England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Trefgarn St Michael

The Parish

The parish of Trefgarn, usually rendered today as Treffgarne, lies in central Pembrokeshire about 5 miles north of the market town of Haverfordwest. Trefgarn is a small and rather linear village which sits immediately west of the A40 road which connects Haverfordwest with the port of Fishguard. A narrow lane leads northwest from the A40 up the lower slopes of Great Treffgarne Mountain upon which the small village sits. Its principal note of reknown is to the twin rocks sitting upon the latter mountain which seem to resemble a castle's fortifications and guard the narrow defile though which the A40 and the Western Cleddau River flows. Like much of this area the landscape is largely managed for pasture with cattle in the main. Modern developments have come to Trefgarn, the narrow defile of the valley is also home to the main railway line serving the port of Fishguard albeit Trefgarn does not merit a station. The Western Cleddau drains the parish southwards through Haverfordwest until merging with its eastern counterpart to form part of the great natural harbour of Milford Haven. Trefgarn is sited at around 80 metres above the sea, it mountain rise nearby to an isoltaed hilltop of 165 metres, one of many such isolated outcrops across this area. Trefgarn parish was relatively small for its county, covering close to 1,200 acres it would have supported a population of around 100 parishioners. In common with most of Wales Trefgarn is not recorded in Domesday Book which did not cover this area.

The Church

St Michael's church sits on the eastern side of the marked right-angled bend that Trefgarn's main lane performs through the village. Sadly this is not some medieval masterpiece but a relatively recent replacement and certainly not the venue for these marriages. There is some uncertainty as to its build date but this is firmly in the 19th century with no remnant of an earlier fabric. A simple and small church, as befits the size of its congregation, of nave and chancel topped by a western bellcote. Despite the recent date no fewer than three restorations, 1881, 1894-7 & 1911, are recorded in Pevsner to result in today's church. Careful parking can be found around the site which is enclosed within a local limestone wall. Sadly there are many trees around the church which severely limit the views available for the photographer.