Pembrokeshire, Wales

[ghislan]

Does anyone live there, and can offer advice on what it's like?

We are considering the move from London to Pembrokeshire. Never lived in the county before but have visited extensively for holidays.

Living somewhere isn't the same as a holiday

Getting away from it all can be great as a holiday and a pain when you want to get somewhere

Very rural. It's a bit like Cornwall in many ways, e.g. that a lot of young people move away to find work. You'd be reliant on a car unless you were somewhere like Haverfordwest. It has been known as 'little England beyond Wales', presumably becase a lot of English people live there? It's not very racially diverse. I don't live there but I have family who do/did. It's beautiful.

My parents live between Haverfordwest and Newgale, but Pembrokeshire is a county of contrasts so to give you proper advice we'd need to know what areas you are looking at. For example Pembroke Dock is nothing like Tenby.

I have a friend who lived there for 3 years (her partner is from there) before moving to Cardiff.
She found it very difficult and isolating. Shops/restaurants/culture wise there's not much going on. It's dead in the winter and far too busy during the summer. Obviously the scenery is beautiful but she felt like with full time jobs they didn't really ever get to make the most of it.

Coming from London it'll be going from one extreme to the other for you. Have you visited outside of tourist season? If not I'd recommend trying that before deciding on a move.

I love it for holidays….could never live there….it’s the arse end of nowhere….takes ages to get anywhere….and would be bleak in winter ….nothing to do

It's beautiful, the coastline is stunning, it's a nice relaxed pace of life, but think seriously about the lack of healthcare, especially if you are a parent. Nearest proper maternity unit and pediatric ward is in the next county across (Glangwili in Carmarthen) and potentially 90 minutes drive away depending on where in pembs you move to.

Holidays, yes it's beautiful on a sunny day, but to live there absolutely not. Its quite backward and Haverfordwest has a serious issue with poverty and drug abuse. I know as I have family stuck there who can't afford to move out of Wales.
English people are more accepted in that area because there are considerable numbers - but an unpleasant amount of anti English sentiment still exists. Particularly in the rural bits.

It is quite hard moving from London to rural Wales. The healthcare is abysmal. I’ve not been able to get an NHS dentist in 18 years for example. I have no choice but private. The hospitals can be 60-90 minutes away but nothing in between. Welsh Ambulance times can be poor and the Air Ambulance can’t always be used if the weather is bad. Your children will have to learn Welsh until GCSE and they (Welsh Government) seem to be dropping triple science this year totally so only harp players and bards not scientists coming out of Wales now. There are the beaches but not a huge amount of anything else and drug use can be an issue which is surprising to many outsiders but a result of the swinging 60’s and more recently. County Lines.

I used to live just outside of Tenby and while it’s beautiful I would not want to go back. You are so far away from everything/towns of any size.

Obvious people do live there and are fine with it but ime its mainly people who have always lived there and think it’s normal or people who have retired and/or seriously chosen a totally different way of life who manage to stay. There’s a steady turnover of people who try this and sell up and return.

we looked at some houses there - and I know a family local to us who are planning to move down. I think it would have some definite pluses but I agree that you might feel the lack of any reasonably sized towns. Have you thought about Carmarthenshire? It’s gorgeous, less touristy, and closer to Swansea and Cardiff . Or Aberystwyth/ around there.

I absolutely love Pembrokeshire but it’s quite an extreme difference from London and when it rains there isn’t much to do unless you like surfing! Why are you moving there? Practicalities are, kids usually have to get school transport, it can be a fair old trek to an a&e department and depending where you are there may not be a shop for ten miles - but Amazon and Tesco do deliver rurally now. Have friends who live very happily with kids there, they were from the area originally so knew very well what they were moving back to.

Pembrokeshire has lots of different areas and as any county different issues. I have lived here for 15 years in the north west of the county. It is beautiful and people are lovely. It gets very busy from now until October. Jobs are often seasonal but many now wfh, as i do. Health care is an issue but it is every where. The joy is that we live rurally and it is quiet but if you do not want that then it is not for you. Towns like Narberth, cardigan and St Davids have great shops and restaurants. Haverfordwest is run down like many towns but has shops and is trying to rejuvenate. Obviously our beaches are fantastic. Both dc been educated and have thrived. Both have done lots of outside and sea sports. If you want any info then dm me.

I grew up there and still have family there.

Which part specifically?

The “little England beyond Wales” bit refers to the area south of the Landsker Line of Norman castles.

It’s stunning. But as PP have said, there are issues with healthcare and schools.

I grew up around there and it was a place I didn't appreciate until I had my own children. It's a stunning part of the world, and it's amazing having beaches on your doorstep and castles etc We were outside almost all the time in all weathers, but you take everything for granted as a kid. Didn't really consider it special. I was mostly resentful that I was reliant on my parents and their car for everything until I was 17. I wasn't even walking distance from friends so was very isolated. The buses were abysmal, trains were alright when they're all you're used to. Some of the smaller towns like Carmarthen are a lot better for shopping now, when I was there we had to go to Swansea for anything decent, nearest h&m was in Cardiff! But that's not the case anymore, Carmarthen is quite the hub. Agree with people about healthcare, which is even worse now than 20 years ago.

I've considered moving back because of the price of real estate, and it's just sooooooo pretty, but realistically if my kids were as resentful as me about it I'd feel really guilty. Maybe not an issue in Little England but the village i lived in also wasn't at all friendly to outsiders. When we walked into the pub everyone turned and stared at us. We were 'the English family' for 10 years and decades later my sister is still known as someone who moved there. Just not for me.

Do you have children, or plan to, OP? Education and health care not great in Wales. I live in Pembrokeshire with my Welsh husband but we're retired. What about jobs?

It suits us where we live, low crime, lovely dog walks, small local theatre, nice community, BUT it's quite a way from the big cities and airports.

On the plus side, you will be able to get more for your money house wise. I'd advise plenty of research first, and come for a long weekend - when the weather is bad!

I have a caravan near Tenby and spend most weekends there. I love it. I have thought about moving there full time however it's a long way from airports/ ferry ports to mainland Europe and good/ big shops which does put me off. I think coming from London it will be a big culture shock.

And @Freysimo is right it can rain a lot!

I would add that many of the shops people are talking about in Carmarthen have now closed, H and M, Top Shop, Monsoon etc. In Haverfordwest you do have M and S, TkMaxx etc. not brilliant but better than it was 10 years ago. Most of us go to Cardiff for shopping.

have they?! wow!! There was so much there last time I went. I really go back very rarely though, and when I go i go for the beach not the shops. That is interesting though that it's back to Cardiff for shopping.