60 DR T. J. JEHU ON 
occupied by the sea, look as if they had been so in comparatively recent times. They 
are both spoken of locally as islands: one lies between Abereiddy and Porth Gain, and 
is known as Barry Island, and the other is Dinas Island, west of Fishguard. The 
valley between Dinas and the mainland is particularly striking, being only a few feet 
above sea-level, whilst that at Barry Island is not much less noteworthy, though its 
bottom attains a somewhat higher level. These peculiar valleys, together with the 
indications shown of the former presence of the sea up the inlets at the mouths of many 
of the streams, and the occurrence of swampy estuaries such as those seen at Abermawr 
and Goodwick, seem to point to a slight rise of the coast within recent times, causing a 
retreat of the sea. 
But at the present day the sea seems to be gaining once more on the land. At 
several places along the coast peat is seen at low tide, and in most of the bigger bays 
evidences of buried forests are sometimes seen. GIRALDUS CAMBRENSIS, who wrote in 
the twelfth century, says with regard to St Bride’s Bay at Newgall :—‘‘ When Henry II. 
was in Ireland an unusually violent storm on that sandy coast blowing back the sand 
discovered the appearance of the land concealed for so many ages; stumps of trees 
standing in the sea, with the marks of the hatchet as if done but the day before, a very 
black earth and wood like ebony, so that it appeared not so much like a sea-coast as a 
grove.” * And Grorce Owen, in The Description of Pembrokeshire, written in 1608, 
gives an account of a very similar occurrence. He says: “About xij or xilj yeeres 
past were seene on the sandes at Newgall, by reason as it seemeth the violence of the 
sea or some extreeme freshe in the winter, washed awaye the sandes (w™ dayelye is and 
was overflowen with the tyde), soe lowe that there appeared in the sandes infinitte 
nomber of buttes and trees in the places where they had been growinge, and nowe 
euerye tyde overflowen : there appeared the verye strookes of the hatched at the fallinge 
of these tymber, the sandes being washed in the winter, the buttes remained to be seene 
all the sommer followinge, but the next yeere the same was covered againe with the 
sandes : by this it appeareth that the sea in that place hath intruded upon the lande.” t 
Again about sixteen years ago a big storm washed away the sand and exposed roots of 
great trees in Whitesand Bay. Huge logs of oak trees were carried away by the 
neighbouring farmers, some of which are still stored, and were shown to the writer. 
Twigs and branches of hazel were found in abundance, although no hazel grows 
now near St David’s. The writer is also informed that horns of deer were picked 
up. 
Similar evidence of a buried forest has been discovered in Goodwick Bay, and all 
along the coast up Cardigan Bay. All this reminds one of the old Welsh tradition 
regarding a great inundation of a land called Cantref Gwaelod, situated in the region 
now covered by Cardigan Bay, which is usually attributed to the fifth century. There 
is also a very old tradition that St Bride’s Bay was formed by an inrush of the sea. 
* Rolls, ed, vi. 100. + Page 247 in the Cymmrodorion reissue. 
