I had seen a few photo’s of this location online and had added it to my list of must see places to visit, but I had then forgotten about it until a recent chance visit over the Easter weekend, where I finally stumbled across it in person.

The hilltop village of Mathry is located about 6 miles southwest of Fishguard in Pembrokeshire and close to the A487 road which links Fishguard to St David’s in the South.

It’s history and roots lie in the Iron Age where the village would have acted as a defensive fort, with a perfectly positioned elevated viewpoint to sight any unwelcome visitors.

Today Mathry is a quiet village with interesting side streets to explore, a popular pub, and a grand church, it also offers fantastic views of the St David’s Peninsula from various aspects around the village.

For me, The General Stores featured here is the definite visual highlight in the village, aesthetically, it is the kind of subject matter that I personally aspire to find and actively search for. The rustic flaky paint, the vintage hand written shop signage, the red post and telephone boxes all add to the perfect picture of an old village caught in a timewarp. Inside it is the same story, from peeking through the front windows, it is clear that original products now gently covered in dust from being sat dormant overtime and inevitably faded from sunlight, still adorn the shelves, some look like they have been there since the early 80’s which is incredible since the stores closed its doors sometime around 2009. Childrens toys, old Cadbury’s chocolate tins, Parker Super Quink ink and OMO washing powder are all on display. It really is like a moment paused in time, and for me this is absolutely where the charm and appeal prevail. I’m a sucker for quieter and simpler bygone times, with the fast pace of life today its refreshing to visit somewhere that can remind us of these less complicated times.

Continued below…

With the addition of the sale agreed sign on one of the windows, it was important for me to get to see the stores in its current form before any inevitable changes take place. The telephone box at the front has been grade II listed since 1988 and amended in 1993, for being in a ‘central location within a conservation area’. So what ever changes a new owner makes to the property, it is nice to now that the red telephone box which now houses a community library will remain intact.

I had the good fortune of visiting the village twice over the Easter Bank holiday weekend, but unfortunately the light wasn't great on both occasions, and a storm blew in bringing rain and even less light to work with. So I had to make the best of the situation and work with what was in front of me. However it was still a totally enjoyable experience and seeing all of the colours, the details and working the angles on display, certainly made for an enjoyable photoshoot.

All photographs displayed here were captured on my Canon R6 paired with a weekend rental lens, one which I have been wanting to try out for a long time since its release back in late 2020. This is the Canon 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens. This absolutely versatile and relatively compact super-telephoto zoom lens allows for wonderfully detailed and colour-rich imagery, it features 5-stop image stabilisation, dual canon USM motors that provide quick, smooth and very silent autofocusing. This lens which has been specifically developed for the Canon R series camera system, is breathtaking to use, relatively compact, and light for it photographic reach and very balanced when in the hand. Aimed mainly at the professional market and with a price tag to match, if it is within your budget and you’re after the most versatile Canon Zoom lens offering, then I would definitely recommend this lens, unless you already have the 100-400mm MKII L series lens.

As I wanted to make full use of the rental lens, I was restricted to a minimum focal length of 100mm, so my plan is to make a number of return visits in the future and hopefully find some nice morning light to elevate the colours and illuminate this scene in all its glory.

I hope you enjoy this set of photo’s and keep an eye out for more regular posts as I catch up on sharing my documented adventures.

All photographs captured on Sunday 9th and Monday 10th April 2023 in the village of Mathry, Pembrokshire on a Canon R6 paired with a Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens. © Hall Photographic 2023 - All Rights Reserved.

Find out more about the beautiful county of Pembrokeshire and specifically Mathry by visiting the website below.
Visit Pembrokeshire