Maenclochog
| Maenclochog | |
| Pembrokeshire | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SN0834127337 |
| Location: | 51°54’41"N, 4°47’16"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Clynderwen |
| Postcode: | SA66 |
| Dialling code: | 01437 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Pembrokeshire |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Preseli Pembrokeshire |
Maenclochog is a village and parish in Pembrokeshire. It lies south of the Preseli Hills, about one mile south-east of the village of Rosebush on the B4313 Narberth to Fishguard road.
Researchers have found what are believed to be the remains of a 13th-century castle at Maenclochog.[1] The village was served by The Maenclochog Railway formally known as the Narberth Road and Maenclochog Railway which ran from Clynderwen on the Great Western Railway via Maenclochog to Rosebush. The tunnel just outside Maenclochog achieved fame during the war when it was used as a testing site for bombs by Barnes Wallis, creator of the 'bouncing bomb'.
The Name
The origin of the name Maenclochog is unclear. It appears to be made up of two Welsh words, maen ("stone") and clochog ("bells"). A local tale reports that there were stones near Fynnon Fair, ("Mary's Well"), to the south of the village, which rang like bells when struck, but these were blown to bits by treasure-hunters, under the mistaken belief that they concealed a golden treasure. This may represent nothing more than folk etymology. An alternative proposal is that the second part of the name comes from the Irish word, clochog, meaning a craggy place. This theory is supported by the fact that there was Irish migration to Pembrokeshire in the early Middle Ages, as attested to by the Ogham stones found in the locality and elsewhere, and certainly the name suits the topography of the area.[2]
The Village
The village has a thriving community and has a local committee that talks about what is important to the village. There are two general stores and two petrol stations with an MOT service. Located in the centre of the village is St Mary's church, the park and the green on a small road island. In the village there are many businesses that include two electrical wholesalers and an art gallery. There is a school and a carpenters situated about 50 meters North-West from the church. Opposite the green is the local pub.
Anglican Church
Close to the centre of the village is a green, within which is located the Anglican Church of St Mary's. The history of the church, about whose architecture the Pembrokeshire volume of Buildings of Wales is unenthusiastic, is obscure, however at least part of the structure was built in 1806 for Barrington Prynce Of Temple Druid. The current font is fairly plain but may represent an artefact from an older church that once stood on the location. In 1880 the church was much restored when the vestry was added.
References
- ↑ "Castle wall find at car park dig". bbc.co.uk. 2007-09-25. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/south_west/7012061.stm. Retrieved 2007-09-28.
- ↑ Naws am Le/Sense of Place: PLANED leaflet 2010
