Tenby Harbour Webcam – Boats, Quay and North Beach

The Tenby Harbour Webcam looks north across the small tidal harbour at Tenby in Pembrokeshire, on the south coast of Wales. Fishing and pleasure boats fill the foreground, afloat at high water and resting on the sand when the tide drops away. A stone quay wall curls out to the right with a long white building on top, and past its end the open water of Carmarthen Bay runs to a green headland. On the left, North Beach sweeps away under wooded cliffs, with Goscar Rock standing alone in the middle of the sand. The harbour floods and empties twice a day, so the scene at breakfast can look nothing like the one at lunchtime. A second camera from the same operator, on the North Beach tab, looks straight along that beach toward the rock.

About Tenby Harbour

Tenby grew up around a fort on Castle Hill, and its Welsh name, Dinbych-y-pysgod, translates roughly as the little fort of the fish. The harbour sits in a naturally sheltered corner below the old town, and in the 14th and 15th centuries the town received royal grants to pay for enclosing it. Ships loaded wool, skins, canvas, coal, iron and oil here for Bristol, Ireland, France, Spain and Portugal, and Portuguese sailors are believed to have landed the first oranges seen in Wales at Tenby in 1566.

It is a drying harbour. At low water the basin empties over firm sand and the moored boats settle on the beach, protected by a quay wall that runs for about 120 meters (390 feet). Boats drawing up to 1.4 meters (4.6 feet) can usually get in and out for about two hours either side of high tide. The harbour was also the town’s first lifeboat base: a lifeboat was stationed here in 1852, the RNLI took it over in 1854, and the station moved round to Castle Hill in 1905. A new lifeboat station replaced that one in 2008.

The Georgian and Victorian eras turned Tenby into a health resort. In 1814 William Paxton paid for a road carried on arches above the harbour. The town has about 4,700 residents (4,696 at the 2011 census) and keeps long sections of its 13th-century walls, including the Five Arches barbican gatehouse. Out on tidal St Catherine’s Island, St Catherine’s Fort was built in 1870 with its guns facing north over the harbour.

Weather and Climate in Tenby

Tenby has a maritime climate with cool summers, mild winters and frequent strong winds off the sea. Met Office averages for 1991 to 2020 put January highs at 8.9 C (48 F) and lows at 3.5 C (38 F), and winter on camera tends to mean grey water, low cloud and an empty harbour beach. Rain is heaviest from October to January, with November the wettest month at about 143 mm (5.6 inches). Spring warms slowly: April highs reach 12.6 C (55 F) and May averages 15.4 C (60 F), and May is also the sunniest month, with about 221 hours of sunshine.

July and August are the warmest months, with highs of about 19.6 C (67 F) and nights around 12.5 C (55 F). The record high is 30.7 C (87 F), set in July. In summer the Caldey Island boats leave from the harbour around high water, roughly every 20 minutes. Autumn stays mild for a while, with October highs of 14.8 C (59 F) and lows of 8.8 C (48 F). The town gets about 1,136 mm (44.7 inches) of rain and 1,666 hours of sunshine in an average year.

Things to Do Near Tenby Harbour

The boats to Caldey Island leave from the harbour at high tide and from the landing on Castle Beach at low tide, running in spring and summer when the weather allows. The island lies a little over 4 km (2.5 miles) south of Tenby and is home to Cistercian monks, whose abbey was built in 1910 and passed to the order in 1929. The monks are known for their lavender perfume and chocolate. Back on the mainland, the old town behind the harbour holds the National Trust’s Tudor Merchant’s House, the 15th-century St Mary’s Church and Tenby Museum and Art Gallery on Castle Hill.

Tenby has about 5 km (3 miles) of sandy beaches. North Beach, with Goscar Rock, is the one on camera. On the other side of Castle Hill, Castle Beach was named the best beach in the UK by the Sunday Times in 2019, and South Beach runs on from it. The Pembrokeshire Coast Path passes through the town, so a cliff walk in either direction can start from the harbour.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

More harbours and beaches from the coasts of Wales and northern England:

• Broad Haven Webcam
• Burry Port Webcam
• Seahouses Harbour Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Tenby Harbour located?

Tenby Harbour is in the town of Tenby in Pembrokeshire, on the south coast of Wales. It sits below the old town on the shore of Carmarthen Bay, between Castle Hill and North Beach.

What can you see on the Tenby Harbour Webcam?

The main camera looks north over the harbour: the boats on their moorings, the stone quay wall with its white building, Carmarthen Bay beyond, and North Beach with Goscar Rock on the left. The North Beach tab shows a second camera looking along the sand and the surf line toward the rock.

Is there a Tenby North Beach webcam?

Yes. The North Beach tab on this page plays a separate camera from the same operator that looks along North Beach, with Goscar Rock in the middle of the frame and the sea on the right. North Beach also appears on the left of the main harbour view.

Does the Tenby Harbour webcam show the town centre?

No. Both cameras face out over the harbour and North Beach, so the streets of the walled town, Castle Beach, South Beach and Caldey Island are all out of view. Caldey lies to the south, behind the cameras.

Does Tenby Harbour dry out at low tide?

Yes. The harbour dries over firm sand at low water and the moored boats settle on the beach, which the camera shows clearly. Boats can generally use it for about two hours either side of high tide, so check a local tide table for the day’s times.

What is the history of Tenby Harbour?

Tenby received royal grants in the 14th and 15th centuries to enclose its harbour, which then shipped wool, coal, iron and other goods to Bristol, Ireland and mainland Europe. A lifeboat was based here from 1852 until the station moved to Castle Hill in 1905.

What is the weather like in Tenby?

Mild and often windy. Average highs run from about 8.9 C (48 F) in January to 19.6 C (67 F) in July, and the town gets about 1,136 mm (44.7 inches) of rain a year, most of it from October to January.

Source: Stay Pembrokeshire