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ROSEBUSH 2000

Investing in the future of the community.

An introduction to the community.

Rosebush is a scattered community centred on the village of Rosebush itself, one mile north of Maenclochog in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

The village owes its origins to the large slate quarries immediately to the north on the slopes of the Preseli Hills. Housing for the quarrymen forms a central feature of the village - the Terrace. With the construction of the Maenclochog Railway, linking the quarries with the main line railway at Clunderwen, the village became a focal point for services in the upland area north of Maenclochog. It continues to act as such for a mixed population working in agriculture and in nearby towns of Fishguard, Haverfordwest and Cardigan.

The Preseli Hotel and 'pleasure gardens' with fish ponds, built in the late 1870s in an attempt to attract tourists on the railway, still survive. The hotel is now generally known as Tafarn Sinc, due to the materials used in its construction - corrugated galvanised iron - and the fish ponds are a feature of the nearby Rosebush Caravan Park.

Slate quarrying has long since ceased but tourism is once again at the heart of the village economy. Visitors are well served with an excellent restaurant and tea room at the Old Post Office, formerly the quarry managers house, which also offers bed and breakfast. Another restaurant - mentioned in both the Good Food and Good Beer guides - can be found two miles west of the village at Tafarn Newydd.

The main attraction for any visitor must, however, be the setting. Intrusive igneous rocks, instrumental in the formation of the slates quarried at Rosebush, provide a backbone to the Preseli Hills. From Foel Eryr in the west to Foel Drygarn in the east, there is a open expanse of upland terrain, ideal for the hill walker, whilst to the south of the village a network of paths gives access to more pastoral countryside. At the same time the village is an ideal centre for exploring the varied landscape of northern Pembrokeshire.

For an impression of the beauty of the North Pembrokeshire countryside go to Sarah Claughton's website at the University of Wales, Lampeter, Hot Rocks and Cool Castles. However, please note that the site is not updated, as it was student coursework, and there are no links back to this site.

Towards the new millenium.

Plans are in hand to mark the beginning of the new millenium in a number of ways -

Landscaping the derelict well - Fynnon Fawr - on the approach to Rosebush from the south.
Recording a 'snapshot' of life in the community to be held as an educational resource for future generations.
Enhancing and, where possible, extending the network of footpaths around the village.

Beyond 2000

Since 2000 there have been some significant changes in Rosebush. The caravan site has new owners and they have enhanced the ponds which were a feature in the promotion of the village for tourism in the late 19th century.

But perhaps the most significant of the changes came in 2017 when the pub Tafarn Sinc was put up for sale. There were clearly going to be difficulties on that front - particukarly as it was not going to be possible to get a mortgage on a building constructed in timber and corrugated iron.

It was therefore decided to for a local group - Cymdeithas Tafarn Sinc - and sell shares with a view to purchasing the pub for the community. That was acheived in 2017 and Tafarn Sinc is now under community management.

Tafarn Sinc website

For more information

Contact - P> Geraint Harries - 01437 532652

Peter Claughton - P.F.Claughton@exeter.ac.uk

These pages are still in the course of construction work. The owner apologises for any missing links.

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Dr Peter Claughton
P.F.Claughton@exeter.ac.uk
Last modified 12 April 1999