Two very different historic features take centre stage in Clarbeston: St Martin of Tours preserves a small remnant of older building fabric, while Clarbeston Grange is a rectangular enclosure identifiable by cropmarks. The contrast offers two ways to explore the area—through church architecture and the setting of an archaeological landscape feature. For planning your trip, the request stop at Clarbeston Road station and cycling and walking options are also relevant.

St Martin of Tours and its older building fabric

St Martin of Tours church was almost entirely rebuilt in 1840–1841. About five per cent of the earlier building fabric survives, in the lowest courses of the chancel and nave. The chancel is the area around the altar, while the nave is the main part of the church. This makes it possible to distinguish the extensive rebuilding from the few older sections. Their possible medieval origin is not certain, but remains a possibility. Two aspects are therefore important to the building’s history: the almost complete 19th-century rebuild and the limited older sections that survived in the lower courses.

Clarbeston Grange in the landscape

At Clarbeston Grange, the focus shifts from a building to the land. The small, rectangular enclosure can be identified by cropmarks. It lies on a very gently northeast-sloping hillside, at an elevation of 29 metres and a few metres above the floodplain where two streams meet. The rectangular shape and cropmarks characterise the feature; the slope’s direction, elevation and position relative to the floodplain help place it in the landscape. Its location at the confluence adds further context to the landscape. Unlike the church, the focus here is the shape and position of an archaeological landscape feature, rather than surviving parts of a building.

Plan for the request stop

Clarbeston Road station is a request stop. Some or all trains stop there only on request. So check the timetable for your specific journey and make sure the stop is scheduled for that train. This is an important condition to bear in mind when planning a rail journey via Clarbeston Road.

Cycling and walking: different route information

National Cycle Network Route 440 is a cycle link to Wiston Castle; the stated distance is 4.4 miles, or 7 kilometres. The destination and distance provide a concrete guide when choosing a cycle route. Llys-y-Frân offers something different: more than 14 kilometres of cycle trails, including purpose-built mountain bike trails, a pump track and a practice area. Bike hire is available all year round. The walking trails at Llys-y-Frân range from less than one mile to seven miles. The information differs according to the type of planning: Route 440 is a cycle link to a destination, while Llys-y-Frân offers cycle trails and facilities, as well as a range of walking distances. For a day of walking, the length of the individual trails is therefore a more useful comparison than the total length of the cycle trails.

Choose your accommodation to suit your day's plans

Then match the location of your chosen accommodation to your plans for the day. This helps you focus your search on what you actually want to do.

Discover more destinations: St Florence, Stackpole, Newgale, Stepaside, Houghton, Crymych, Nevern, Treffgarne

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