Abercastle

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Abercastle
Abercastle.JPG
Abercastle is located in Pembrokeshire
Abercastle
Abercastle
Location within Pembrokeshire
Principal area
CountryWales
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townHaverfordwest
Postcode districtSA62
PoliceDyfed-Powys
FireMid and West Wales
AmbulanceWelsh
UK Parliament
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament
List of places
UK
Wales
Pembrokeshire
51°57′28″N 5°07′22″W / 51.957914°N 5.122736°W / 51.957914; -5.122736Coordinates: 51°57′28″N 5°07′22″W / 51.957914°N 5.122736°W / 51.957914; -5.122736

Abercastle (Welsh: Abercastell) is a village in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Abercastle has a working harbour which is managed by Abercastle Boat Owners Association.

In 1876, The harbour was the landing-site of the first Atlantic Ocean single-handed sailing, west-to-east, starting from Gloucester, Massachusetts, by Alfred "Centennial" Johnson.[1]

History[]

Abercastle is an old trading harbour which exported local slate and grain, limestone, butter, honey, corn, and some coal. There are also the remains of nineteenth century limekilns.[2]

Alfred Johnson memorial[]

Alfred Johnson plaque

Alfred Johnson landed at Abercastle on Saturday, August 12, 1876, after 66 days sailing from Gloucester, Massachusetts, becoming the first person to make the single-handed Atlantic crossing.[3] Johnson, a Danish born fisherman used a small dory named 'Centennial'. He managed an average pace of about 70 miles (110 km) a day, quite respectable for such a small boat in the open sea, and survived a gale which capsized the boat.[3]

A plaque made of Welsh Slate is on the quay wall near the slipway and was unveiled by Alfred Johnson's grandson, Charlie Dickman on October 17, 2003.[3] Local author Rob Morris has also written a book about the crossing called Alfred "Centennial" Johnson.[3] St Davids poet Tony Davies also dedicated the following to Alfred Johnson:

Sixty six days, three thousand miles,
Record breaking, Abercastle smiles,
Liverpool, trip complete,
The courage of Captain Johnson and Centennial’s feat.[3]

Carreg Samson[]

Main article: Carreg Samson
Carreg Samson

Carreg Samson, also known as 'Carreg Sampson', Samson's Stone and the 'Longhouse' is a 5,000-year-old Neolithic Burial Chamber and the site of over 1,000 burials. Half a mile west of the Abercastle near the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, it has a cap stone 15 feet long and 9 feet wide supported on three of the seven upright stones. It is thought to have been a portal dolmen and was built over a pit.[4] It is called 'Samson' because of a local legend that Samson placed it in position with his little finger.[5] The whole burial chamber was once covered by a mound of earth or stones and once these were removed stones were used to block the holes in the sides of the tomb so that it could be used as a shelter for sheep.[6] Excavations in 1968 found an early Neolithic bowl.[7]

Facilities[]

The harbour faces northwest and is therefore sheltered from south-westerly gales, providing a safe haven for the local fishing fleet. There is a public telephone and free parking for a small number of cars. The slipway goes to soft sand and is not suitable for non off-road vehicles.[8] The coastal bus “The Strumble Shuttle” calls at Abercastle.

Activities[]

Fishing boats at Abercastle

Popular for fishing and diving, there are also several recorded climbing sites in the area although they are suitable for group use. The harbour is a good launching site for sea kayaking. The coastal path that follows the coast of Pembrokeshire passes through Abercastle, and is popular with tourists and local walking groups.

Shipwreck[]

The 3,800 ton wreck of SS Leysian lies on the west side of the harbour, about 50m from the cliffs. She ran aground and sank a few months later in 1917 with no loss of life. As it is at a depth of around 15m the wreck is popular with divers who report much wreckage, and a large range of fish, including a large pollock which lives in the wreck. A small shark has also been reported nearby. A detailed survey of the wreck began in June 2019.[9][10][11]

  • The harbour

  • A cottage overlooking the harbour

  • A lime kiln

  • Plants near the harbour wall path

  • Ynys y Castell

  • Looking towards the village

References[]

  1. ^ Morris, Robert (October 2003). Alfred Centennial Johnson: The Story of the First Solo Atlantic Crossing from West to East in 1876. Y Crofft. ISBN 978-0-9547351-0-4.
  2. ^ "Abercastle". Archived from the original on 28 October 2009. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
  3. ^ a b c d e Morris, Rob. "Alfred "Centennial" Johnson". Archived from the original on 15 May 2008. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
  4. ^ "Carreg Samson". Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
  5. ^ "Carreg Samson". Retrieved 10 November 2009.
  6. ^ "Carreg Samson". Retrieved 10 November 2009.
  7. ^ "Celia Haddon Standing Stones". Archived from the original on 22 November 2009. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
  8. ^ "Abercastle". Archived from the original on 5 April 2010. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
  9. ^ "Dive Pembrokeshire". Retrieved 10 November 2009.
  10. ^ "Abercastle Bay shipwreck: divers begin SS Leysian study". BBC News. 8 June 2019. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  11. ^ "Nautical Archaeology Society Field School: Abercastle, 7–17 June 2019". Retrieved 8 June 2019.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""