Welcome to the
History page
Introduction
The history of Camrose stretches back along way indeed. The first written mention of the village comes from the year A.D. 1188 when Gerald of Wales traveled throughout much of the country in the company of the archbishop of Canterbury in an attempt to muster soldiers for the crusades. Although Gerald has little to say about the village, he does state that "in the days of king Stephen (1135 - 1154), the relations and dependants.... of Gerald, son of William, avenged his fathers death on the men of Rhos (i.e. the people from the area around Haverfordwest) with more ferocity than was necessary." Although there are no other references to this incident and whilst it is not clear who Gerald son of William is, it seems likely that this is a reference to a battle or skirmish between the Normans and Welsh that must have been very bloody indeed to warrant such a mention in what was after all a barbaric age.
It is certain that the village was in existence long before this date and it`s original founding may even date back to prehistoric times. The following details have been gathered from various sources such as church, chapel and manorial records, books and articles. From such details as there are it is possible to gain some interesting insights into life in and around the village as well as an overall picture of the of the past.
Part of a sales plan dated 1868 showing part of the village
That this area has been settled and inhabited from an early date is evidenced by the numerous prehistoric settlements, trackways and burial sites scattered throughout the county. Examples of all of these prehistoric features can be found within Camrose parish.
The most ancient objects that have been found within the parish are two stone axe heads both of which date from the Neolithic period (4.500 - 2000 B.C.) The first axe head is of a black flecked, white stone which is highly polished, making it a very striking object. It has been described as "one of the finest Neolithic axe heads to be found in Britain" and is thought to have been a ceremonial item or the status symbol of some Neolithic chieftain. The second axe head while being smaller and generally less impressive is perhaps just as interesting as the first. It`s interest lies not in its colour or quality but rather in the fact that it is made from Cornish green stone, which as it`s name suggests is found only in Cornwall (England). This finding of a piece of Cornish stone in a remote Welsh field shows that even in the Neolithic period this corner of Wales was not completely isolated and that travel and trade over long distances and indeed across seas could and did take place.
The earliest pre historic sites in Camrose date from the Bronze age, (2000-700 B.C.) examples being a stone cairn and several burial mounds. A prehistoric trackway crosses the Northern part of the parish, Going over the rough moorland of "Plumstone Mountain" and this may well date from roughly the same period. There are other ancient trackways within the parish though these may be of a considerably later date.
There are 5 Iron age settlement sites in the parish ranging from Keeston castle, a relatively small but well defended hill fort to the more typical semi - defended sites that are often only a couple of hundred feet across and contained only a few circular huts along with some "outbuildings". It seems likely that many of these sites were inhabited throughout the Roman period and possibly into later times as well and who knows perhaps the village of Camrose itself has grown up over thousands of years on such a site.
From the 12th century Camrose was owned variously by the Crown and the Earls of Pembroke, one of whom, Aymer De Valance died in 1324, killed in a tournament in France. For many generations very little changed in the village and in 1877 it was stated that going to Camrose was like "going back in time 500 years". Whilst this may have been an exaggeration, the village was still little more than a huddle of cottages with whitewashed walls of mud and thatched roofs. At that time probably the biggest change the village had seen for several hundred years was the founding of the chapel.
The old part of the village of Camrose lies in the deep, wooded valley formed by the Camrose brook. This part of the village has many large trees and its deeply sunken lanes form a crossroads near the parish church with its Norman tower rising over the houses. Below the church, beside the brook lies the restored mill, the mill pond of which has now disappeared. On the other side of the brook stands a large earthen mound, all that remains of the Motte and Bailey castle that once stood there.
The church
The church in Camrose is a very old building, parts of it dating back to the 13th century and it is first mentioned in A.D. 1297 although it has been much restored in more recent times. There are signs that it is built over an earlier building and the font appears to date from the 12th century and may be a relic from an earlier church. A list of the vicars of Camrose goes back to 1409 and the church registers go back to 1754 and include many family names still present in the Parish today. Some of the lords of the manor of Camrose were buried Inside the church and there are inscriptions commemorating members of the local gentry.
The castle
Near the church stands the remains of "Camrose castle", a Norman motte and bailey (probably dating from the 12th century), hidden amongst trees in the grounds of Camrose house. This castle was probably never more than a wooden tower on top of the motte, surrounded by an earthen bank and ditch. It is likely that it was abandoned at an early date and a manor house built to replace it on the site now occupied by Camrose house.
The manor house
Camrose house is the name of the manor house in the village and a manor house has stood on this spot for many hundreds of years. After the castle was abandoned, the lords of the manor dwelt in the rather more comfortable manor house as the area was now more settled and the need for defense no longer so pressing. By the mid 15th century the manor house was deserted and began to fall into decay, probably due to it`s being owned by an absentee lord. Indeed the accounts of the manor show that it went into a period of decline from at least as early as the 1390s, probably bought about by the effects of the black death that swept the country at the time, until around 1500. The survey of Haverfordwest made in 1577 refers to the house as being in ruins. At this time the house became the property of the Bowen family who lived at the manor until 1881. As well as being lords of the manor several members of the bowen family served as vicars of the parish from 1714 until 1881. The present building is a three story Georgian house which In more recent times has been a country club and is now a private residence.
The mill
Beside the castle stands the mill which is restored although no longer working. A mill at Camrose first appears in written records in 1324 when it was the property of Aymer De Valence, earl of Pembroke. In 1536 king henry VII made Ann Boleyn marchioness of Pembroke. As marchioness Ann Boleyn held the crown lands in Pembrokeshire (including Camrose) and was granted the "rents and farms belonging to the king" and so became the mill`s most famous owner!. The mill continued in use for many centuries and as late as 1901 a miller is recorded in Camrose.
The chapel
A Baptist chapel was founded in Camrose in 1838 and it is said that for many years previous to this meetings were held in the house of a zealous local Baptist. By 1874 the chapel had been rebuilt and later in 1895 a large house known as "The Manse" was built for it`s Minister.