20 Transactions of the 



and what it is now. The town of Tenby is of early origin, but of 

 its history previous to its occupation by the Flemings, there is 

 nothing known. Tales of Danish pirates, who once visited the 

 coast, are authenticated by history, and remains of camps, said to 

 be Danish, may be seen along the shores. Tenby was one of the 

 first colonies founded by the Flemings in Pembrokeshire, in the 

 year 1108, when the Netherlands became for the greater part in- 

 undated ; and the inhabitants consequently obliged to seek their 

 fortunes in other countries. Fresh bodies of Flemings continued 

 to pass over from time to time in such numbers, that at length 

 they gained a firm footing in Wales, despite all the attempts of 

 the natives to dislodge them. They then proceeded to erect 

 numerous fortifications of great strength as a means of defence. 

 Tenby was even at this early date frequented by the Earls of 

 Pembroke, who granted numerous charters and privileges to the 

 town. The next occurrence worthy of note took place in 1473, 

 when Jasper Earl of Pembroke, being besieged in his castle, fled 

 from Pembroke with his youthful nephew, Henry Earl of Rich- 

 mond (afterwards Henry VII.), to Tenby, and thence to Brittany. 

 In the reign of Elizabeth, at the time of the Armada, the defences 

 of Tenby were strengthened. During the civil wars Tenby was 

 garrisoned for the king, and in February IG-tS, the Parliament 

 fleet arrived at Milford. On the Cth of March, the land forces 

 proceeded against the town, when, after sustaining a siege of ten 

 days, it surrendered. After this we do not hear of Tenby as a 

 place of military strength, and it seems to have been merely 

 visited for its fisheries, which had always been celebrated, its name, 

 Dynhych y Pisgod, signifying the place or precipice of fishes. 

 At the end of the last century it had dwindled down to a mere 

 fishing-village, but it has since gradually risen, until it is now 

 become a fashionable and favourite watering-place. 



The town of Tenby is built on a rocky peninsula, rising nearly 

 100 feet above the level of the sea, being 1100 yards long by 650 

 broad. Tenby stands on the southern edge of the Pembrokeshire 

 coal-field, upon the lower shale-beds of the mountain limestone, 

 here much broken in irregular lines. The principal street extends 

 the entire length of the town. The part called High Street, above 

 the North Sands, is for some distance carried along the edge of 

 the cliff; passing the church, the same continues, under the name 

 of St Julian Street, to the South Sands. 



At low water the beach extends for two miles to a promontory 

 called Giltar Point. On reaching the sand, the little island of St 

 Catherines Rock stands before you. On the summit of the rock 

 are the remains of a building, formerly a chapel, dedicated to St 

 Catherine. The view from St Catherine's is extensive towards 



