David Street is a Pembrokeshire based photographer. We always think of Pembrokeshire as a picturesque county free from the worry and concerns of everyday life, almost as if it is set in aspic. David Street does capture images that reflect the natural beauty of this part of the Welsh Coast, however he also photographs its industry and working towns, the side of the Pembrokeshire Coast that is often overlooked and considered less beautiful.
David Street tells the story of this set of images in his own words
“My photographic journey begins in Pembroke Dock, a former Royal Navy Dockyard on the edge of the Cleddau Estuary. Scattered along the shorelines of the Milford Haven Waterway and the Pembroke River are the remnants of the town’s military and industrial past. The crumbling remains of a World War 1 torpedo Store, an abandoned Victorian Martello Tower and a forgotten private dockyard reveal a coastline rich in history and tell stories of failure and success.
Similar stories are echoed further along the Pembrokeshire Coast. The masonry harbour at Stackpole Quay used to export limestone and import luxury goods for the Stackpole Estate. Today it is a popular tourist attraction and provides a place of safety for small fishing boats. Hidden amongst the dunes at Freshwater West Beach is a shrine to a dead elf and squeezed between the limestone cliffs at St Govan’s Head is a 13th century hermits cell. However, our impact on the coast doesn’t always leave behind a picturesque ruin and many beaches are covered in micro plastics, old rope and fishing nets.
The Pembrokeshire Coast is a varied and diverse landscape that has been transformed as much by time and tide as it has by human activity. There is always something for me (David Street) to discover on the beaches or the cliffs above. I often find myself searching for the traces of history, hidden details, and the less than attractive aspects of the Pembrokeshire Coast. By doing so I hope to reveal some of its character and history.”
David Street further reflects about industrial Pembrokeshire and its link to modern fantasy in a previously published article, Pembroke Dock: Unlikely Home of the Millennium Falcon
David Street’s Instagram profile is @dave.pembrokeshire
Photo Gallery
Hull and Rudder
Feathers
Canoes
Inflatable Boats
- St Govan Chapel
- Paddle Boarder
Slipway
Outflow
Coiled Rope and Chain
Blue Barrel
Old Farmhouse
R.I.P
Statues
David Street’s Instagram profile is @dave.pembrokeshire
