About Pembrokeshire

Pembrokeshire is a unique and beautiful county situated on the south west coast of Wales, bordering the Atlantic Ocean. Its coastal edge is covered by the world-renowned Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, and includes rugged coastline, cliffs, sandy beaches, seaside towns and offshore islands. Much of the county is rural and tranquil, with narrow lanes linking rich and fertile farmland.

Where the County meets coastal waters, the character of the landscape becomes more urban with harbours and port infrastructure. Milford Haven has a huge sheltered harbour of strategic importance, and is served by energy-related installations and large vessels. Busy A roads link our ferry ports to coastal resorts within the National Park, such as the picturesque town of Tenby. Pembrokeshire has a thriving tourism industry, with hospitality provision throughout the county.

Pembrokeshire has stunning natural and architectural beauty, a vibrant music and arts scene, plenty of opportunities to pursue water and land-based activities, and charming villages and interesting market towns to explore. Its rich cultural heritage includes inland forts, standing stones, burial chambers and castles scattered across the landscape.

Delivering high quality services

Besides the 124,000 people who live and work here, we also welcome around 2.3 million staying visitors each year. Here at Pembrokeshire County Council, we are totally committed to delivering high quality services and value to our customers.

Pembrokeshire County Council is the biggest employer in the county, with around 6,100 employees providing the essential services to meet the needs of its residents and visitors. These services include education and schools, social services, waste and recycling, housing and leisure and more. Our aim is to ensure that Pembrokeshire is prosperous and remains vibrant and special.

National Park

The county is home to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, the only national park in the United Kingdom established primarily because of the coastline; the Park occupies more than a third of the area of the county. Rated by National Geographic magazine experts as the second best coastline in the World. With 186 miles of magnificent and varied coastline and over 50 beaches, there is plenty of space for everyone. Choose between lively Tenby and Saundersfoot or peaceful St Davids and Newport. Perfect for outdoor activities or just relaxing.

The Pembrokeshire coastline includes numerous bays and sandy beaches. The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, the only park in the UK established primarily because of its coastline, occupies more than a third of the county. The park contains the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, a near-continuous 186-mile (299 km) long-distance trail from Amroth, by the Carmarthenshire border in the southeast, to St Dogmaels just down the River Teifi estuary from Cardigan, Ceredigion, in the north.

We are also home to the smallest city in Britain: St Davids.

Transport

The A40 crosses Pembrokeshire from the border with Carmarthenshire westwards to Haverfordwest, then northwards to Fishguard. The A477 from St. Clears to Pembroke Dock and the Cleddau Bridge carries the A477 across the Cleddau Estuary. The A478 traverses eastern Pembrokeshire from Tenby in the south to Cardigan, Ceredigion in the north. The A487 is the other major route, running northwest from Haverfordwest to St Davids, then northeast following the coast, through Fishguard and Newport, to the boundary with Ceredigion at Cardigan.

The main towns in the county are covered by regular bus and train services, and many villages by local bus services, or community or education transport.

Pembrokeshire is served by rail via the West Wales Lines from Swansea. Direct trains from Milford Haven run to Manchester Piccadilly. Branch lines terminate at Pembroke Dock, Milford Haven and Fishguard, linking with ferries to Ireland from Pembroke Dock and Fishguard. Seasonal ferry services operate from Tenby to Caldey Island, from St Justinians (St Davids) to Ramsey Island and Grassholm Island, and from Martin’s Haven to Skomer Island. Haverfordwest (Withybush) Airport provides general aviation services.

Economy

Pembrokeshire’s economy relies heavily on tourism; agriculture, once its most important industry with associated activities such as milling, is still significant. Since the 1950s, petrochemical and liquid natural gas industries have developed along the Milford Haven Waterway and the county has attracted other major ventures. Milford Haven Waterway is one of the deepest natural harbours in the world, it is a busy shipping channel, trafficked by ferries from Pembroke Dock to Ireland, oil tankers and pleasure craft.

For more details about the history of Milford Haven Waterway please click here.

Tourism

The Pembrokeshire coastline is a major draw to tourists; in 2011 National Geographic Traveller magazine voted the Pembrokeshire Coast the second best in the world and in 2015 the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park was listed among the top five parks in the world by a travel writer for the Huffington Post. Countryfile Magazine readers voted the Pembrokeshire Coast the top UK holiday destination in 2018, and in 2019 Consumers’ Association members placed Tenby and St Davids in the top three best value beach destinations in Britain. With few large urban areas, Pembrokeshire is a “dark sky” destination. The many wrecks off the Pembrokeshire coast attract divers.

Tourism supports over 10,000 jobs and the county attracts over 4 million tourists each year, who spend over £550 million per annum.

Pembrokeshire County Show, celebrating 65 years at Haverfordwest Showground this year, is Wales’ largest county show. This major county event showcases agriculture, food and drink, sport, entertainment and other great activities, attracting around 100,000 visitors.

The county has a number of animal parks (such as Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo and Manor House Wildlife Park), museums and other visitor attractions including Castell Henllys reconstructed Iron Age fort, Tenby Lifeboat Station and Milford Haven’s Torch Theatre. There are 25 marked cycle trails around the county and Pembrokeshire is home to many medieval castles.