IT has sometimes seemed that the history of Monkton village has been neglected, overshadowed as it is by neighbouring Pembroke with its medieval walls and mighty castle, birthplace of a King.

But Monkton has a rich history of its own, dating back to prehistoric times when the earliest inhabitants occupied Priory Farm cave.

Following the Norman conquest of Wales, a Priory was built on land across the tidal inlet from Pembroke Castle. Granted to the Benedictines of Seez in Normandy, the Priory flourished over many centuries, providing a name for the village that grew around it. Following the Dissolution, most of the Priory buildings were destroyed, leaving only the church, a dovecote and Priory farmhouse still standing.

But Monkton village continued to thrive, eventually becoming part of the Bush estate and expanding greatly in the 19th century with terraces of cottages built to house artisans and labourers. It was virtually a self-contained community, with shops, pubs and schools and local industries such as milling, boatbuilding and quarrying. Meanwhile regular livestock fairs occupied the village street.

As founder and chair of the Pembroke and Monkton Historical Society, Linda Asman has long been determined to set the record straight by bringing Monkton’s forgotten history to light, and she went a long way to achieving this in 2022 when the Society published an illustrated history of the village which quickly sold out.

Linda will be drawing on this extensive research when she talks on ‘Monkton – The Hidden History’ at the first Pembrokeshire Historical Society lecture meeting of the autumn. This will be held in the Pembrokeshire Archives building in Prendergast, Haverfordwest on Friday, October 3 at 2.30pm. All are welcome.