Tenby, Medieval coastal town in Pembrokeshire, Wales
Tenby sits on the southern coast of Pembrokeshire and is a walled coastal town with Georgian houses and three sandy beaches inside 13th-century stone defenses. The harbour offers access to surrounding waters and to the offshore island of Caldey.
The Normans took control of the settlement in the early 12th century and turned it into a fortified port. The surviving town walls were built in the 13th century to protect the town from sea attacks.
The Welsh name Dinbych-y-pysgod means "little fortress of the fish" and recalls centuries when fishermen made their living along this shore. Today the harbour front shows rows of pastel-painted houses that families and visitors admire while walking through the narrow lanes inside the medieval walls.
Most streets inside the walls are narrow and made for walking, so moving around on foot works best. In summer months boats to nearby Caldey Island run from the harbour on weekdays and Saturdays.
The Tudor Merchant's House shows the original layout and furniture of a wealthy 16th-century trading family right in the old town. The rooms offer a view into the daily life of merchants and their households from that period.
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