Manorbier
Manorbier Bay

Not much more than a mile from Skrinkle Haven is the village of Manorbier where a sandy cove on the Pembrokeshire coast looks out over the bay and is very popular with tourists.
The White Tower

The 12th century church of St James overlooks the bay and is easily recognisable following restoration work by its white tower. This has been the cause of some controversy but the whole church would have looked like this when first built. The tower originally stood apart from the church but extensions over the centuries have incorporated it into the building.
The Castle

The path leading to the church offers a good view of the feature for which Manorbier is probably most well known, its castle. It was built of local limestone in Norman times replacing the original wood and earth castle and is noted for its exceptional state of preservation. It was the birthplace in 1145 (or 6 or 7) of Giraldus Cambrensis who is probably better known as Gerald of Wales. Gerald became a religious leader and travelled extensively recording his exploits for future generations. Seventeen of his books have survived and he has been described, perhaps unkindly, as Wales' first travel writer. A search on Google for "Gerald of Wales" returns a number of web sites that paint a very interesting picture of the man and his life, one of them rather more kindly stating that "his books paint a remarkably detailed and wide-ranging picture of mediaeval Wales".
Churchyard

Although the castle and the churchyard appear to be on the same level there is a steep sided valley between the two. The churchyard is circular a characteristic that pre-dates the Norman architecture of the church.
Church Interior

There are many interesting features within the church including an ancient font that shows signs of rechiselling after extensive damage. There are different shaped arches of varying sizes and it is thought that at least some if not all were cut through formerly solid walls. The history of the building is difficult to decipher today following restoration work in 1867 when the stone work was covered in plaster.
Stained Glass

There are several stained glass windows in the church, this being one of the most colourful. The words at the bottom of the window read "To the glory of God and in honour of the brave. Let us now praise famous men and our fathers that begat us" and the images, like the church, span the ages.
Pembrokeshire Coast

As a boy, Gerald of Wales once sought sanctuary in the church during an attack on Tenby by the Welsh Princes and later in his life he described Manorbier as the "pleasantest spot in Wales". Even today, whilst other parts of the country could have different adjectives applied to them Manorbier still has a good claim to Gerald's phrase. We left the village via the narrow road up the hill seen here where the full car park was testament to the attraction of this part of the Pembrokeshire coast.
Manorbier Newton

Our journey back to Saundersfoot took us first towards Hodgeston and then on the road to Lamphey, we turned off along some steep-sided, narrow lanes in the general direction of our destination. Passing through Manorbier Newton (where else?) we were surprised and delighted by a roadside verge full of colourful cottage garden type plants. These"Newtons"are full of surprises, aren't they?