Rosemarket combines historic local landmarks with a named cycle trail. St Ismael's Church is a listed building, Rosemarket Rath lies behind the church, and the Brunel Cycle Trail passes through the village. Its features range from a possible medieval building element to a probably Iron Age fort; the trail adds a former railway line, now used as a path, to this picture. This makes history, architecture and cycling the main considerations when choosing the destination.

St Ismael's Church and Rosemarket Rath

St Ismael's Church is a Grade II listed building. Its nave may date from the 12th century. Behind the church lies Rosemarket Rath, probably an Iron Age fort dating from 800 BC to AD 43. The church and Rath thus represent different historical associations: a church building with a possibly medieval element on one hand, and an archaeological site probably dating to the Iron Age on the other. Their proximity makes them a distinctive combination for those interested in architecture and archaeology.

Dimensions and landscape

The Rath measures approximately 130 m from east to west and 97 m across. These two measurements convey its extent along different axes, rather than giving just a single length. It lies on a south-facing spur above the confluence of two streams. A spur is a projecting ridge of land; together with the confluence, this describes the terrain where the fort is situated.

Other historic buildings

Another historic building is Rosemarket Dovecote, also known as Cross Farm Dovecote. This circular dovecote, built of local sandstone masonry, has a domed roof and contains about 200 nesting boxes. It may date from the 13th or 14th century, but this is not certain.

Tabernacle Congregational Chapel was rebuilt in 1831 and restored in 1885. The present building is in the Romanesque style, or plain round-arched architecture, with a gabled entrance. The two churches highlight different aspects of history: St Ismael's Church, with its nave possibly dating from the 12th century, and the Chapel, with its rebuilding and restoration.

Settlement history and the Brunel Cycle Trail

Rosemarket, near Neyland, is one of several places around Milford Haven founded according to Norman principles. Such places typically had a layout along a main street, with a church and village green; formerly open fields, now enclosed, are also part of this settlement pattern.

The Brunel Cycle Trail is a shared, traffic-free route connecting Neyland with Johnston and Haverfordwest and passing through Rosemarket. It follows former railway lines, now used as paths and cycle routes. Alongside the buildings, this offers another facet of the area's history: former railway lines have been given a new use as walking routes. Those planning to include cycling in their trip will find a specific route with named endpoints in the trail.

Discover more destinations: Newport, Moylegrove, Abercych, Kilgetty, Llandeloy, Clarbeston, Stackpole, Fishguard

For the main travel guide: Pembrokeshire.