Haverfordwest is the county town of Pembrokeshire. In the Middle Ages, the town grew around its Norman castle and because of its strategic position on major routes in South West Wales from the coast, it soon became an important commercial centre for the area. In Secret Haverfordwest local author Patricia Swales Barker looks at the history of Haverfordwest below the surface of the town, from the changing story of its governance through the centuries, its religious and educational foundations, how its inhabitants were cared for in sickness, poverty and old age, the administration of justice through the years, to local charities, sport and leisure activities, the importance of the River Cleddau and the town’s trading links, businesses and industries drawn to Haverfordwest and the stories behind its street names. With tales of remarkable characters, unusual events and tucked-away or disappeared historical buildings and locations, Secret Haverfordwest will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of this town in Pembrokeshire in South West Wales.

Patricia Swales Barker is a music graduate and teacher who was a director of her family's music shop in High Street, Haverfordwest, until retiring in 2006. An enthusiastic local and family historian (MA in Local History in 2002) who has researched and written widely about the history of town's civic church, dedicated to St Mary the Virgin. She has also studied the musical and cultural history of the area as well as the commercial and social history of the shops and shopkeepers of the town. She lives in Haverfordwest.