Tenby workshop seeks community help to record historic placenames
Residents are invited to a Tenby community workshop on 22 October to add missing historic names to the national park’s record, with refreshments provided.
A community workshop will open in Tenby on Thursday, 22 October, to collect historic local placenames. The session runs from 1 pm to 6 pm at Augustus Place Community Hall, SA70 7DJ.
It is being hosted by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority in partnership with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. The event marks the seventh and final workshop in a series the authority has run across the national park during 2026.
Organisers aim to fill gaps in the official placenames record, particularly names that do not appear on Ordnance Survey maps. Local residents are asked to contribute old field names, lane titles, footpaths and historic building names.
“Come along to the Placenames workshop and help develop Tenby and the surrounding area’s placenames record.” Maps and other materials are very welcome.”
Participants may bring printed maps, photographs, family archives or any written material that records a name.
The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority says the information will be added to a digital database accessible to researchers and planners. RCAHMW will verify submissions and integrate them into the wider national heritage record.
“Our aim is to capture the living memory of the landscape before it fades,” a spokesperson for the commission explained. The workshop follows similar events held in St Davids, Aberaeron and the Preseli Hills earlier this year.
Each previous session has added dozens of names, enriching the cultural map of the park. In Tenby, volunteers have already identified several lane names that have disappeared from modern signage.
One resident recalled a footpath known locally as “Mynydd‑Gwyn” that is absent from current maps. Another contributor mentioned an old orchard called “Cae’r Gwydd” that once supplied the town’s markets.
Such entries help illustrate how the community’s language and land‑use have evolved over centuries. Local historians note that many Welsh‑language names were anglicised or omitted during 19th‑century mapping.
Restoring these names supports bilingual signage and promotes cultural tourism. The workshop will provide refreshments and biscuits for attendees.
Organisers stress that no prior experience is required; anyone with a story or a scrap of paper is welcome. All contributions will be recorded on site by volunteers trained in archival handling.
Digital copies of the submissions will be stored on the national park’s open‑access portal. The authority hopes the final workshop will complete a comprehensive placenames register for the entire Pembrokeshire Coast area.
Once compiled, the record will inform future map revisions, educational programmes and heritage trails. Local schools have been invited to take part, offering pupils a chance to engage with their surroundings.
Teachers see the project as a practical way to teach Welsh history and geography. Community groups are also encouraged to share the event through social media and local noticeboards.
The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority reminds participants to bring any relevant documents, however small. All material will be handled in accordance with data protection guidelines.
Those unable to attend in person may contact the authority to arrange a drop‑off of information. The workshop represents the last opportunity in 2026 for Tenby residents to directly influence the official placenames record.
Organisers thank volunteers for their ongoing support in preserving the linguistic heritage of the coastline.