1.
Site of early medieval cemetery.
For several hundred years visitors to the beach at St Brides Haven have noticed stone lined ‘cist’ graves eroding from the low coastal Old Red Sandstone cliffs to the north of St Brides parish church. In 1985 two radiocarbon samples obtained from bones eroding from the cliff were processed at the department of Plant Sciences, University College Cardiff. Sample One CAR917, from a cist burial produced a date of 1000 +/- 70 b.p (810-1090 Cal AD at 2 sigma). Sample CAR931 from a simple dug burial, provided a date of 150 +/- 60 b.p. (c.1650 Cal AD at 2 sigma.) was obtained. This was confirmed as the site of an early medieval cemetery, with the 17th century date suggesting that burial rights may have continued here after the later St Brides church was built, or that a tradition of sanctity was maintained (Schlee 2011).
Part of the cemetery was subsequently excavated by Dyfed Archaeological Trust on behalf of Cadw and the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority between 2009-2011. Over 35 graves were excavated, however, due to acid soil conditions, bone preservation was extremely poor which meant osteology and dating could not be undertaken. Some graves contained no bone, others only skull fragments and teeth. A few, however, were slightly better preserved. An iron knife and a lead bead-like object were found within separate burials (Schlee 2011).
The exact location of the chapel associated with this cemetery is not known. References are made to it by Lewis (1833) and Fenton (1903) which suggest it has been lost to erosion. There is potential that various buildings and structures associated with the fishing industry, and later with the lime trade (St Brides Limekiln) near the cemetery may have been built from, or incorporated the chapel walls, and it remains possible that it survives somewhere behind the beach.
In March 2018 and June 2022, the EU-funded CHERISH project (RCAHMW) noted and photographed the stones of several stone-lined ‘cist’ graves along with fragments of bone newly exposed in the eroding cliff edge at SM 80230 10935, during their survey of the nearby St Brides limekiln.
Louise Barker, CHERISH (RCAHMW), May 2023
2.
In August 2021 CHERISH installed two fixed survey markers (survey nails in two concrete hard standings) at St Bride’s Haven. The markers and their associated location coordinates (BNG) will enable accurate monitoring and change detection to heritage features located here going forward, particularly the early medieval cemetery (NPRN 544132) and nearby limekiln (NPRN 544131. Details are:
E2 Primary Station Marker - Easting: 180158.305; Northing: 210907.9651; Height: 4.8154
E6 Secondary Control Point - Easting: 180194.0376; Northing: 210893.7264; Height: 5.1429
See CHERISH Monitoring Network - SB_E2 and SB_E6 control markers Event Report: 03/02/2022 for full details including Witness Diagrams (CHERISH Survey Report No. CH/RCAHMW 46 and Data Archive RCCS33)
Louise Barker, CHERISH (RCAHMW), December 2023
CHERISH (Climate, Heritage and Environments of Reefs, Islands and Headlands) was an EU-funded Wales-Ireland project (2017-2023) led by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, in partnership with the Discovery Programme: Centre for Archaeology and Innovation Ireland, Aberystwyth University: Department of Geography and Earth Sciences and Geological Survey, Ireland. https://cherishproject.eu/en/
Sources
Fenton, R, 1903 A Historical Tour through Pembrokeshire.
Lewis, S, 1833, Topographical Dictionary of Wales.
Lewis, S , 1849, Topographical Dictionary of Wales.
Schlee, D, 2011, Excavations at St Bride's Haven, Pembrokeshire 2009-2011. Final Report (DAT Report No. 2013) http://www.walesher1974.org/herumd.php?group=DAT&level=3&docid=301366703