Orielton, Pembrokeshire

Orielton is a historic country house near Hundleton in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is used as a field studies centre for environmental sciences.

The first known house at Orielton was a fortified manor built by the Wyriott family in about 1200, which was mentioned by the historian Giraldus Cambrensis (c. 1146 – c. 1223).

Orielton was the seat of the Owen baronets. The first Owen at Orielton was Sir Hugh Owen, the son of Owen ap Hugh (1518–1613), of Bodeon, near Llangadwaladr, Anglesey. Sir Hugh married Elizabeth Wirriot, who had inherited Orielton from her father George Wirriot. Sir Hugh left Orielton to his grandson, also Sir Hugh Owen (1604–1670), who was awarded the title Baronet of Orielton in 1641.

Orielton was passed down the line of the Owen baronetcy until it was inherited by John Lord (1776–1861), a wealthy mineowner and politician, who remodelled the house to its current form. Lord changed his surname to Owen, and became a baronet in 1813 when the Orielton baronetcy was recreated for him. His profligacy led him to sell Orielton in 1857, along with other property in Pembrokeshire.

Orielton was requisitioned during the Second World War and used as a base for Australian airmen.

In 1954 Orielton was bought by the naturalist and author Ronald Lockley (1903–2000). The estate then covered 260 acres. Lockley used Orielton for biological research, including into the rabbit disease myxomatosis. He wrote The Private Life of the Rabbit whilst at Orielton. In 1977 he wrote Orielton, The Human and Natural History of a Welsh Manor about his time there.

The palaeontologist Martin Lockley is Ronald Lockley's son, and was brought up in Orielton.

In 1963 Orielton was bought by the Field Studies Council, for use as an field studies centre.

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