Discover the rich heritage, vibrant trades, and close-knit community that shaped one of Pembrokeshire's most beloved market towns. Our volunteer-run museum preserves centuries of local history for generations to come.
Narberth Museum is a community-led heritage centre dedicated to telling the story of Narberth and its people. Founded by local volunteers with a shared passion for the town's past, we have grown from a small collection of donated artefacts into a cherished cultural institution that welcomes thousands of visitors each year.
Our exhibitions explore everything from Narberth's medieval origins and its historic castle to the trades, businesses, and families that gave the town its character. Through objects, photographs, documents, and personal testimonies, we bring the past to life in ways that are accessible, engaging, and meaningful for all ages.
Entirely volunteer-run and free to enter, we rely on the generosity of the local community, visitors, and supporters who believe that every town deserves to know its own history.
Our main exhibition space, housed in the heart of Narberth town.
A chronological journey through Narberth's history, from its earliest medieval settlement and the rise of its castle, through the bustling market years, to the community we know today. Featuring maps, artefacts, photographs, and personal accounts.
Explore the skilled tradespeople who built and sustained the town: blacksmiths, saddlers, drapers, tanners, and bakers. Original tools, trade signs, and workshop equipment help recreate the sights and sounds of Narberth's working heritage.
Personal stories of Narberth men and women during both World Wars. Letters, photographs, medals, and uniforms donated by local families commemorate those who served and those who kept the home fires burning in this corner of Wales.
A temporary exhibition celebrating the textile history of the region, featuring samples, patterns, and accounts from the wool and weaving traditions of Pembrokeshire. Includes rare examples of local tweed and hand-woven cloth from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
A growing archive of portrait photographs submitted by local residents, each accompanied by a short personal history. This living exhibition captures the diversity and continuity of community life across successive generations of Narberth families.
Narberth's market charter dates to 1240. This exhibition explores the extraordinary role the weekly market played in shaping the town's economy, social life, and identity through reconstructed stalls, ledgers, and vivid photographic records of market day.
Over a thousand items spanning centuries of Narberth and Pembrokeshire life, carefully catalogued and preserved by our dedicated volunteer team.
Parish records, deeds, trade licences, census returns, and personal letters offering a written record of Narberth life across four centuries.
Hundreds of original prints and glass plate negatives capturing Narberth's streets, people, events, and trades from the Victorian era through to the late 20th century.
Tools, equipment, and products from the blacksmiths, coopers, cobblers, and other tradespeople who were the economic backbone of the market town.
Donations from local families: medals, clothing, domestic objects, toys, and keepsakes that bring ordinary lives into sharp and moving focus.
Plans, drawings, and surveys of Narberth's buildings, from its medieval castle to the Georgian townhouses that still line the High Street today.
Historic OS maps, estate maps, and locally drawn plans showing how the landscape and townscape of Narberth have changed and endured over centuries.
Recorded interviews with long-standing residents and former tradespeople, preserving first-hand accounts of life in Narberth throughout the 20th century.
Locally published pamphlets, auction catalogues, programmes, postcards, and newspapers that capture the everyday texture of Narberth's social history.
From illustrated talks by local historians to family activity days and themed exhibitions, there is always something happening at Narberth Museum.
Local historian Gareth Thomas explores the shops, workshops, and businesses that once lined the High Street, using archive photographs and original trade records.
A hands-on session where families can create their own decorative Welsh alphabet tiles inspired by the traditional ceramics in our collection. All materials provided.
The opening day of our annual community photography showcase, featuring images submitted by local residents capturing the landscapes, landmarks, and life of Pembrokeshire today.
A guided walk around Narberth's historic core, led by one of our museum volunteers. Visit the castle ruins, the old market square, and key historic buildings with expert commentary.
An evening lecture on the cattle and sheep drovers who crossed Pembrokeshire on their long journeys to English markets, exploring their routes, culture, and lasting legacy on the region's landscape.
Our education programme connects the Welsh curriculum to real local history, giving pupils the chance to handle artefacts, meet volunteers who remember the recent past, and explore their own community's story in depth.
Hands-on sessions tailored for years 1–6, focusing on local heritage and the senses of history.
In-depth curriculum visits supporting GCSE and A-level history, geography, and Welsh Baccalaureate.
We welcome community groups, WI branches, uniformed organisations, and adult learning classes.
Themed workshops including object handling, local map-reading, and oral history recording.
"Bringing our pupils to Narberth Museum was one of the highlights of our history term. The volunteers were wonderful — patient, knowledgeable, and genuinely inspiring. Our children left with a real sense of belonging to something older and more meaningful than they'd imagined."Class Teacher, Narberth Primary School
School visits typically last between 60 and 90 minutes and can be tailored to match your current topic. We recommend groups of no more than 32 pupils with appropriate adult supervision.
We are happy to discuss your curriculum requirements and plan a visit that meets your specific learning outcomes. Contact us at least three weeks before your intended visit date.
Our gift shop stocks a carefully chosen selection of locally produced goods, heritage publications, and quality souvenirs. Every purchase directly supports the museum and its work.
Titles on Narberth, Pembrokeshire, and Welsh heritage — many published locally and unavailable elsewhere.
Reproductions of archive photographs and illustrations from our collection, printed to a high standard on quality paper.
Handmade items from Pembrokeshire craftspeople: ceramics, textiles, jewellery, and woodwork celebrating the local tradition.
Tea towels, mugs, tote bags, and stationery featuring designs inspired by our collection and Narberth's heritage — only available here.
The shop is open during all museum opening hours. Payment by cash or card accepted. Proceeds support collections care and community programming.
The Normans establish a motte-and-bailey castle at Narberth, giving the settlement its strategic and administrative importance in the new Norman order of south Wales.
Narberth receives its market charter, establishing a weekly market that will define the town's economic and social life for the next eight centuries.
Narberth is formally constituted as a borough, bringing new rights, responsibilities, and a burgess system that would shape local governance for centuries.
Narberth is touched by the Rebecca Riots as local farmers protest unjust turnpike tolls, a pivotal moment in Welsh working-class history and a story told in our permanent exhibition.
The Great Western Railway reaches Narberth, transforming trade, travel, and the town's connection to the wider world, and bringing new prosperity to local merchants and farmers.
Dozens of Narberth men serve in the Great War. The town's war memorial, unveiled in 1921, commemorates those who did not return, and remains a focal point of remembrance today.
A group of dedicated local volunteers establishes the Narberth Museum to collect, preserve, and display the heritage of the town before living memories and physical artefacts are lost.
Narberth Museum continues to grow its collection, welcome school groups, host talks, and celebrate the community that makes this Pembrokeshire market town unique. The story is still being written.
"A real hidden gem. The volunteers clearly love what they do, and that enthusiasm is infectious. We spent two hours there and could have stayed longer. Brilliant for all ages."
"I grew up in Narberth and had no idea just how rich the town's history was. Seeing my grandfather's workplace photographed in the collection moved me more than I expected. A wonderful place."
"We brought Year 4 here for a history day and it was superb. The object-handling session was particularly memorable — the children were captivated. We'll definitely be back next year."
A Narberth family has generously donated a remarkable collection of trade items and personal effects from three generations of a local saddlery business, significantly expanding our holdings on the town's leather trade. The items include original hand tools, order books, and a series of photographs dating from the 1890s through to the 1960s.
Narberth Museum is powered entirely by volunteers — local people who give their time, skills, and enthusiasm to keep our heritage alive. Whether you have specialist knowledge or simply a love of local history, there is a role for you.
Our volunteers come from all walks of life and all ages. Some contribute a few hours a week; others are deeply involved in research projects and cataloguing work. We provide full training and a warm welcome to anyone who shares our commitment to preserving Narberth's story.
Fill in the form below and a member of our volunteer coordinator team will be in touch within five working days to discuss how you might like to get involved.
Not ready to volunteer but still want to support us? Consider becoming a Friend of Narberth Museum. Friends receive advance notice of events, invitations to private viewings, and the warm knowledge that they are helping to preserve something irreplaceable.