Nevern

The area around Nevern has been occupied since at least neolithic times (about 4,000 years ago); evidence includes barrows revealed in an aerial survey during the 2018 heatwave.{{cite news|work=BBC News|title=Heatwave crop marks reveal 200 ancient sites in Wales|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46542523|date=28 December 2018|access-date=29 December 2018}}

When the ruler of Deheubarth, Rhys ap Tewdwr, died in battle and his lands were forfeited to the Normans, Martin de Turribus became the Marcher Lord of Kemes, with his caput at Nevern, where he took over an existing fortification.The history of Wales, descriptive of the government, wars, manners, religion, laws, druids, bards, pedigrees and language of the ancient Britons and modern Welsh, and of the remaining antiquities of the principality, John Jones, 1824, London, p. 63-64{{cite book|last=Laws|first=Edward|title=The History of Little England Beyond Wales|publisher=Bell, London|date=1888|page=98|url=https://archive.org/details/b21781023|access-date=21 January 2019}}The ancient castles of England and Wales, William Woolnoth, 1825, entry for Newport

The early 12th century Nevern Castle stood on a spur of the hill northwest of the church.{{cite book|author=Lewis, S.|title=Topographical Dictionary of Wales|date=1833|url=https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/PEM/Nevern/Nevern1833|access-date=16 January 2019}} Under Martin's son, Robert fitz Martin, it was the only Norman castle to successfully resist the forces of Rhys ap Gruffydd's sons, who were trying to re-establish Deheubarth. Robert's son William later established peace with Rhys ap Gruffydd by marrying his daughter, Angharad. The castle changed hands several times over the following 80 years, and was eventually destroyed by Hywel Sais in 1195. In 1197, Robert and Angharad's son, William Fitz Martin founded Newport, and built a castle there, abandoning Nevern.{{cite book |title=Castles and Strongholds of Pembrokeshire |last=Edwards |first=Emily Hewlett |publisher=J. E. Arnett |year=1909 |page=12}} In modern times little remains of the castle, but the site has been extensively excavated. It was probably a square building with a bastion at each corner, and may have been one of the earliest stone castles built in Wales.{{Coflein|num=304392 |desc=Nevern Castle|access-date=29 September 2021}}

Although the local area is not mentioned, an allegorical poem in the 13th century Black Book of Carmarthen{{cite web|title=The Ode of Cyridwen|url=http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/bbc04.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608225359/http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/bbc04.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 June 2011|access-date=14 January 2019}} has been extrapolated by some writers to conclude that the area must have once been under the rule of {{ill|Cuhelyn the Bard|cy|Cuhelyn Fardd}},A poem in praise of Cuhelyn Fardd in the Black Book of Carmarthen, R.G. Gruffydd, in Studia Celtica 10/11, University of Wales Press, 1975, a descendant of whom was later granted land in the nearby Preseli Hills by charter.Baronia de Kemeys. From the original documents at Bronwydd., Sir Thomas Davies Lloyd (Bt.), London, 1862, p.48An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire, Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, 1914, Volume 4, p 276

In 1603, the antiquarian George Owen, Lord of Cemais, described Nevern as one of nine Pembrokeshire "boroughs in decay".Owen, George, The Description of Penbrokshire by George Owen of Henllys Lord of Kemes, Henry Owen (Ed), London, 1892

{{main|Nevern Bridge}}

Nevern Bridge spans the River Nevern in the centre of the village. The current bridge was built in the late 18th or early 19th century and is a Grade II listed structure. It has two unequal arches, recessed with keystones.{{cite web|title=British Listed Buildings|url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/wa-12755-nevern-bridge-b4582-nevern|access-date=23 March 2016}}

Image:NevernQuarters.jpg

File:NevernCross.jpg

The parish of Nevern was the largest in Pembrokeshire at {{convert|5963|ha|acre}}, and was divided into four "quarters": Crugiau, Morfa, Trewern and Cilgwyn. Cilgwyn extends to the south side of the Preseli Hills; a 1578 map in the British Library shows Kilgwin as a separate parish, and also Neverne, but the other quarters are not shown.{{cite web|title=Penbrok comitat|publisher=British Library|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927183108/http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/unvbrit/p/001map00000c7c1u00035000.html|access-date=22 July 2024}} Before becoming a quarter of Nevern parish, Cilgwyn was reduced from a parish to a chapelry, dedicated to St Mary.{{cite web|url=https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/PEM/Cilgwyn|title=GENUKI: Cilgwyn|access-date=22 August 2019}} Nevern parish church (see below) is in Crugiau Quarter.

In 1833 the population of the parish, at 1,558 inhabitants, was nearly twice that of 2011.{{cite web|title=GENUKI: Nevern|url=https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/PEM/Nevern/|access-date=23 March 2016}}{{cite web|title=GENUKI: Nevern parish maps 22 & 22a|url=https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/PEM/Clydey/ParishMap|access-date=29 July 2019}} Nevern is slightly more than {{convert|2|mi}} from Newport, Pembrokeshire.

The Norman Church of St Brynach{{cite web|title=St Brynach, Nevern|url=http://www.nevern-church.org.uk/|access-date=17 January 2019}} is on the site of St Brynach's 6th century "clas", an important ecclesiastical centre. At the time when it is said that Dyfed had seven bishops, this was probably the seat of one. Except for the castellated tower, perilously undercut by the adjacent river Caman, most of the original Norman structure of the present building has been rebuilt. The church and churchyard are remarkable for the Celtic Cross, several inscribed stones and an avenue of yew trees. The church is a Grade II* listed building,{{National Historic Assets of Wales|num=12746 |desc=Church of St Brynach |grade=II* |access-date=29 July 2019 }} as are more than 60 other listed buildings in the community.{{cite web|title=British Listed Buildings: Nevern|url=https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/wales/nevern-pembrokeshire#.XEDmBc_7TfY|access-date=17 January 2019}} The churchyard is designated at Grade II on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.{{NHAW|uid=125|num=PGW(Dy)67(PEM)|desc=St Brynach's Churchyard, Nevern|class=HPG|access-date=6 February 2023}}

In the churchyard is a "bleeding yew" that leaks red sap at certain times of the year.{{cite web|url=http://www.pembrokeshirevirtualmuseum.co.uk/content.asp?nav=101,3530,3566,3569,3576|title=Pembrokeshire Virtual Museum: St Brynach's Church (Nevern)|access-date=23 March 2016}} George Owen is buried here, and is commemorated by a plaque in the Henllys Chapel behind the organ.

Image:NevernStones.jpg

The Nevern Cross on the south side of the church dates from the 10th century or early 11th century. It consists of two sections fitted together with a mortice and tenon joint, both cut from the local dolerite stone. It has classic braided decorations and inscriptions reading "dns" on one side and "h.an.eh" on the other. Nearby is the Vitalianus Stone, dating from around 500 AD, inscribed in Latin "VITALIANI EMERTO" and in Ogham "vitaliani". In the Trewern Chapel in the south transept, two inscribed stones are set into the window sills. The Maglocunus Stone is inscribed in Latin "MAGLOCUNI FILI CLUTORI" and in Ogham "maglicunas maqi clutar.." and is of the 5th century or early 6th century. The Braided Cross is of the early 10th century. There is a Pilgrim's Cross cut into the rock on the roadside between the village and the castle. Dyfed Archaeological Trust has carried out excavations at the castle site.{{cite web|title=Dyfed Archaeological Trust: Nevern Castle Project|url=http://www.dyfedarchaeology.org.uk/nevern/nevern.html|access-date=23 March 2016}} The Pentre Ifan dolmen and the Castell Henllys hillfort are in the parish, each about {{convert|2|mi}} from the village. The dolmen{{Coflein|num=101450 |desc=Pentre Ifan Chambered Tomb, Near Nevern|access-date=29 September 2021|fewer-links=yes}} is under the care of Cadw, the Welsh Historic Monuments Agency.{{cite web|title=Cadw: Pentre Ifan Burial Chamber|url=https://cadw.gov.wales/daysout/pentreifanburialchamber/?lang=en|access-date=17 January 2019}}

• George Owen of Henllys (1552–1613), a Welsh antiquarian, author, and naturalist; born in Henllys.{{cite DNB |wstitle= Owen, George (1552-1613) |volume= 42 |last= Thomas |first= Daniel Lleufer |author-link= Daniel Lleufer Thomas |page = 408-410 |short=1}}
• George Owen (died 1665), a Welsh officer of arms and York herald from 1633; born at Henllys.{{cite DNB |wstitle= Owen, George (d.1665) |volume= 42 |last= Thomas |first= Daniel Lleufer |author-link= Daniel Lleufer Thomas |page = 410-412 |short=1}}
• Joshua Hughes (1807–1889), born in Nevern, Bishop of St Asaph.{{Cite DNB |wstitle= Hughes, Joshua |volume= 28 |last= Buckland |first= Augustus |author-link= Augustus Buckland |pages = 183-184 |short=1}}

{{reflist}}

Dillwyn Miles, A Book on Nevern, Gomer, 1998, {{ISBN|1-85902-578-1}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20111008171813/http://www.neverncastle.com/ Nevern Castle] - official site; [http://www.castlewales.com/nevern.html and further photographs]
• [http://www.nevern-church.org.uk St. Brynach Church] - Nevern Church
• [http://www.salutationcountryhotel.co.uk/attractions/nevern-village.php Article on Nevern Village, Church and Castle]
• {{oscoor gbx|SN082399}}
• [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/PEM/Nevern/ Historical information and sources on GENUKI]
• [https://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=2730415 Photographs of Nevern and surrounding area on Geograph]

{{Communities of Pembrokeshire}}

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Category:Villages in Pembrokeshire

Category:Communities in Pembrokeshire

Category:Registered historic parks and gardens in Pembrokeshire