Burton
Burton is a pleasant boating village with a landing pontoon in summer and a popular waterside pub with a riverside beer garden. Until 1982, HMS Warrior was moored on the river opposite Burton. It was used as a floating pontoon for the naval feul depot that once stood on the opposite bank. It was taken from Burton to Hartlepool to be renovated and refitted as it would have been when it was the Navys flaghip. It's now at Portsmouth Harbour. There are photographs of The Warrior in The Jolly Sailor.
Picture: Burton
The Jolly Sailor at Burton provides an extensive lunchtime and evening menu. Another pub at the top of the hill, The Stable Bar, and a nearby hotel at Beggars Reach also have serve food.
Picture: The upper reaches of The Daugleddau Estuary near Llangwm
Llangwm
Llangwm is an attractive old fishing village built around an inlet further upstream from Burton. Unusually for Wales, the normal pronounciation of the double 'L' isn't used here. Llangwm is pronounced 'Langum'.
Picture: The scarecrow festival at Llangwm
The village was established by The Normans after they invaded south Pembrokeshire. They brought in disposessed Flemish refugees and placed then in between themselves and the Welsh to the north. Prior to this, local folklore suggests previous settlers were viking raiders who over wintered on the Milford Haven waterway. The landing slip at Black Tar provides access to the river for small boat users at all states of the tide. There's a pub, The Cottage Inn and a small village shop at Llangwm. The highlight of the Llangwm calendar id the scarecrow festival at the end of June.
Picture: Black Tar near Llangwm
Hook
Hook village is north of Llangwm. This green and pleasant village was once a busy with coal mining with dozens of small pits extracting anthracite. The last pit closed in 1959 and almost nothing remains to indicate where it was. Little Milford Woods, owned by The National Trust, border the northern end of the village where a small car park can be found. These woods cover the high banks of the western cleddau which meanders around the village. For an interesting walk, go down to the bottom of Pill Road and take the old miners drove road over to Lower Quay Road. There's a small village shop in Hook.
Picture: Little Milford Woods at Hook
All three villages lie within or near to the Daugleddau (two swords) Estuary section of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park with its superb river scenery and choice of riverside walks.
There are a few small camping & caravan sites nearby. There are one or two B&B's and hotels in the vicinity and in nearby Haverfordwest. There are also a few self catering cottages and chalets, especially in Burton.