Editing Tenby (section)

== History ==
[[File:Tenby2560lg.JPG|thumb|left|Five Arches Gate]]
===Middle Ages===
With its strategic position on the far west coast of [[Great Britain|Britain]], and a natural sheltered harbour from both the Atlantic Ocean and the [[Irish Sea]], Tenby was a natural settlement point, probably a [[hill fort]] with the mercantile nature of the settlement possibly developing under [[Hiberno-Norse]] influence. The earliest reference to a settlement at Tenby is in ''[[Etmic Dinbych]]'', a poem probably from the ninth century.<ref>{{cite book|title=Literacy in Medieval Celtic Societies|page=29|publisher=Cambridge University Press|editor-first=Huw |editor-last=Pryce|isbn=9780521570398| year=1998}}</ref>

Tenby was taken by the [[Normans]], when they [[invaded West Wales]] in the early 12th century. The town's first stone-wall fortification was on [[Tenby Castle|Castle Hill]]. Tenby's mercantile trade grew as it developed as a major seaport in Norman controlled [[Little England beyond Wales]]. 

[[Flemish settlement in Pembroke|Flemish settlers]] from Tenby tried to assassinate [[Cadell ap Gruffydd]], the Welsh prince of [[Deheubarth]], after which the settlement and castle were successfully attacked and sacked by his brothers [[Maredudd ap Gruffydd|Maredudd]] and [[Rhys ap Gruffydd|Rhys]] in 1150<ref name=Laws115>{{cite book|last=Laws|first=Edward|title=The History of Little England Beyond Wales|publisher=Bell, London |date=1888| page=115|url= https://archive.org/details/b21781023/page/107|accessdate=26 February 2023}}</ref> highlighting the need for additional defences. Sacking of the town was repeated in 1187 and again by [[Llywelyn ap Gruffudd]] in 1260.<ref name="castlewales.com">{{Cite web|url=http://www.castlewales.com/tenby.html|title=Tenby Castle|website=castlewales.com}}</ref> 

After the 1260 attack the [[Earl of Pembroke]] at the time, [[William de Valence, 1st Earl of Pembroke|William de Valence]], ordered the completion of the [[Tenby town walls]]. The stone curtain wall, towers and gates enclosed a large part of the settlement{{mdash}}now known as the "old town". In the [[Late Middle Ages]], Tenby was awarded royal grants to finance the maintenance and improvement of its defences and the enclosure of its harbour. With the construction of the town walls, Tenby Castle was made obsolete and had been abandoned by the end of the 14th century.<ref name=Penmar/> William de Valence granted Tenby a [[Town charter|charter]] in 1290.

===Wars of the Roses===
In 1452,<ref>Thomas, R. S. [https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/27796 "Tudor, Jasper <nowiki>[</nowiki>Jasper of Hatfield<nowiki>]</nowiki>, duke of Bedford"], ''[[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]]'', 23 September 2004. Accessed 2 February 2019.</ref> [[Henry VI of England|King Henry VI]] gave the Marcher Lordship (and associated Earldom) to [[Jasper Tudor]], his half-brother and uncle to the future [[Henry VII of England|Henry Tudor]]. In 1457, Tudor agreed to divide the costs of refurbishing and improving Tenby's defences with the town's merchants because of its economic importance to this part of Wales.  Improvements included widening the dry ditch along the outside of the town walls to {{convert|30|ft}}. Raising the wall's height to include a second tier of higher arrow slits behind a new parapet walk and adding additional [[Turret (architecture)|turret]] towers to the ends of the walls where they abutted the cliff edges, and the dry ditch outside walls was widened to {{convert|30|ft|m|0|abbr=off}}. 

Traders sailed along the coast to [[Bristol]] and Ireland and further afield to France, Spain and Portugal. Exports included wool, skins, canvas, coal, iron and oil.<ref name=Penmar>{{cite web|url=http://www.penmar-tenby.co.uk/tenby.html|title=History of Tenby|publisher=penmar-tenby.co.uk|access-date=25 May 2025|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402145501/http://www.penmar-tenby.co.uk/tenby.html|archive-date=2 April 2012}}</ref> It was during this period that the town was so busy and important, it was considered to be a national port. During the [[Wars of the Roses]] Henry Tudor, the future [[Henry VII of England|King Henry VII]] of England, sheltered at Tenby before sailing into exile in 1471.

===Tudors and the Civil War===
[[File:St Mary's Street, Tenby - geograph.org.uk - 873512.jpg|thumb|St Mary's Street, a typical old town street in Tenby]]
In the mid-16th century, the large D-shaped tower formerly known as the "Five Arches tavern" was built following fears of a second [[Spanish Armada]]. Tenby was formally incorporated as a borough by [[Elizabeth I]] in 1581.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tenby Borough Records |url=https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/9e1d660d-4ee7-3cbb-affe-6e80d028d727 |website=Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) |access-date=7 August 2022}}</ref> 

Two key events caused the town to undergo rapid and permanent decline in importance. First, Tenby declared for [[Roundhead|Parliament]] in the [[English Civil War]]. It resisted two attempts by the [[Cavalier|Royalists]] forces of [[Charles Gerard, 1st Earl of Macclesfield|Charles Gerard]], who took most of the rest of South Wales.  However in the [[Second English Civil War]] the commander of Tenby Castle declared for [[Charles I of England|the King]] in 1648, although ten weeks later the shattered town was surrendered to the parliamentarian [[Thomas Horton (soldier)|Colonel Thomas Horton]], who welcomed [[Oliver Cromwell]] shortly afterwards.<ref name="castlewales.com"/><ref name=Penmar/> Second, a plague outbreak killed half of the town's remaining population in 1650.

With limited infrastructure, resources and people, the town's economy fell into decline. Most of the merchant and business class left, resulting in the town's decay and ruin. By the end of the 18th century, [[John Wesley]] noted during his visit how: "Two-thirds of the old town is in ruins or has entirely vanished. Pigs roam among the abandoned houses and Tenby presents a dismal spectacle."<ref name=Kuiters>{{cite web|url=http://kuiters.org/wgj/history/botgardpaxton.html|title=Sir William Paxton|publisher=kuiters.org|access-date=16 September 2011}}</ref>

===The Paxton Revival===
[[File:Tenby2550lg.JPG|thumb|left|View upwards to the promenade, showing the 1814 arched road built during the town's revival by [[William Paxton (MP)|Sir William Paxton]]]]
Another [[Napoleonic Wars|war]] led to a resurgence in Tenby's fortunes. Since 1798, the French General [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] had begun conquering Europe restricting the rich British upper classes from making their [[Grand Tour]]s to continental [[List of spa towns|spa towns]]. In 1802 local resident, merchant banker and politician, [[William Paxton (MP)|Sir William Paxton]], bought his first property in the old town. From this point onwards he invested heavily in the area with the full approval of the town council.

With the growth in saltwater sea-bathing for health purposes, Paxton engaged engineer James Grier and architect [[Samuel Pepys Cockerell]] (the same team who had built his home at [[National Botanic Garden of Wales|Middleton Hall]]) to create a "fashionable bathing establishment suitable for the highest society." His sea-bathing baths came into operation in July 1806 and, after acquiring the Globe Inn, transformed it into "a most lofty, elegant and convenient style" to lodge the more elegant visitors to his baths. Cottages were erected adjoining the baths with adjoining livery stables and coach house.

A road was built on arches overlooking the harbour at Paxton's full expense in 1814. He had a [[private act of Parliament]]{{which|date=December 2024}} passed{{when|date=December 2024}} that enabled fresh water to be piped through the town. Despite these accomplishments, his 1809 theatre was closed in 1818 due to lack of patronage.<ref name=Kuiters/> The Market Hall was completed in 1829 and remodelled to serve as [[Tenby Town Hall]] in 1860.<ref name="listed"/>

Paxton also took in "tour" developments in the area as required by rich Victorian tourists. This included the discovery of a [[chalybeate spring]] in his own park at Middleton Hall, and coaching inns from [[Swansea]] to [[Narberth, Pembrokeshire|Narberth]]. He built [[Paxton's Tower]], in memorial to [[Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson|Lord Nelson]] whom he had met in 1802 when mayor of [[Carmarthen]].<ref name=Kuiters/> Paxton's efforts to revive the town succeeded and after the [[Battle of Trafalgar]], the growth of Victorian Tenby was inevitable.

===Fashionable Resort===
[[File:Pem and Tenby.png|thumb|left|[[Pembroke and Tenby Railway]] (1868)]]
The borough was reformed to become a [[municipal borough]] in 1836. 

Through both the [[Georgian era|Georgian]] and [[Victorian era]]s Tenby was renowned as a health resort and centre for botanical and geological study.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.virtualtenby.co.uk/hist-vict.asp|title=Victorian History Tenby|website=virtualtenby.co.uk}}</ref> With many features of the town being constructed to provide areas for healthy seaside walks, due to the walkways being built to accommodate Victorian nannies pushing prams, many of the beaches today still retain good disabled access. In 1856 writer Mary Ann Evans (pen-name [[George Eliot]]) accompanied [[George Henry Lewes]] to Tenby to gather materials for his work ''Seaside Studies'' published in 1858.

[[File:Tenby Life Boat Stations - geograph.org.uk - 1528830.jpg|thumb|The old 1905 (cream & red) and new 2008 (silver) RNLI Tenby Lifeboat Station]]
In 1852, [[the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society]] deployed a lifeboat to the town, taken over in 1854 by the [[Royal National Lifeboat Institution]]. In 1905 a [[Tenby Lifeboat Station|slip-way equipped lifeboat station]] was built on Castle Hill. It was replaced by a modern station in 2008.

[[Tenby railway station]] and the [[Pembroke and Tenby Railway]] were opened as far as [[Pembroke, Pembrokeshire|Pembroke]] on 30&nbsp;July&nbsp;1863. The extended line to [[Pembroke Dock]] opened on 8&nbsp;August&nbsp;1864. In 1866, the line was connected to [[Whitland railway station]].<ref>[http://www.pembrokeshirevirtualmuseum.co.uk/main_menu/trade_and_industry/trains/a_chronology_of_pembrokeshire_railways.html History of Pembrokeshire Railways] Pembrokeshire Virtual Museum. Retrieved 3 March 2009</ref> In 1867, work began on the construction of the [[Palmerston Forts|Palmerston Fort]] on St Catherine's Island. The Army had control of the fort during 1887{{ndash}}1895.<ref>{{cite web|title=St Catherine's Island|url=http://tenbyisland.co.uk/|access-date=13 May 2015}}</ref>

===Twentieth Century===
From 1860 until 1947 the borough council was based at [[Tenby Town Hall]] on High Street.<ref name=listed>{{NHAW|desc=The Old Town Hall and Market Hall|num=6169|access-date=5 June 2022}}</ref> In 1947 the council moved to Croft House on The Norton, later renaming it Guildhall.<ref>{{cite news |title=£12,000 Hotel as Civic Centre |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/ |access-date=7 August 2022 |work=Western Mail |date=1 May 1947 |location=Cardiff |page=3}}</ref><ref>{{NHAW|desc=Croft House|num=6195|access-date=7 August 2022}}</ref> Tenby Borough Council was abolished under the [[Local Government Act 1972]], with a less powerful Tenby Town Coucil taking over.  The borough powers were subsumed into a new district of [[South Pembrokeshire]] within the county of [[Dyfed]] on 1 April 1974, although both the county and district were abolished in 1996 with Tenby became part of a re-established [[County of Pembrokeshire]].<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|year=1994|chapter=19|act=Local Government (Wales) Act 1994|accessdate=7 August 2022}}</ref> The town council left the guildhall for new offices in the mid-1980s.<ref>Telephone directory, 1982: Tenby Town Council, Guildhall</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=50544|page=7670|date=9 June 1986}}</ref>

Sections of the old town walls have survived, as does the Victorian revival architecture in a pastel colour scheme. The economy is based on tourism, supported by a range of craft, art and other stores. {{as of|2017|April}}, there are 372 [[listed building]]s and other structures in and around Tenby.<ref>{{cite web|title=Listed Buildings in Tenby, Pembrokeshire|url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/wales/tenby-pembrokeshire|website=British Listed Buildings|access-date=21 April 2017}}</ref>