Pirate story, Preseli outings
Little Newcastle
A small inland Pembrokeshire village with Black Bart's memorial, the site of a vanished Norman motte and St Peter's Church; the Preseli Hills offer a separate walking outing.
- Best for
- Pirate history and a separate Preseli walking trip
- Give it
- Editorial estimate: around half a day
- Don't miss
- The memorial stone and St Peter's 12th-century font
The Fox verdict
A pirate birthplace in inland Pembrokeshire
This small inland village pairs pirate history with the option of a separate Preseli walking trip.
The memorial on the village green recalls Bartholomew Roberts, or Barti Ddu. The green occupies the site of a Norman motte levelled in 1965, and St Peter's Church stands beside it. Plan a separate outing for walks in the Preseli Hills.
Where to go
Places in Little Newcastle
Every place below is checked against a published source, listed with what it is and how long to give it.
Local signatures
3 placesPreseli Hills
The Preseli Hills offer open moorland walking, prehistoric remains and a connection to Stonehenge's bluestones.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: allow around 90 minutes
- Locality
- a separate upland outing
Sealyham Active Learning Centre
Near Wolfscastle, Sealyham Active Learning Centre occupies a Grade II listed mansion in 100 acres of grounds, with family residential stays and guided activities such as coasteering, surfing, canoeing and kayaking.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: allow around 2 hours 30 minutes for one guided activity during a booked residential stay
- Locality
- St Dogwells, near Wolfscastle
Newgale Beach
A long sandy surf beach at Newgale, about 9.2 miles from Little Newcastle in a straight line.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: allow around 90 minutes
- Locality
- Newgale
History & heritage
2 placesLittle Newcastle Motte Site
The open space occupies the site of the 12th-century Norman motte, bulldozed by the local authority in 1965 without archaeological investigation.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: allow around 25 minutes
- Locality
- the village green
St Peter, Little Newcastle
The present church was rebuilt between 1870 and 1875; its 12th-century font came from the original church. The font has a scalloped square bowl with chamfered corners, while the nave and chancel have open timber roofs and an unusual solid pine vestry screen.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: allow around 45 minutes
- Locality
- adjoining the village green
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Three ways to explore Little Newcastle
Signature outings
The vanished motte
Use St Peter's Church beside the former motte site as a landmark: the mound has no visible remains today.
The scalloped font
In St Peter's, look for the 12th-century font's scalloped square bowl and chamfered corners; the present church was rebuilt between 1870 and 1875, and the font came from the original church.
Newgale's long beach
At Newgale, walk towards the southern end for a cave and sheltered bays; keep the tide in mind before exploring beyond the main sands.
The village story
Black Bart, the Vanished Motte and Little Newcastle
A pirate memorial and vanished Norman motte in an inland Pembrokeshire village, with Preseli walks and the coast for separate outings.
Black Bart and the Vanished Motte
On Little Newcastle's village green, a stone memorial recalls Bartholomew Roberts, known as Barti Ddu or Black Bart. He was born in the village in 1682 and became one of the best-known pirates of his era. He probably seized more than 400 ships. His career ended in February 1722, when he was killed during an encounter with a Royal Navy ship off West Africa.
The village green occupies the site of the Norman motte associated with Adam de Rupe. Before it was levelled, the mound was recorded as a low rise roughly 150 by 100 feet across. The local authority bulldozed it in autumn 1965 without archaeological investigation. There are no visible remains. A dry summer in 1914 had exposed signs of stone foundations beneath the soil.
Village, Hills and Church
Little Newcastle is an inland Pembrokeshire village between Fishguard and Haverfordwest. The Preseli Hills make a separate walking outing, with published routes through open moorland and past prehistoric remains.
St Peter's Church stands beside the former motte site. The medieval church on this site was rebuilt between 1870 and 1875; the 12th-century scalloped font, with a square bowl and chamfered corners, came from the original church. The nave and chancel have open timber roofs and an unusual solid pine vestry screen. An Elizabethan chalice from the church is on permanent loan to St Fagans. The stained glass includes commissions from the 1990s onwards, alongside windows from other dates.
A Booked Stay at Sealyham
Near Wolfscastle, Sealyham Active Learning Centre occupies a Grade II listed mansion in 100 acres of grounds, with family residential stays and guided activities such as coasteering, surfing, canoeing and kayaking.
Roads to Town and Coast
Clarbeston Road is the nearest railway station, roughly six miles from Little Newcastle. A car makes it easier to combine the village with a sandy beach outing at Newgale. Haverfordwest lies to the south.
Old Fairs and the Golden Well
Village fairs were held on 6 May, 10 July and 19 December. An intermittent spring in the parish was called the Golden Well.
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A guide with a point of view
Written from research. Edited for real journeys.
Use the Official site links for live practical details, then use this guide for context, ideas and room to explore.
Sources
Every place on this page is checked against a published source. Each entry links the record we used and names who publishes it.
- Little Newcastle Motte Site — gatehouse-gazetteer.info other published source
- St Peter, Little Newcastle — heritage.churchinwales.org.uk other published source
- Preseli Hills — visitpembrokeshire.com operator, sector body or destination organisation
- Sealyham Active Learning Centre — aala.hse.gov.uk statutory register or public authority
- Newgale Beach — visitpembrokeshire.com operator, sector body or destination organisation