Wolf's Castle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wolf's Castle (Welsh: Casblaidd) also spelt as Wolfscastle, is a village in Pembrokeshire, between Haverfordwest and Fishguard, on the A40 road.
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[edit] Geography and Transport Links
Wolfscastle comprises of two small villages; Wolfscastle at the top of a hill and Ford, situated in the river valley below. The remains of a motte and bailey castle lie in the upper village, a strategic location determined by its situation at the northern end of Treffgarne gorge. The village lies at the confluence of the Western Cleddau and the Anghof rivers, in the parish of St. Dogwell's.
A railway station was situated on the railway line between Fishguard and Clarbeston Road called Ford Halt. The railway remains in use, however for the Fishguard-Swansea boat trains.
The A40 is the London to Fishguard trunk route and provides the main transport route to and from the village, with a regular bus service connecting with the major towns of the area
[edit] History
Its claim to fame is that it is allegedly the place where the last wild wolf in the British Isles was slain. Musland Farm was once the residence of Captain William Davies Evans, the first utiliser of the Evans Gambit in Chess[1].
The castle formed part of the series of defences constructed by the Normans after 1093 known as the Landsker Line, providing a general boundary between the English-speaking south and the Welsh-speaking north.
[edit] Folklore
Nearby, east of Treffgarne gorge lies the hamlet of Little Treffgarne, where the Welsh national hero, Owain Glyndŵr (or the Anglicised version, Glendower) was born according to local folklore in 1353. [2] (Most historical sources quote him as being born c.1359)
[edit] Economy
Mainly agricultural due to its rural location, the village does boast both the Wolfscastle Country Hotel and a public house, the Wolfe Inn. There currently is a local post office. Agriculture involves both sheep and beef farming, and several farms can be found within the village and its environs.
[edit] Community
A chapel is located in Ford near the river, known in Welsh as Pen-y-Bont. A community council also meets in the village currently headed by the local Minister. This council arranges every summer the Wolfscastle Festival week, as well as the annual entry into the Wales in Bloom competition. In 2006, the village came 2nd in the Small Village Trophy [3], whilst winning in 2005. A small County Primary school completes the community aspect of the village.
[edit] External links
- Map sources for Wolf's Castle
