Tenby (Welsh: Dinbych-y-Pysgod, "little town of the fishes or little fortress of the fish") is a walled seaside town and fishing port in Pembrokeshire, West Wales, lying on Carmarthen Bay, and is a popular UK seaside holiday resort. The town is served by Tenby railway station.
Attractions in Tenby include four kilometres of sandy beaches, the 13th century medieval town walls including the Five Arches barbican gate, 15th-century St. Mary's Church, the Tudor Merchant's House (National Trust), a museum with art gallery, and the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, part of Britain's only coastal National Park.
Boats sail from Tenby's harbour to the monastic Caldey Island while St Catherine's Island just offshore is linked to the town at low tide.
History - Probably originating as a Viking settlement, the town grew as a seaport around the now-ruined Tenby Castle. The town walls were built by William de Valence, 1st Earl of Pembroke, in the 13th century. In late medieval times, Tenby's importance grew as a sheltered seaport and in 1566 Portuguese seamen landed the first oranges to be brought to Wales at Tenby harbour.
In the Georgian and Victorian eras Tenby was renowned as a health resort and centre for botanical and geological study with many features of the town being constructed to provide areas for healthy walks by the sea. Many of the beaches still retain good disabled access thanks to this period due to the walkways being built to accommodate Victorian nannies pushing prams.
Tourism
Tenby is an exceptionally busy UK holiday resort in the summer, with tourists coming from all over Britain and beyond. Its relatively unspoilt beaches and historic town walls make it a unique seaside resort. Most shops, pubs and restaurants in Tenby are specifically marketed to tourists with a number of places being standing room only in the summer. There is a large holiday park nearby, Kiln Park and numerous hotels and guest houses.
Nightlife
Tenby is well known for its unique nightlife. Tenby has an unusually high proportion of pubs for its population, with over 20 licensed premises in the town centre alone, there are a range of pubs, from traditional to sports orientated to contemporary. However, most of them are very small and fill up quickly at weekends and in the summer.
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Tuesday, 08 July 2008
Tenby (Welsh: Dinbych-y-Pysgod, "little town of the fishes or little fortress of the fish") is a walled seaside town and fishing port in...
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