Spittal, Pembrokeshire

Spittal is a village, parish and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated on the A40 trunk road, approximately halfway between Haverfordwest and Fishguard. It had a population of 494 as of the 2011 census.

Name

The village's name is a corruption of the word 'hospital', which is also the root of place names such as Spitalfields, London, Spital, Merseyside and Spital-in-the-Street, Lincolnshire. The village possessed a hospitium belonging to the Cathedral of St Davids. No trace of this remains.

History

The parish was in the Hundred of Dungleddy, and in the early 19th century had a population of 452, including a number of smaller settlements. There are the remains of several ancient encampments in the parish.

Amenities

Amenities include a community hall, a village green and a pub, the Pump on the Green.
The parish church of St Mary is a Grade II listed building of mediaeval origins, restored in the 19th century. The font is 12th or 13th century.
In 2004 a new primary school was built in the village to educate approximately 150 pupils from the village and surrounding area.