Pembrokeshire has a rich and diverse culture which has been
shaped down the centuries by waves of invaders and settlers.
Before the Norman Conquest, the whole area was Welsh speaking
and ruled by Celtic chieftains. Entertainment was provided by
bards who wandered from court to court recounting folk tales.
These legends were later collected as “The Mabinogion”. During
the “Age of the Saints” the county was home to a number of
important Christian figures, most notably St David, who became
the patron saint of Wales. After his death, his shrine attracted
pilgrims from far and wide and eventually became the site of St
David's Cathedral. The Norman Conquest created a divide of the
county which still remains today. The native Welsh speakers were
driven into the wilder areas of the north, while the south was
repopulated with settlers from Flanders and Wessex. South
Pembrokeshire became known as “Little England”, while the more
rural north of the county became a stronghold of the Welsh
language and culture.