Saundersfoot

Saundersfoot (Welsh: Llanusyllt;^[1] Old Welsh: Llanussyllt^[2]) is a large village and community (and former electoral ward) in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is near Tenby, both being holiday destinations. Saundersfoot lies in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. The village population was recorded as 2,500 (rounded to the nearest 100) in the 2021 census.^[3]

Saundersfoot Welsh: Llanusyllt
Saundersfoot harbour and village
Saundersfoot Location within Pembrokeshire
Population	2,500 (2021 census)
OS grid reference	SN136048
Community	Saundersfoot
Principal area	Pembrokeshire
Preserved county	Dyfed
Country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Saundersfoot
Postcode district	SA69
Dialling code	01834
Police	Dyfed-Powys
Fire	Mid and West Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
UK Parliament	Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament	Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire
List of places UK Wales Pembrokeshire 51°42′40″N 4°42′00″W / 51.711°N 4.700°W / 51.711; -4.700

History

 

St Issell's church

Saundersfoot was known in medieval Wales as Llanussyllt, and after the Norman conquest as St. Issels (sometimes Issells), both after the parish church dedicated to the Welsh saint Issel. It appeared as St. Tissels on a 1578 parish map of Pembrokeshire.^[4] Its bishop or abbot was considered one of the seven principal clerics of Dyfed under medieval Welsh law.^[5] It was a substantial parish in 1833 with 1,226 inhabitants.^[6] John Marius Wilson described the village and parish as St Issells in his 1870–72 Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales.^[7] The church lies in a dell to the north of Saundersfoot and is a grade II* listed building.^[8]

Harbour

Permission to build the harbour was granted by Parliament in 1829 to the Saundersfoot Railway and Harbour Company^[9] for the export of anthracite coal from the many mines in the area, although coal was exported from the beach for centuries before this.^[10] The village grew up to serve the port which by 1837 had five jetties handling coal and iron ore and subsequently pig iron and firebricks from local sources. The course of the tramway from Bonville's Court mine bisects the village and ends at the jetty. The tramway from Stepaside forms the sea front. The industry finally faded away in the early years of the twentieth century, so that today, the harbour accommodates private moorings,^[11] pleasure boats for seasonal tourism,^[12] and small fishing charters.^[13]

Demographics

In 2021, the recorded population of Saundersfoot was 2,500. Of this, 39.3% were aged 65+, above the county average of 26.3%. The largest ethnic group is White who make up 97.1% of the population, above the county average of 97.6%, with the second largest being Asian/Asian British with 1.4% of the population, below the county average of 0.9%. The largest religious group was recorded as Christian who make up 56.4% of the population, above the county average of 48.8%, with the second largest being No religion, who make up 35.5% of the population, below the county average of 43.0%.^[3]

Governance

At the local level, councillors are elected to Saundersfoot Community Council to oversee local issues, such as planning applications and maintenance of the local public buildings and cemetery.^[14]

Until 2022 the boundaries of the Saundersfoot community were coterminous with a Saundersfoot electoral ward, electing one county councillor to Pembrokeshire County Council. Councillor Rosemary Hayes MBE was the ward's representative on South Pembrokeshire District Council and Pembrokeshire County Council for 25 years, before losing to Phil Baker at the May 2008 elections.^[15]

Following the recommendations of a boundary review by the Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales, effective from the 2022 local elections, the Saundersfoot ward was split into North and South. The north part was merged with the neighbouring community of Amroth to create a new ward of 'Amroth and Saundersfoot North'.^[16] The south part became a new county ward of 'Saundersfoot South'. Both wards elect a councillor to the county council.

Notable people

• William Frost (1848–1935), a Welsh designer of an early flying machine, the Frost Airship Glider.
• Rod de'Ath (1950–2014), a Welsh musician, drummer with Irish guitarist Rory Gallagher
• Jay James Picton (born 1983), a Welsh recording artist, songwriter with The Overtones and broadcaster

Railway

Saundersfoot railway station is a mile from the village centre off the B4316 road. Trains call every two hours, westwards to Pembroke Dock and eastwards to Whitland, Carmarthen and Swansea.

Saundersfoot swim

Saundersfoot holds its New Year's Day swim every year which is sponsored by local businesses. More than 1,500 people took part in 2016.^[17] Due to COVID-19, the 2021 event was cancelled^[18] but was allowed to go ahead again in 2023.^[19]

References

1. Bartrum, Peter (1993). A Welsh Classical Dictionary: People in History and Legend up to about A.D. 1000. National Library of Wales. p. 729. ISBN 0907158730.
2. Charles-Edwards, T. M. (November 1971). "The Seven Bishop-Houses of Dyfed" (PDF). Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies. XXIV(III): 247.
3. "Build a custom area profile - Census 2021, ONS". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
4. "Penbrok comitat". British Library.
5. Wade-Evans, Arthur. Medieval Welsh Law, p. 263.
6. "GENUKI: St Issells". Retrieved 2 May 2019.
7. "History of St Issells in Pembrokeshire: Map and description". Retrieved 8 February 2016.
8. "St.Issell's Church, Saundersfoot". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
9. "Ports.org.uk / Saundersfoot". www.ports.org.uk.
10. Price, Martin Connop (1982). Industrial Saundersfoot. Llandysul, Dyfed: Gomer Press. pp. 17–21. ISBN 0 85088 866 2.
11. "Harbour Facilities". Saundersfoot Harbour.
12. "Pembrokeshire Boat Trips | Saundersfoot Boat Trips". 13 December 2018.
13. Saundersfoot Sea Fishing - Accessed 12 Feb 2021
14. "Saundersfoot Community Council". Tenby Observer. 12 June 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
15. "Election Shocks". Narberth & Whitland Observer. 9 May 2008. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
16. "Review of Community Boundaries in the County of Pembrokeshire. Final Recommendations Report" (PDF). Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales. 2021. pp. 69–71. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
17. "1,500 take part in New Year's Day Saundersfoot swim". BBC. 1 January 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
18. "Saundersfoot New Year's Day Swim 2021 cancelled because of Covid-19 rules". Western Telegraph. 25 August 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
19. "Swim is back with a big splash to welcome in 2023". Western Telegraph. 6 November 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2024.

External links

• Saundersfoot Harbour and the Wales International Coastal Centre

  Saundersfoot travel guide from Wikivoyage

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saundersfoot.