Haverfordwest Priory

Religious men with green fingers

Excavations begun in the 1980s revealed many long-hidden secrets of this ruined priory on the banks of the River Cleddau just outside Haverfordwest’s town walls. It was probably founded for Augustinian canons in the late 12th or early 13th centuries, and parts of the church (including the site of the high altar), chapter house and cloister can be seen.

But the priory’s star feature is its restored garden, the only surviving ecclesiastical medieval garden in Britain, replanted to resemble its look and fragrance in medieval times. This prized ‘pleasure garden’, a place of enjoyment as well as contemplation, was a rarity in monastic circles, a reflection of the priory’s notable wealth. Artefacts from the excavations are on display at the Haverfordwest Town Museum.