Essential Hotels > Wales > Dyfed > Pembroke

Pembroke is a small town on the west coast of Wales, within the namesake county of Pembrokeshire. The county of Pembrokeshire lies on the westernmost tip of Wales, hugging the curve of the southwest coast. A good proportion of the surrounding landscape is given over to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, which celebrates the natural beauty of the expansive coastline. Pembroke makes a good base from which to explore the historic scenery of one of Wales’s three national parks. The Pembrokeshire Coast Path is a popular walking trail. It encompasses over 180 miles of footpath, taking in the villages along the shore and numerous quaint little beaches. Its length means that visitors can explore as little or as much of Pembrokeshire as they wish.

The town of Pembroke is a historic settlement, with a famous medieval castle at its heart. Pembroke Castle played an important part in British history. Henry Tudor was born here in the 1400s. He was a nobleman of Welsh ancestry, specifically Anglesey. Henry changed history when he defeated Richard II at the Battle of Bosworth to become King Henry VII and the first in the Tudor royal line.

Aside from its heritage standing, Pembroke is not a large town by any means, but it is one of the biggest settlements in West Wales. There is a second town that sits just north of Pembroke, called Pembroke Dock. This area was born on farming and fishing, but its coastal position led to it developing a dockside industry. As its waterside importance increased, numerous supporting military fortifications were commissioned to protect the shipyards. Unfortunately, production ceased in the 20th century, and Pembroke Dock is a post-industrial town trying to find a new 21st century identity.