Cylchgronau Cymru

Tavernspite: A Meeting of the Ways by M.G.R.Morris If you were travelling into Pembrokeshire from South Wales two hundred years ago, the chances are that you would not have come through Whitland and you certainly would not have used the A477 from St Clears to Kilgetty via Red Roses, because that road did not exist till the 1830s. Instead, you might have crossed the ferry at Llansteffan, forded the Taf at Laugharne and gone through Eglwys Gymyn to Tavernspite. Or, if approaching from Carmarthen, you might stop at the Blue Boar in St Clears for a bite to eat, like Nelson, and then take the mail-coach road past St Clears church, over the bridge, sharp right to Llanddowror and up Brandy Hill to Tavernspite. If heading for Tenby, you could also take the coastal route through Marros, either from Laugharne or, by using the short cut from St Clears to Green Bridge, via Three Lords Bushes but it was not recommended. Dr Charles Collins, travelling from Swansea to Hean Castle in 1806, found the road from Laugharne impassable for a chaise. Five years later the Rev. T.G.Cullum toiled incessantly for seven hours to cover just sixteen miles. Even in 1821 the Cambrian Tourist or Post-Chaise Companion recommended travellers to Tenby to go via Narberth, escaping the unpleasant road, almost inaccessible for carriages, from Laugharne. John Ogilby, who published a drawing of the route from Llansteffan in 1675, marked a left turn just west of Eglwys Gymyn; 'To Haverford west the worst way'; it went past Pwllcogan and Bwlchgreen, across Marros Mountain to join the coast road from Green Bridge to Amroth. So wise travellers with no reason to go through Whitland, and all who used the regular mail-coach, went through Tavernspite. Those going to Haverfordwest would carry straight on to Princes Gate and Cold Blow and down to Narberth Bridge, not past Redford and Crinow. Cold Blow was the main junction for travellers to and from Tenby. Thus a great deal of traffic converged from Llanddowror, Eglwys Gymyn and Princes Gate, not to mention the side lanes; some of it important traffic, from London perhaps or distinguished people. All had to pass along the one short stretch which linked the two junctions. Here on the north side, strategically placed to catch the passing custom,