Needle Rock

Island in Pembrokeshire

Wales

Needle Rock

Former pub in Hamilton Street The little house tucked into a corner behind a premises on Main Street was formerly The Three Crowns, from 1805 until 1924 when it closed under pressure from temperance campaigners. Apparently it is constructed partly from old ships&#039; timbers.
(Information from The Pubs of St David&#039;s, Fishguard &amp; North Pembrokeshire, by Keith Johnson, 2010) — Former pub in Hamilton Street Credit: Natasha Ceridwen de Chroustchoff

Needle Rock is a small island located off the coast of Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated approximately 1.5 kilometers southeast of St. David's Head, one of the most westerly points of mainland Wales. The island is known for its distinctive shape, resembling a needle or a spire, which gives it its name.

Measuring around 50 meters in length and 20 meters in width, Needle Rock is a rocky outcrop that rises steeply from the surrounding waters of the Celtic Sea. The island is composed of rugged cliffs, with the highest point reaching approximately 20 meters above sea level. Its unique geology makes it a popular spot for birdwatching, as it provides a nesting site for various seabird species, including guillemots, razorbills, and kittiwakes.

Access to Needle Rock is limited due to its remote location and the challenging sea conditions that surround it. It is primarily visited by boat, with several local tour operators offering trips to the island for sightseeing and wildlife observation. The area surrounding the island is rich in marine life, making it an ideal spot for snorkeling and diving enthusiasts.

Due to its natural beauty and ecological significance, Needle Rock is protected under the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. This designation ensures the preservation of its wildlife and natural habitats, allowing visitors to appreciate its unspoiled charm for years to come.

Show me another place!

If you have any feedback on the listing, please let us know in the comments section below.

Needle Rock Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 52.003457/-4.9506554 or Grid Reference SM9738. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Former pub in Hamilton Street

The little house tucked into a corner behind a premises on Main Street was formerly The Three Crowns, from 1805 until 1924 when it closed under pressure from temperance campaigners. Apparently it is constructed partly from old ships' timbers. (Information from The Pubs of St David's, Fishguard & North Pembrokeshire, by Keith Johnson, 2010)

Natasha Ceridwen de Chroustchoff

Old custom house, Hill Terrace

The house at the end of the terrace, standing on the corner of the steep hill leading down to Lower Fishguard is called Ty Tollau. It was not however one of the toll houses associated with the social and political unrest in the mid C19 (the Rebecca Riots) but it was the custom house in charge of levying taxes on imports into the harbour below. The Stena line ferry can be seen beyond, leaving Goodwick bound for Rosslare.

Natasha Ceridwen de Chroustchoff

Old bottling plant/laundry, Plas-y-fron

The site of Gwynfa mineral water works which produced bottled water obtained from a spring in the field. Subsequently there was a laundry here. It's the last building when leaving Fishguard on the Llanychaer road. Update (2012): building now destroyed prior to redevelopment of the site for housing.

Natasha Ceridwen de Chroustchoff

Gwynfa bottling plant

The derelict remains of a laundry, on the site of Bateman's mineral water bottling plant, in Plas-y-fron on the eastern edge of Fishguard. The spring from which the water was obtained is across this field but appears to be overgrown and fenced off.

Natasha Ceridwen de Chroustchoff

View from above Plas-y-fron

The houses up above Plas-y-fron enjoy a fine view north over the Fishguard bay and the harbour at Goodwick.

Natasha Ceridwen de Chroustchoff

Fishguard Codd bottle (1)

This broken bottle, found here, once contained ginger beer or a similar fizzy drink, using a method invented by Hiram Codd, a British engineer (1838-1887). His idea, which involved using the pressure of the carbonated water to push a glass ball against a rubber ring so creating a perfect seal, revolutionized the drinks trade world-wide. The invention was patented but bottle manufacturers could replicate it if they purchased the balls, the sealing rings and requisite tool. Mineral water firms had bottles made to their own specifications, with their names and trademarks. This example was no doubt broken years ago when children used routinely to smash the bottles to extract the marbles. It came from the local bottling factory of T. Lewis, Fishguard, which is still known as the Popworks and has recently been converted into a youth centre, see Link The trademark which I have seen described as an iceberg, represents in fact, the rocky pinnacle known as Needle Rock which stands off the coast east of Fishguard. See Link (My thanks to Roy Lewis for this revelation!)

Natasha Ceridwen de Chroustchoff

Fishguard Codd bottle (2)

This is the second Codd bottle I have found, within a few weeks of the first, for which see here Link for details. Like the first the bottle had its top broken to retrieve the desirable marble closure device from the neck. Here, it has been washed and returned to its original finding place for the photograph, on a tumbledown wall in the woods close to the Afon Gwaun. It is bears the legend GWYNFA MINERAL WATER WORKS FISHGUARD. This was a small factory run by the Bateman family and located only a short distance away, as the crow flies, across the valley at Plas-y-fron on the edge of the town. The place has been closed for some time but is still standing, see Link and Link (Thanks again to Roy Lewis for info.)

Natasha Ceridwen de Chroustchoff

The Old harbour at Fishguard, Pembrokeshire

Looking down on Old Harbour at Fishguard from the coastal path near Heol Emrys

Eric Pugh

Coast rider on the road again

Bob Jones the coastriding Geographer sets off on the next stage of his marathon after spending the night just outside Fishguard. Nice to meet you Bob! See Link

Natasha Ceridwen de Chroustchoff

Ty Tollau - the old custom house, Fishguard/Abergwaun

This house stands at a sharp bend, part way down the steep hill which links 'uphill' Fishguard with the Lower Town (Cwm) and old harbour. Given its commanding position overlooking the harbour, it comes as no surprise to learn that it was once the customs house - see ceridwen's image of the same building:SM9537 : Old custom house, Hill Terrace.

Stefan Czapski

View from the cliff top, near Needle Rock

The name 'Needle Rock' appears on the map in two quite distinct places along this stretch of coastline, the other being in SN0140. No Welsh name appears on the map, in either case. Both localities are significant nesting sites for sea birds.

Stefan Czapski

Buildings in the old farmyard at Cilshafe Fawr

After dipping into RW Brunskill's 'Illustrated Handbook of Vernacular Architecture' I think I can identify this building (at the NW corner of the yard) as a cart-shed. Round the corner at the far end of the building is an outside staircase giving access to the first floor, which - again according to Brunskill - would by tradition have been used as a granary. This and other buildings around the farmyard - all of similar rugged build - are said to date back to the 18th century.

Stefan Czapski

Dapper cottages in Hamilton Street, Fishguard/ Abergwaun

A fellow Geographer, ceridwen has suggested a mid-19th century date for these buildings. She knows the history of the locality far better than I do, and may have her reasons - but I'd guess they were earlier. The classical detailing is quite refined - Georgian in flavour rather than Victorian - so that if these were in, say, Stamford (Lincolnshire) or Blandford (Dorset) I'd guess at a date nearer 1800. The cottages (with their railings) are Grade II listed, but the Listing Text is very brief and gives no guidance as to date Link

Stefan Czapski