The village of Dale is located on the western edge of Pembrokeshire, approximately 14km (9 miles) west of Milford Haven. In the Medieval Age, the village of Dale and the area to the north (now part of the community of Dale) were all part of the Manor of Dale’s estates. ‘In 1293, Robert de Vale (the lord of the manor) obtained a grant of a weekly market and a three-day annual fair at Dale. This date may also pertain to the abandonment of the castle at Great Castle Head (NPRN 301244), a re-sued promontory fort to the east of this area, and the establishment of a settlement at the present site of Dale Castle (NPRN 102978). The castle and the parish church (NPRN 407039), established by 1291, once formed a settlement nucleus at the west end of the present village.’

‘Dale did not become a large port or market, and never achieved urban status, although small-scale maritime activity is indicated by the presence of limekilns in the village. In c.1811 Richard Fenton wrote that “Modern Dale appears to have but little trade, most of the houses being ruinous and deserted.” The economy remained overwhelmingly agricultural until the leisure boom of the later 20th century. The tithe map of 1847 shows that little change has occurred over the past 150 years.’

The six-inch Ordnance Survey map published in 1869 showed that the village had three places of worship – St James’s Church, a Wesleyan Methodist chapel (NPRN 10995) and an Independent chapel (NPRN 10994). Dale also had two public houses – the Griffin Inn and the Brig Inn, a post office and a smithy. Little had changed by the time their second edition of the six inch map was published in 1908, except that the Independent Chapel had become a Congregational Church, and the site of Martyr Stone (NPRN 32943) in Dale Castle was noted.

Today, the core of the village ‘lies along the sea front and consists of a tightly packed group of late 18th century and 19th century stone-built and cement rendered houses, mostly in the “polite” Georgian tradition, although with examples of the local vernacular. … Twentieth century houses lie immediately outside the village core. Dale is now a tourist centre and especially caters for water sports.’ St James’s church remains open as a place of worship, although both chapels have closed – the Wesleyan Chapel in 1905 and the Congregational one in the 1990s. The Griffin Inn remains open, although the Brig was not noted on the six-inch Ordnance map which was published in 1953. There is a yacht club and an eatery known as ‘The Moorings Restaurant’ in approximately the same location as where the Brig once stood. Dale still has a post office, and there is another café and shop (and Sea Safari) next to the water sports centre.

Sources: Historic Ordnance Survey maps; google maps; Dyfed Archaeological Trust’s Historic Landscape Characterisation of Dale

M. Ryder, RCAHMW, 3rd December 2020