Castle Square

Considered the centre of the town, this square only became such after the building of the New Bridge. Before that Bridge Street continued into Quay Street without Victoria Place on your left and with just a quarter or less of this area as a square.

From here you can see Lloyd’s Bank across the road. In the property that stood here before the bank, Gwen John (1876-1939) was born in 1876. Two years later Augustus (1878-1961) was born in Tenby to where the family had moved to avoid an outbreak of scarlet fever. A year later they were back in Haverfordwest and Augustus, Gwen and their siblings enjoyed their childhood in the centre of this town.

From here you can see Lloyd’s Bank across the road. In the property that stood here before the bank, Gwen John (1876-1939) was born. Two years later Augustus (1878-1961) was born in Tenby to where the family had moved to avoid an outbreak of scarlet fever. A year later they were back in Haverfordwest and Augustus, Gwen and their siblings enjoyed their childhood in the centre of this town.

In his autobiography, Augustus described his early memories of the town filled with life and movement especially on market days, recalling gypsies and the dress of Llangwm fisherwomen. He also felt the need to mention his first visit to a circus in Haverfordwest as the cause of his being, ‘corrupted for life’ having watched a, ‘superb creature in tights’.

By the time that he was thirty years of age Augustus was considered to be one of the finest artists of his age although he modestly suggested that he would be remembered only for having been the brother of Gwen who he thought to be a far better artist.

In a letter in 1960 Augustus wrote that he considered himself to be, ‘with perfect pride, a Pembrokeshire man from Honey Harford’.

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