Camrose: Churches, Castle and Rural Landscape

Camrose combines several centuries of architectural history with a strongly rural setting. When planning your trip, it is worth considering both: the churches and historic sites tell of different periods of construction and use, while farmland and scattered settlements shape the character of the Camrose community. This lets you explore the destination through the themes that interest you—from medieval history to the cultural landscape.

Churches and traces of time

Several historical layers lie close together in St Ismael’s Church. The nave and chancel are considered to date from the 13th century. An early medieval carved stone has also been incorporated into the building; its decoration probably dates from the 9th or 10th century. The church therefore preserves architectural traces spanning from the early Middle Ages to the 13th century.

The Lebanon Baptist Chapel and Sutton Baptist Chapel also reflect different phases of construction. The Lebanon Baptist Chapel in Camrose was originally built in 1838 and rebuilt in 1876. Sutton Baptist Chapel was built in 1839, rebuilt in 1870 and renovated in 1884. By comparison, the sequence in Sutton also includes a renovation; both chapels were rebuilt. This perspective on their history complements the much older traces at St Ismael’s Church.

Castle, mill and manor house

Camrose Castle is a medieval motte-and-bailey castle immediately south of the village of Camrose. The mound at Camrose Mound & Bailey Castle measures 50 feet in diameter at the top and is 30 feet high.

Camrose Mill is a listed post-medieval corn mill, designated a Grade II building. Camrose House lies south of the earthworks of Camrose Castle. The privately managed house is a three-storey Georgian manor house dating from the 18th century. Camrose Home Farmhouse is a farm building on the Camrose estate, built between the mid- and late 19th century.

Rural character and landscape

The Camrose community is strongly rural in character and consists mainly of farmland; its settlement pattern is dispersed. Camrose Brook flows east through the Camrose community and is a tributary of the Cleddau Wen. The A487 also helps define the area: it runs between Haverfordwest and St Davids through the centre of the Camrose community.

In the Camrose area, medieval fulling mills were part of the wool industry in southern Pembrokeshire. Little is visible of the mills today. The history of the wool industry thus adds another aspect of the region’s former economy to the story told by its buildings.

In the surroundings of Camrose, Sutton has an open space of one acre registered as a Village Green. It has been used for informal recreation and social events for decades; the registration was confirmed in March 2018.

A recurring event

The Camrose Vintage Working Day began in 1984 as a vintage vehicle working day to support charitable causes. As a recurring event, it adds another chapter in local life to the history of the churches and buildings.

Discover more destinations: Fishguard, Clarbeston, Llanfyrnach, Cosheston, Saundersfoot, Clarbeston Road, Wisemans Bridge, Llandeloy

For the main travel overview: Pembrokeshire.