Orielton
The area's dominant influence was Orielton and its families: Wirriot till the late 16th century, Owen till 1857, and then Saurin. The mansion, grounds and park of about 600 acres were ringed by lodges. One of the two eight foot gates originally at Rose Lodge Cottage at the top of the Coach Road, is at Mellaston farm today.
Orielton House
Equipment at an estate workshop (the present Home Farm) was driven by a metal water wheel - used previously at Kilgetty and claimed to be the first of its kind in Wales.
In 1954 R.M. Lockley bought Orielton, and 9 years later sold it to the Field Studies Council who in 1963 opened a Field Study Centre, which has achieved great prestige in environmental and marine studies and research.
Orielton Duck Decoy
Orielton Duck Decoy
This was located on a 6 hectare pond artificially created in 1820 by the damning of a fold between two hillsides. The decoy, constructed in 1868, was used originally to capture birds for the table and market. At periods between 1934 and 1960, it was used to ring birds for the Wildfowl Inquiry Committee (Mr. Stanley Greenslade being the decoy man) and later the West Wales Field Society.
