England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
St Issells Parish Church

The Parish

The parish of St Issells lies in the extreme southeast of Pembrokeshire forming stretch of the county's coastline with the outer Bristol Channel. St Issells sits roughly 3 1/2 miles north of the coastal resort of Tenby and stands just over a mile south of the A477 road which links Pembroke with Carmarthen. In reality St Issells is the parish for the coastal port of Saundersfoot, there being not even a place name for St Issells on modern Ordnance Survey mapping. Saundersfoot sits at the eastern end of a linking road, the B4316 which joins the port to the A477 & A478 roads. Most properties sit either along that B-road or up a valley to the suburb of Ridgeway, the parish church of St Issells stands just off that same linking road amongst a well-wooded and undulating landscape. Much of the property in the parish dates from the industrial development arising in the 17th & 18th centuries when the population grew rapidly. In medieval times much of the area was a hunting forest for the Norman Earls of Pembroke and subsistence agriculture and woodland management dominated. It is recorded, however, that by as early as 1324 extraction of the rich anthracite coal seams of the area had begun and this was to grow exponentially during the early modern period. In addition to anthracite of high quality the area also abounded in iron ore and limestone so extractive industries employed the majority. Investment by the local Wogan & Stokes families enabled the development of Saundersfoot into a port which exported most of the products to both British and international destinations. Modern developments brought the railway although it stays inland away from Saundersfoot en route to Tenby. Today much of the industry has disappeared and the area trades on its scenery, the coastline is particularly attractive and forms the eastern end of the Pembrokeshire Coastal Trail, now part of the Wales National Coastal Trail. The area also abounds with camping and caravan sites supporting mainly short stay vacations. Fast flowing streams take the water from the parish the short distance to the coast, that arriving at Wiseman's Bridge being the major one. St Issells parish covers land rising from sea level to 80 metres at Pentlepoir, land continues rising inland with high points reaching 137 metres above Longstone the highest ground around. St Issells parish was one of the more extensive parishes in south Pembrokeshire, covering just under 3,800 acres it would have supported a population growing to 1,550 parishioners during the transcript period. Like most of Wales St Issells is not recorded in Domesday Book which did not cover this area.

The Church

The parish church stands on the eastern side of the B4316 fronted by a triangular village green containing the area's war memorial, it sits about 50 yards into the side road in an attractive wooded valley. Whilst this is undoubtedly an early Christian site the earliest fabric remaining for the church dates from the 13th century, the Early English Gothic period. The chancel arch, complete with half-shafts between the chamfers may well be the most intact piece of that period. Much of the medieval has been lost through modern restoration/rebuild but the broad western tower from the 15th century also remains intact as does the northern aisle which perhaps precedes the tower in construction sequence. Between 1862 & 1864 much of the medieval nave was removed and rebuilt, along with the chancel and southern aisle in the neo-Gothic style then favoured by restorers. Further restoration work followed in the early 1890s when new roofs were added and many windows replaced. Visiting the church is made simple by an extensive layby outside the gates from where a curving path heads to the church. Whilst woodland abounds to the north all of the favoured aspects are available for the photographer.