Narberth, Pembrokeshire’s hidden gem

Whilst Pembrokeshire is best known for its incredible beaches and wonderful wildlife such as puffins, dolphins, seals and even whales, another gem is beginning to attract visitors and that is the little town of Narberth.

Narberth is thriving whilst other towns wither and the secret to this success in the days of internet shopping is the plethora of wonderful, individual shops which make up this tiny Welsh town and attract shoppers from as far a field as Cardiff and London.  Shopping in Narberth is a pleasure and many people spend the day wandering around the shops and enjoying lunch at one of the delicious cafes or restaurants. Parking in the car park costs £1 for the whole day; extremely reasonable compared with many towns, and there is free parking for up to an hour in the street.

I am often asked by people considering moving to Pembrokeshire, or visiting here, whether we have a Waitrose, as if this is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  No, I reply, but we have Narberth with its award winning butchers, greengrocers, delis, homemade ice cream shop, cakes shops, cafes and restaurants.  Who would not prefer to buy their Sunday joint from a friendly local butcher who can tell you exactly where the meat came from; their honey from a shop a couple of miles from where it was produced or their chocolate handmade locally rather than from a supermarket.  Drinking your cappuccino in a café such as Ultracomida or Plum Vanilla where they are really friendly and have time for a chat is infinitely preferable to sitting in a Costa Coffee, Starbucks or other faceless multiple.

Not only can Narberth boast top quality food shops but it is also packed full of galleries, antique and vintage shops, present shops, boutiques, kitchen shops, jewellers, etc;  in fact everything you can think of apart from a high street chain.  It is ideal for picking up a few mementoes of your holiday in Pembrokeshire

There are regular craft sales in the town hall; concerts; a superb plant fair; the annual Help for Heroes Colossal Cake Sale and, of course, Narberth Food Festival which has grown into a major event attracting celebrity chefs and top food producers from throughout the UK and is held in September (this year on 22^nd & 23^rd September).  There is also the Summer Carnival and Civic Week and Winter carnival when floats parade through the streets. Narberth is a town where community spirit is alive and well and it also embraces visitors.

West Wales is fortunate in having several other towns which do not conform to the urban clone; Cardigan in Ceredigion has a lovely old-fashioned feel with its individual shops and the great Barley Fair where the beautiful Welsh cobs parade through the streets and Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire is another offering shoppers the chance to experience small, independent shops.

If you are visiting West Wales and would like to stay at a traditional but luxurious farmhouse bed and breakfast just 5 minutes drive from Narberth, do give us a call at Pembrokeshire Farm B&B  Caermaenau Fawr on 01834 860338, where a warm welcome is assured.   We have exceptional reviews and have been inspected and selected by Sawday’s Special Places to Stay. http://www.pembrokeshirefarmbandb.co.uk