Marloes | |
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View from the Pembrokeshire Coast Path on Marloes peninsula |
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Marloes shown within Pembrokeshire | |
Population | 323 |
OS grid reference | SM794083 |
Community |
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Principal area | |
Country | Wales |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Police | Dyfed-Powys |
Fire | Mid and West Wales |
Ambulance | Welsh |
EU Parliament | Wales |
Marloes is a village and parish in Pembrokeshire, West Wales, on the Marloes Peninsula 7 miles (11 km) west of the port of Milford Haven and forms the westernmost tip of the southern shore of St Brides Bay. It is within part of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. The parish has 6 miles (10 km) of mainland coastline accessible throughout by the Pembrokeshire Coast Path and, together with St Brides, constitutes the community of Marloes and St Brides (population 323 in 2001).
The name appears to derive from Old Welsh mail "bare" and ros "moor" or "promontory", identical to Melrose in Scotland. It is locally pronounced "Marlows". A part of Little England beyond Wales, it has been essentially English-speaking for 900 years.
The Marloes Sands beach, located SW from Marloes, is rated as one of the best beaches in Britain but involves a fairly long walk to reach it. The National Trust owns the western half of the peninsula, including the open-access deer park on its western tip, which is a favourite area for picnicking and viewing the wildlife of Skomer Sound, including seals, choughs and puffins. The deer park, which was originally part of the Kensington estate of St Brides, has never actually contained any deer.
Marloes includes the island of Skomer, accessible from Martin's Haven at the tip of the peninsula, and the small islands of Grassholm and Gateholm.