Tenby, Old Town Wall c.1925

Photo ref: T23002

More about this scene

This is St Florence Parade, with the Five Arches in the distance. The square gun tower on the right, c1500, was constructed against the curtain wall, and contains two chambers. The arrow slits are rounded at the bottom to accommodate early firearms and crossbows. Limerick or Belmont Arch was built in about 1865 to allow access to the Earl of Limerick's property on the other side of the wall. PROBABLY the best-known and most prominent feature of the walled town is the Five Arches, which date back to about 1328. This gateway, an innovative design brought back from the Crusades to the Holy Land, had its entrance on the side; this made it battering ram-proof, and brought invaders into the line of fire of defenders along the top of the wall. The original entrance has a slot for its portcullis, whereas the remaining four arches were knocked through in the 19th century to improve the flow of traffic in and out of the town. Tenby was never really designed for use by the motorcar, and apart from some Victorian road widening, with the demolition of some old terraces and properties, it still largely adheres to its medieval street system. Outside the town wall, many streets were laid out principally to provide lodging houses for the many visitors who came to the town once Tenby became part of the wider rail network.