The Pembrokeshire Coast lay alongside a key route for viking ships sailing from lands to the north south towards the West Country and Europe. And with its many natural harbours and very wealthy monasteries it received its share of attention from the Danish and Norse traders and plunderers, known in Annales Cambriae as 'black gentiles'.
Unfortunately there is little hard archaeological evidence for viking activities in Pembrokeshire. Our understanding is heavily based on the extent of Norse and Danish placenames (see map), historical accounts, a find of a small norse weight at Freshwater West, and some supposition. Interestingly, however, as a modern line of evidence, it has recently been discovered that the occurrence of the gene for blood group A in Pembrokeshire is only matched by parts of Scandinavia. This suggests some settlement by vikings. On the basis of a lack of remains of viking women in the UK, these were probably men, who then took local women as their wives.
Here are some of the events we know about:
And here the Viking history behind some of the placenames:
But I'm sure you will find out more. (And if you would like to share it with us you could help to build this page.)
