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Name of Place: Llamphey; County: Pembroke; Number of Miles from: Pembroke – 4; Tenby – 8; Narbarth – 10; Dist. Lond. – 265; Population: 197.

Llamphey, a small village, crossed by the high road between Tenby and Pembroke. The church is adorned with a fine tower, and close by stands an ancient cross. Here are the ruins of the stately mansion of Lamphey-court, one of the seven palaces of the bishops of St. David’s, and where the unfortunate Earl of Essex passed his early years. It is entered by an arched gateway, with a niche over it. We come next to a square tower, evidently a porter’s-lodge. A paved path then leads to a flight of steps to a room, called the red chamber, the floor of which is of hard stucco. A little way to the right is the chapel; the east window still exhibiting most elegant tracery. A little further, in a projection to the right, occur some of the great rooms, ascended by a staircase from without, finished, on the north side, with an open parapet, and under them the kitchen, pointed at the top, and ribbed. Separated by several ruined apartments, vaulted beneath, to the west, ascend by a ladder into a larger and grander room than the former, the door and window casings of free-stone, and at one end a door opening to a retiring chamber. To the east of the chapel which looks into it, is a large paddock, once occupied by the gardens and orchards, in which is still a small fish-pond. It had a warren and park. The north wall of the great barn or granary, attributed to Bishop Vaughan, still exists. The beacon for alarm, in case of invasion, is placed upon an ancient tumulus near Llanfey.

Source: England and Wales Delineated by Thomas Dugdale assisted by William Burnett; published by Tallis & Co., Green Arbour Court, Old Bailey, 1835.