From Barafundle Bay to Glamorgan, there are plenty of beautiful spots to explore in Wales that attract hordes of crowds.
But there is one gorgeous Welsh village that locals don’t want tourists to discover, and for good reason.
Stackpole village, in Pembrokeshire, is home to just 200 residents and is a medieval settlement dating back to 1735.
The area has an interesting history – it was moved and rebuilt to make room for Stackpole Estate, which was once home to a grand Georgian mansion that was later destroyed and is now a National Trust site.
Now, after seeing Barafundle Bay named as the UK’s most-loved beach, the nearby Stackpole village wants to remain out of the limelight and avoid attracting hordes of social media tourists.
Residents are trying to avoid converting homes to holiday lets and a consensus of the local community being put first maintained throughout the village.
A beloved 16th-century watering hole, the Stackpole Inn, has kept its history and original features instead of expanding the business to suit the needs of added visitors.
Cultural heritage preservation is a big effort for the local area, and traditional celebrations including the Lantern Festival are kept as a local community affair.
From Barafundle Bay (pictured) to Glamorgan, there are plenty of beautiful spots to explore in Wales that attract hordes of crowds
But there is one gorgeous Welsh village that locals don’t want tourists to discover, and for good reasons. Pictured: Visitors at Barafundle Bay
The ritual dates back to the 11th century and though not consistently prominent, this year was celebrated by a lantern parade organised by National Trust Cymru.
At the time, Rhian Sula, a General Manager for Pembrokeshire told Journee: ‘It’s great to be able to host an event that gets people to come together at Stackpole after the depths of winter and really connect with the landscape and our cultural heritage.’
Elsewhere in the village, 800-year-old St James Church boasts medieval stonework and other impressive features.
However, wardens reportedly don’t organise activities that could draw in too much attention from tourists.
Instead of being overwhelmed by the millions of annual visitors to Pembrokeshire, Stackpole hopes to preserve its community through more sustainable tourism.
Visitors can stay at The Stackpole Inn all year round, and Pembroke has plenty of other accommodation close by.
Stackpole Quay is a short drive away and has free parking that is only a 20-minute walk from Barafundle Bay, along picturesque cliffs.
The route is reportedly to help manage the number of tourists in the area.
Stackpole village, in Pembrokeshire, is home to just 200 residents and is a medieval settlement dating back to 1735
It’s understandable why locals don’t want too many visitors to discover Stackpole, as a pretty Cotswolds village made headlines earlier this month for the influx of ‘TikTok tourists’.
Recently, Bourton-on-the-Water has seen a rise in day-trippers and holidaymakers all wanting to capture the beautiful area for themselves to post on social media.
With the increase in ‘hit-and-run tourists’, so named by Cotswold district councillor Jon Wareing, there has also been a wave of litter and reportedly even poor behaviour directed towards residents.
He fumed to BBC News: ‘This kind of visitor tends to have little real interest in the heritage, culture or natural environment they are exploiting for clicks.’
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