England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Nash St Mary

The Parish

The parish of Nash lies in southern Pembrokeshire roughly 2 miles northeast of the town of Pembroke. Nash sits immediately north of the A477 road which connects Pembroke Dock through to St Clears. There is very little to Nash, a farm and church stand a quarter mile north of the A477 at Lower Nash whilst other farms and cottages lie alongside the latter road, a quarter of a mile to the south lies the hamlet of Upper Nash again little more than a grouping of farms and cottages. The parish is a tiny one with most land set to pasture, a small stream bisects the parish running down to an inlet of Milford Haven which would have once provided access to a shell-fishery, nowadays too industrialised to be used.  That small stream drains the parish westwards into Milford Haven. Nash is sited at around 20 metres above the sea at the church which Upper Nash some 20 metres higher, the isolated hillock of Mutton Hill to the south reaches 70 metres whilst the low ridge extending eastwards tops 80 metres in a few spots. Nash parish covered just under 600 acres and supported a population of around 100 parishioners. Like most of Wales Nash is not mentioned in Domesday Book which did not cover this area.

The Church

St Mary's church sits at Lower Nash together with the large farm of Lower Nash Farm, the narrow lane leading to the church is signed off the A477 by a prominent white signboard. Early gazetteers describe Nash's church as having been "a very ancient structure". Sadly that structure was replaced by today's church in 1847 so what we see today is not the venue for these marriages. A simple single chambered structure with a later vestry added its main adornment is the western bellcote. Internally, however, St Mary has some unique features having had retained its box pews, double-decker and western gallery making it well worth a visit. Thankfully opposite the churchyard there is a broad parking area allowing safe parking and turning outside the farm's entrance. A narrow gap in the stone walling to the right leads to the churchyard, apart from a close tree in the southwest all other aspects are available for the photographer.