Editing Fishguard (section)

==History==
[[File:Upper & Lower Town of Fishguard, Pembrokeshire.jpeg|thumb|Upper and lower Fishguard, {{circa|1830}}]]

Fishguard is within the historic Welsh [[cantref]] of {{lang|cy|[[Cemais (Dyfed)|Cemais]]|italic=no}}, and part of the Welsh province of {{lang|cy|[[Kingdom of Dyfed|Dyfed]]|italic=no}}, within the historic Principality of {{lang|cy|[[Deheubarth]]|italic=no}}.<ref name="Foundation">Davies, John, ''A History of Wales'', Penguin, 1994, ''foundations of'' pp. 17, 19, 43; ''Migration of the Desi into Demetia'', p. 52; ''Demetia'' 17, 30, 34; ''ruling house of'' pp. 52, 72, 85, 87; ''and the Vikings'' p. 85' ''relations with Alfred of Wessex'', p. 85; ''and the Vikings/Northmen'' p. 98, ''and the Normans'' pp. 106, 112, 114</ref> The coasts of Wales were subject to Norse raids during the [[Viking Age]], and in the latter part of the 10th century Norse trading posts and settlements emerged within Dyfed, with Fishguard established sometime between 950 and 1000 AD.<ref name="Foundation"/>

In 1078 Goodwick Moor, was the scene of a bloody battle in which Rhys, son of Owain ap Edwyn, was defeated and slain by Trahaearn ap Caradog (Brut y Tywysogion) in the Battle of Pwllgwdig.

The English place name indicates that there may have been a Scandinavian trading post, although no evidence has been found.<ref>Charles, ''ibid'', p. xxxvi</ref> However, the V-shaped stone structures of ancient fish traps can still be seen at low tide on both sides of the bay, and it is believed these were the foundations for wooden fences that would trap the fish as the tide went out. Other examples can be found around the country, and they probably date from Saxon times, though similar devices have been in use since Neolithic times.

Called ''Fiscard'' until the turn of the 19th century when the name was Anglicised, Fishguard was a [[marcher borough]] and in 1603 was described as one of five Pembrokeshire boroughs overseen by a [[portreeve]].<ref>Owen, George, ''The Description of Penbrokshire by George Owen of Henllys Lord of Kemes'', Henry Owen (Ed.), London, 1892</ref> The [[Normans|Norman]] settlement lay along what is now High Street between the church at its north end and the remains of a Norman [[motte-and-bailey|motte]] at its south end.

In 1912, [[Denys Corbett Wilson]] made the first flight between Britain and Ireland. Starting his journey from Hendon aerodrome on 17 April 1912, he eventually landed in Goodwick on 21 April having made a few unscheduled stops along the way. He then set off from a field near Harbour Village at 5:47 on 22 April and crash-landed 100 minutes later in Crane near Enniscorthy in County Wexford.

Lower Fishguard developed as a [[herring]] fishery and port, trading with Ireland, [[Bristol]] and [[Liverpool]]. In the late 18th century it had 50 coasting vessels, and exported [[oats]] and salt herring.<ref>Barrett, J. H., ''The Pembrokeshire Coast Path'', HMSO, 1974, {{ISBN|0-11-700336-0}}, p 44</ref> In 1779, the port was raided by the [[privateer]] ''Black Prince'',<ref>[http://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_ship&id=12891] threedecks.org: American Privateer ship ''Black Prince'' (1778)</ref> which bombarded the town when the payment of a £1,000 ransom was refused. As a result, Fishguard Fort was completed in 1781, overlooking Lower Fishguard.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sitesandstones.blogspot.com/2009/04/fishguard-fort-pembrokeshire.html|title=Sites and Stones: Fishguard Fort, Pembrokeshire|first=Gavin|last=Lloyd Wilson|date=18 April 2009|website=Sites and Stones}}</ref> The port declined in the latter half of the 19th century.

Fishguard's ancient Royal Oak public house was the site of the signing of surrender after the [[Battle of Fishguard]]. This brief campaign, on 22–24 February 1797, is the most recent landing on British soil by a hostile foreign force, and thus is often referred to as the "last invasion of mainland Britain". A force of 1,400 French soldiers landed near Fishguard but surrendered two days later.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wargame.ch/wc/nwc/newsletter/21st_edition/Newsletter21/fishguard.html |title=The Battle of Fishguard: The Last Invasion of Great Britain |first=Jon |last=Latimer |date=12 July 2003 |access-date=7 May 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090427193635/http://www.wargame.ch/wc/nwc/newsletter/21st_edition/Newsletter21/fishguard.html |archive-date=27 April 2009}}</ref>

A 19th-century vicar of Fishguard, the Rev. Samuel Fenton MA, wrote the book ''The History of Pembrokeshire''.<ref name=genuki1833>{{cite web|title=FISHGUARD – from Lewis' ''Topographical Dictionary of Wales'' (1833) |url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/PEM/Fishguard/Fishguard1833.html |publisher=[[Genuki]] |access-date=22 September 2018 }}</ref>

The ancient Parliamentary Borough of Fishguard was contributory to the Borough of [[Haverfordwest (UK Parliament constituency)|Haverfordwest]]. During the [[Second World War]], the Fishguard Bay Hotel was Station IXc of [[Special Operations Executive]] where [[submersible]]s were tested in Fishguard Bay.

Fishguard & Goodwick Golf Club was founded in 1921 and closed in the 1960s.<ref>[http://www.golfsmissinglinks.co.uk/index.php/wales-64/1039-fishguard-a-goodwick-golf-club-pembrokeshire "Fishguard & Goodwick Golf Club"], "Golf's Missing Links".</ref>