The Coach House
2008 has been a very exciting time for Hanes Llandoch with the completion and opening of The Coach House Heritage Centre. The building was opened for business on June 16th and since then we have welcomed a large number of visitors through the doors. For those readers who have not yet had a chance to visit The Coach House I will explain a little bit about the background to the project and what to expect when you visit. 
Hanes Llandoch was formed over eight years ago as a result of St, Dogmaels Community Councils' suggestion that a function be found to put the beautiful but derelict Victorian Coach House to good use. Thus began a long and laborious process of feasibility studies, grant funding bids and sheer hard work that reached fruition with the final completion of the renovated Coach House. Trendbrick Ltd of Eglwyswrw was awarded the construction contract and has completed the building works to an extremely high standard. A huge debt of gratitude is owed to the various funding bodies that have enabled this to occur. They include The Heritage Lottery Fund, The Big Lottery, CADW, WAG, Objective 1, The Rural Development Programme and many more private beneficiaries too numerous to name individually. Their vision and benevolence has provided the community of St. Dogmaels with a multi-functional resource that will bring social and economic benefits to the area.
The old Victorian building has had a new lease of life through the sensitive restoration and extension. The new-build makes no attempt to emulate the Victorian architectural style of the old but instead fuses contemporary design with sustainable materials to create a well-mannered building that does not overpower the elegance of the original building. The architect was Chris Thomas Associates of Goodwick. As you enter the building the visual impact is impressive. The Pembrokeshire green oak frame provides a light and airy interior. The light makes it especially suitable for displaying the works of local artists. The cafe specialises in freshly prepared, locally produced home-cooking and all the coffees and teas are Fair Trade. The cakes and cookies are home-baked by staff and volunteers using the finest ingredients. Whether it's the fine home cooking or the ambient interior it is a place that people like to linger, catch up with friends or simply read the paper. Visitors can also browse the large variety of gifts, toys, books and jewellery on display at very competitive prices.
The Coach House tells the story of the community of St. Dogmaels over a thousand years. The permanent exhibition and museum uses a variety of innovative ways to interpret the history of St Dogmaels Abbey and the wider community. The museum is divided into two eras' the early Christian standing stones, originally part of the Christian clas dedicated to St. Dogmaels and the later carved stones from the medieval abbey. One of the beautiful standing stones has been adopted as the logo for Hanes Llandoch with its simple Celtic cross. A computer generated reconstruction of the abbey offers the viewer a chance to appreciate the scale and magnitude of the Abbey in its heyday. Resting peacefully in an alcove is the cadaver tomb effigy presumed to be of previous abbot. The Millennium Tapestry-The Coach House is very proud to be the home for the St. Dogmaels’ Millennium Tapestry, designed and stitched by members of The Tapestry Group. These wonderful panels depict almost two thousand years of St. Dogmaels' history, ranging from the early Christian period, through the Viking raids, the Norman abbey to the seine net fishing and boat building at Pinog. (Nia Siggins Dec.2008)
