Bosheston, Pembrokeshire
Historical Description
Bosheston, a parish in Pembrokeshire, on the coast, 5½ miles S by W of Pembroke, under which it has a post office, and at which is the money order and telegraph office. Acreage, 1664; population, 190. Limestone cliffs on the coast are pierced with caverns, and show very striking forms. The largest cavern, called Bosheston Mere, runs inland more than½ of a mile; terminates in a narrow vertical aperture; is lashed by the waves in a storm with tumultuous noise; and sometimes ejects from its terminal aperture a column of foam 40 feet high, resembling the Iceland geysers. St Govan's chapel is a curious building on the coast, situated half-way down a ravine, and approached by some rude steps. The interior is about 18 feet by 12, contains a stone altar with piscina and aumbry, and has three windows. It is erroneously supposed to have been the retreat of Sir Gawain, a nephew of King Arthur, and a knight of the legendary Round Table; but it was probably built sometime in the 14th century, and dedicated to St Cofen or Govein, the daughter of Tewdrig, Prince of South Wales. Near the chapel is a holy well, which was formerly thought to possess miraculous healing virtues. The living is a rectory in the diocese of St David's; net value, £147 with residence. Patron, the Earl of Cawdor. The church is an Early English edifice consisting of tower, nave, transepts, and chancel. There are three bells, and the tower, nave, and transepts are crossed with plain barrel vaulting. The east window, a triple lancet, is filled with good stained glass, representing the Crucifixion and other scenes in the Saviour's life. In the churchyard there still exists an ancient cross erected on three steps, all made of the local limestone. On the intersection of the arms of the cross is to be seen a mask of the Saviour's face.
Administration
The following is a list of the administrative units in which this place was either wholly or partly included.
| Ancient County | Pembrokeshire | |
| Archdeaconry | St. Davids | |
| County Court district | Pembroke Dock | |
| Diocese | St. Davids | |
| Hundred | Castlemartin | |
| Petty-Sessional Division | Castlemartin | |
| Poor Law union | Pembroke | |
| Registration district | Pembroke | 1837 - 1974 |
| Rural Deanery | Castlemartin |
Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.
Church Records
The registers date from the year 1670.
Churches
Church of England
St. Michael (parish church)
The church of St. Michael is an ancient building of stone, in the Early English style, consisting of chancel, nave, transepts, north porch, and a tower containing 3 bells; in the north transept is a recumbent effigy of a lady of the 14th century, under a crocketed canopy; and in the south transept a half-effigy of an ecclesiastic, both of which were placed in their present positions in 1853; the chancel contains a double piscina and an almery, and in the south transept is a single piscina and a hagioscope. The stained east window, a triple lancet, and the oak lectern are memorials to the late Rev. William Allen M.A. for over 40 years rector here. The church was repaired in 1853 and affords 120 sittings. In the churchyard is an ancient stone cross, rising from a graduated base of three steps.
Directories & Gazetteers
We have transcribed the entry for Bosheston from the following:
Land and Property
The Return of Owners of Land in 1873 for Pembrokeshire is available to browse.
Maps
Online maps of Bosheston are available from a number of sites:
- Bing (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
- Google Streetview.
- National Library of Scotland. (Old maps)
- OpenStreetMap.
- old-maps.co.uk (Old Ordnance Survey maps to buy).
- Streetmap.co.uk (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
- A Vision of Britain through Time. (Old maps)
Newspapers and Periodicals
The British Newspaper Archive have fully searchable digitised copies of the following newspapers online: