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STACKPOLE WARREN
![STACKPOLE WARREN](images/stackpolewarren.jpg)
GRID REFERENCE: SR983947
AREA IN HECTARES: 197
Historic Background
A small coastal area of modern Pembrokeshire, largely
lying within the parish of Stackpole Elidor which, during the medieval
period, was a manor comprising 4-5 knights fees held of the Lordship and
Earldom of Pembroke, a heavily Anglicised region that was brought under
Anglo-Norman control before 1100, re-organised along English manorial
lines and never retaken by the Welsh. The name Stackpole may be of Scandinavian
origin, derived from ‘stack’ or rock, indicating that the
area was known – and perhaps even settled – by Norse seafarers
during the later early medieval period. The name is shared with neighbouring
Bosherston, which was originally called Stackpole Bosher. This character
area is a level plateau, half of which is covered with calcareous blown
sand. The sand dunes have enhanced the preservation of prehistoric sites
and landscapes. Archaeological investigations have shown that this area
was settled, divided into fields and cultivated in the prehistoric period.
However, wind-blown sand, which began to accumulate in the prehistoric
period, eventually created an environment unsuitable for cultivation and
led to the abandonment of settlements and fields. In the medieval period
this area was part of the Stackpole demesne (later the Stackpole estate),
and documentary records show that it was a distinctive landscape used
as a rabbit warren. During the two World Wars it was used as a military
training area. It is now owned and managed by the National Trust.
![STACKPOLE WARREN](images/stackpolewarren2.jpg)
Description and essential historic landscape
components
The relatively small registered area of the Stackpole
Warren Landscape of Special Historic Interest in Wales is almost entirely
occupied by this historic landscape character area. It consists of a coastal
plateau lying between 30m and 35m bounded to the south and east by vertical
limestone sea cliffs, to the west by an artificially flooded valley –
part of the Stackpole Court gardens – , and by Stackpole Park to
the north. It is an unenclosed landscape of wind-blown calcareous sand
covering limestone bedrock. The sand varies in thickness from a relatively
thin skin to developed dune systems. Limestone bedrock protrudes through
the sand at many locations, but particularly along the coast. Vegetation
consists of pasture and bracken on the plateau with some sycamore dominated
woodland on its more sheltered flanks. The sand, which began to form in
the prehistoric period, has been instrumental in preserving a rich and
varied prehistoric landscape. It is this prehistoric landscape that merits
its inclusion on the Register. Excavation and survey in the 1970s revealed
occupation from the Mesolithic Period through to the Romano-British Period
and beyond, with the sand both preserving and separating the many phases
of archaeological horizon. Sites include the Devil’s Quoit standing
stone, settlements and extensive field systems, and the excellent preservation
by the sand has enabled the identification of prehistoric plough marks
and cattle hoof imprints. Several of the archaeological sites are Scheduled
Ancient Monuments. There are no buildings, and wire fences are the only
boundaries currently used. The Pembrokeshire Coast Path runs along the
cliff top.
This is a very well defined character area, and contrasts
with the parkland landscape to the west and north. It is defined by high
sea cliffs to the south and east.
Sources: Benson et al 1990; Cadw 2001; Higgins 1933;
Howells 1964; Owen 1918; Walker 1950
Base map reproduced from the OS map with the permission
of Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery
Office, © Crown Copyright 2001.
All rights reserved. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown Copyright
and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Licence Number: GD272221 |