Women's Land Army Hostel

Remains of this small complex of buildings can still be seen, although they are on private land.

Mrs Grace Woods, Crowthorne, Berkshire, was supervisor and later recalled:

“I arrived in Pembrokeshire with the Land Army in 1941 and my job included driving the girls around various farms in the district, so we got to know the farmers well.”

Mrs Woods described the work as ‘very exacting’ and pointed out that initially many Women’s Land Army members originated from an urban background and could hardly identify one beast of the field from another!

(An aerial view showing the Women's Land Army hostel at Barn Hill)

But there were compensations, such as invitations to the Royal Artillery Camp at Manorbier, and the Carew Cheriton RAF base. And following the arrival in the county of the US Army in 1943, the girls also enjoyed dances at Lawrenny, where a number of GIs were billeted. Mrs Woods recalled:

“Transport was laid on to Cosheston where a boatman waited to row us over to Lawrenny. On calm, bright, moonlit nights it was a most romantic way to travel to a dance!”