gallery. Don’t expect this to be a rural, amateurish piece of work; it is actually a very beautiful must-see tapestry that was made by 77 local women to celebrate the anniversary of the last invasion on British soil.

The story is that on Wednesday 22nd February 1797, French warships sailed into Fishguard Bay only to be greeted by canon fire from the local fort. Unknown by the French, the cannon was actually being fired as an alarm to the local townsfolk.

The French took fright and withdrew their ships and sailed on until they reached a small sandy beach near the village of Llanwnda. Men, arms and gunpowder were unloaded and by 2am the next morning the last invasion of Britain was complete. The French ships then sailed for home leaving a small landing party behind and, in due course, sent a despatch to Paris reporting that the landing had been successful.

However, over the next two days on British soil the French soldiers met their match in the form of a local cobbler’s wife, 47-year-old Jemima Nicholas, later to be known as “Jemima Fawr” (Jemima the Great).

The story is that when she heard about the invasion, she marched out to Llanwnda, pitchfork in hand, and rounded up twelve Frenchmen and politely  ‘persuaded’ them to accompany her back into town, where she locked them inside St Mary’s Church and, then, promptly left to find some more! That was some serious Girl Power.