Dale, Pembrokeshire
Encyclopedia
Dale is a small village
and community in Pembrokeshire
, West Wales
, located on the Dale Peninsula which forms the northern side of the entrance to Milford Haven
estuary
. The village has 205 inhabitants according to the 2001 census
.
, controlled by the Norman
de Vale family from the 13th century Dale Castle
. Owen, in 1603, described it as one of nine Pembrokeshire "boroughs in decay". Located in the hundred of Roose
, it is part of Little England beyond Wales
, and has been English-speaking since the 12th century. The name (Old Norse: Dalr = "valley") suggests prior occupation by Scandinavians.
Henry Tudor landed at Mill Bay near Dale in 1485 before the Battle of Bosworth, after which he became King Henry VII of England
. Villagers mark the anniversary, the most spectacular commemoration having been in 1985 for the 500th anniversary of the landing.
grounded at the Milford Haven entrance spilling 72,000 tonnes of crude oil.
is a Victorian era
fort located on a rocky promontory that now houses a field studies centre, for study of local marine biology
, biology
, geology
, geomorphology
, and other related fields.
Dale is a local centre for sailing
, and Windsurfing
is taught in the Dale bay. The Pembrokeshire Coast Path
passes through the village and around the Dale peninsula.
The Dale Coronation Hall is used for many events in the community and is home to the D.A.D.S. (Dale Amateur Dramatic Society). The society performs a play, pantomime or sketch every year in March. The group is made up of villagers, friends and families from all around the peninsula who come together to sing, dance and perform.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and community in Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
, West Wales
West Wales
West Wales is the western area of Wales.Some definitions of West Wales include only Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, an area which historically comprised the Welsh principality of Deheubarth., an area called "South West Wales" in the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics....
, located on the Dale Peninsula which forms the northern side of the entrance to Milford Haven
Milford Haven (harbour)
Milford Haven Waterway is a natural harbour in Pembrokeshire, West Wales. The Haven is a ria or drowned valley flooded at the end of the last Ice Age. formed by the Pembroke River and the Daugleddau estuary, and winds west to the sea...
estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
. The village has 205 inhabitants according to the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
.
History
It was once a marcher boroughBorough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
, controlled by the Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
de Vale family from the 13th century Dale Castle
Dale Castle
Dale Castle is a 13th century castle located close to the village of Dale in Pembrokeshire, Wales.Built after the English invasion of South Wales, the castle was originally built by the de Vales, descendants of a knight who had accompanied Robert fitz Martin on his invasion of north Pembrokeshire...
. Owen, in 1603, described it as one of nine Pembrokeshire "boroughs in decay". Located in the hundred of Roose
Roose (hundred)
The Hundred of Roose was a hundred in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It was formed by the Act of Union of 1536 and was essentially identical to the pre-Norman cantref of Rhos. It derives its Welsh name from its position nearly surrounded by water, bounded east by the tidal Western Cleddau, south by Milford...
, it is part of Little England beyond Wales
Little England beyond Wales
Little England beyond Wales is a name applied to an area of southern Pembrokeshire and southwestern Carmarthenshire in Wales, which has been English in language and culture for many centuries despite its remoteness from the English border...
, and has been English-speaking since the 12th century. The name (Old Norse: Dalr = "valley") suggests prior occupation by Scandinavians.
Henry Tudor's arrival
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
. Villagers mark the anniversary, the most spectacular commemoration having been in 1985 for the 500th anniversary of the landing.
Sea Empress disaster
On 15 February 1996, the oil tanker Sea EmpressSea Empress
The MV Sea Empress was a single-hull oil tanker that ran aground near the southwest coast of Wales in February 1996. The ensuing oil spill affected a considerable area of nearby coastline.Pembrokeshire was suffering for over a year after the incident...
grounded at the Milford Haven entrance spilling 72,000 tonnes of crude oil.
Present
Dale FortDale Fort
Dale Fort is a battery site to the West of Milford Haven, Wales.Occupied from Elizabethan times to the present day, the main buildings were built for the military protection of Milford Haven in the 1850s, but the most unusual feature is its use for trials of Edmund Zalinski's Pneumatic Dynamite Gun...
is a Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
fort located on a rocky promontory that now houses a field studies centre, for study of local marine biology
Marine biology
Marine biology is the scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather...
, biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
, geomorphology
Geomorphology
Geomorphology is the scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them...
, and other related fields.
Dale is a local centre for sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
, and Windsurfing
Windsurfing
Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...
is taught in the Dale bay. The Pembrokeshire Coast Path
Pembrokeshire Coast Path
The Pembrokeshire Coast Path is a National Trail in southwest Wales. It was established in 1970, and is 186 miles long, mostly at cliff-top level, with 35,000 feet of ascent and descent. The northern end is at Poppit Sands, near St...
passes through the village and around the Dale peninsula.
The Dale Coronation Hall is used for many events in the community and is home to the D.A.D.S. (Dale Amateur Dramatic Society). The society performs a play, pantomime or sketch every year in March. The group is made up of villagers, friends and families from all around the peninsula who come together to sing, dance and perform.