Discover Clarbeston: Church and Archaeological Landscape

If you are looking for a hotel in Clarbeston, you can focus on architectural and landscape history, or on cycling and walking. St Martin of Tours and Clarbeston Grange offer two different ways to explore the area's history: a church building with several layers from different periods, and an enclosure in a precisely described terrain setting. For planning cycling and walking, National Cycle Network Route 440 and the paths near Llys-y-Frân provide specific distances and facilities.

St Martin of Tours: Reconstruction and Surviving Fabric

St Martin of Tours in Clarbeston is a three-cell church that was almost entirely rebuilt in 1840–1841. Approximately five percent of the earlier building fabric survives. These remains are in the lowest courses of the chancel and nave and may be medieval. The chancel is the area around the altar, while the nave is the main body of the church. Two periods therefore meet here: the near-total reconstruction is dated to 1840–1841, while the few surviving sections are only possibly medieval. The distinction between the building phase and the older surviving fabric shapes how the building's history is viewed.

Clarbeston Grange in the Landscape

Clarbeston Grange offers a different focus. It is a small rectangular enclosure identified by cropmarks. It lies on a very gently northeast-facing slope at an elevation of 29 metres, a few metres above the floodplain at the confluence of two streams. Its form and location go together in understanding the landscape: the slope's direction, its gentle gradient, and its position near the floodplain describe the specific terrain. Unlike at the church, the focus here is not on reconstruction but on the enclosure and its location at the confluence.

Cycling and Walking

National Cycle Network Route 440 is a cycling link to Wiston Castle; the stated distance is 4.4 miles, or 7 kilometres. Llys-y-Frân offers a different range of cycling options: there are more than 14 kilometres of cycle paths, purpose-built mountain bike trails, a pump track, and a skills area. Bicycle hire is available there year-round. Route 440 is a cycling link to a named destination, while Llys-y-Frân brings together multiple cycle paths and facilities.

The walking trails at Llys-y-Frân range from less than one mile to seven miles. This provides a specific distance range for planning a walk; cycling also offers a range of facilities in addition to route distances. If you are weighing up the activities, you can compare walking distances and the different cycling options at Llys-y-Frân as separate factors.

Travelling by Train

Clarbeston Road railway station is a request stop. Some or all trains stop there only on request. If you plan to use the station for your journey, take this operating arrangement into account when searching for connections and check the current timetable before travelling. This will help you plan your specific connection with the possibility of a request stop in mind.

Discover more destinations: Abercastle, Clynderwen, Stepaside, St David's, Llandeloy, Narberth, Treffgarne, Treffynnon

Go to the main travel overview: Pembrokeshire.