National cultural landmark threatened with downgrade by National Park

Published

8 months ago

April 14, 2025

CONCERNS are mounting over the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority’s (PCNPA) proposed reconfiguration of Oriel y Parc Landscape Gallery, regarded as a landmark cultural venue in St Davids.

The plan would see the gallery’s world-class art exhibition spaces repurposed into a National Park Discovery Centre, which campaigners say will effectively downgrade its original mission to showcase Welsh artistic heritage and fine art from the National Collection.

Built with £3.3 million in public and EU funding, Oriel y Parc was purpose-designed as a premier venue to celebrate the landscapes and artistic richness of Wales. It serves as the permanent home for works by renowned British artist Graham Sutherland and has previously hosted exhibitions featuring Constable and other greats, drawing tens of thousands of visitors and benefiting local schools, families, artists, and the wider tourism economy.

Campaigners fear that turning away from its original artistic focus would not only undermine the building’s architectural integrity but also betray the vision that first brought it to life.

“How can a gallery thrive when it is no longer given the opportunity to showcase the art it was built for?” asks campaign organisers.

“The recent decline in visitor numbers is not due to waning interest in art, but rather a lack of ambitious fine art programming since 2018.”

But Tegryn Jones, who is the Chief Executive of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, stated in a recent BBC Wales Today interview:

“The gallery has to change… audience tastes develop during that time and I think we would be rightly criticised if we hadn’t evolved and tried to meet the needs of current visitors and current residents.”

While campaigners agree that evolution is necessary, they argue that the solution is to revitalise – not repurpose – the gallery’s fine art offering.

They are now calling on PCNPA to restore the full Class A gallery space for its intended use and to collaborate with the National Museum of Wales and the wider arts community to reinstate a dynamic, high-quality art programme that reflects the gallery’s founding vision.

A petition has now been launched urging PCNPA to:

Reinstate the entire gallery space for ongoing exhibitions from the National Collection;

Continue the permanent rotating display of Graham Sutherland’s work;.

Protect the architectural and cultural integrity of Oriel y Parc;

Reaffirm its role as a cultural jewel in Wales.

The petition can be signed by clicking on the following link.

Crime

Man charged with strangulation and assault offences after October incident

Published

12 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

A MAN recorded in court as having no fixed abode has appeared before magistrates charged with intentional strangulation and two further assault offences.

Michael Sudbury, 50, whose address was not read out in court, but in Herald records is Glan Hafan, Llangwm, appeared before the bench facing multiple charges.

The charges relate to an incident on 22 October 2025 and include:

Intentional strangulation, contrary to section 75A of the Serious Crime Act 2015
Common assault
Assault by beating

No further details of the alleged incident were opened in court, and no plea was entered at this stage.

Sudbury was remanded on conditional bail, with the case listed to return to magistrates later this month.

Crime

Haverfordwest man sent to Crown Court on multiple serious charges

Published

12 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded in custody

A HAVERFORDWEST man has been sent to Swansea Crown Court to stand trial on a series of A 49-year-old Haverfordwest resident has been committed to Swansea Crown Court to face trial on multiple serious charges deemed too grave for magistrates to handle.

David Guy, of Market Street, Haverfordwest, appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates facing a series of allegations stemming from a single case. The charges, which were not detailed in open court, include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
A second count of assault
Criminal damage
An additional allegation of interpersonal violence
A public order offence

Magistrates declined jurisdiction, determining that the matters exceeded their sentencing powers, and sent the case in its entirety to Swansea Crown Court.

Guy was remanded in custody pending his next appearance. The court register notes: “Sent to Crown Court for trial in custody – next hearing at Swansea Crown Court.”

A date for the initial Crown Court hearing will be set administratively. Guy will remain in custody until then.

The Pembrokeshire Herald will provide further updates as the case progresses in the Crown Court.

Crime

Castlemartin man back before magistrates over multiple alleged assaults

Published

12 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded on conditional bail ahead of further hearing

A CASTLEMARTIN man has appeared repeatedly before magistrates this month over a string A 40-year-old man from Castlemartin has made repeated appearances before magistrates this month in connection with a series of serious alleged offences, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), intentional non-fatal strangulation, common assault, and criminal damage.

Anthony Alcock, of Pwll Street, Castlemartin, is facing six linked charges stemming from incidents said to have occurred earlier this year. These appear to relate to the same complainant in what is understood to be a single ongoing domestic abuse prosecution.

During recent administrative hearings at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court, Alcock did not enter pleas while matters of bail and case management were addressed.

Charges Include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
Intentional non-fatal strangulation
Common assault on a woman
Criminal damage in a domestic context
Additional assault allegations involving the same complainant
Breach of bail conditions

Alcock was initially granted conditional bail but was subsequently brought before the court on two occasions for alleged breaches. On those instances, magistrates remanded him in custody ahead of further hearings. He was later re-granted conditional bail, subject to strict conditions such as no contact with the complainant and exclusion from specified locations.

Magistrates have now declined jurisdiction, ruling that the case—particularly the more serious charges involving non-fatal strangulation—is too grave for summary trial. It has been committed to Swansea Crown Court for plea, trial, or sentencing.

No detailed evidence has been presented in open court at this preliminary stage. Alcock remains on conditional bail pending his next appearance at the Crown Court.