Pengwern Place
The oldest buildings in Parkgate
Pengwern Place is the old name for the little cluster of houses situated at one of the pinch points on The Parade. The group probably took its name from the large double-fronted house Pengwern, at one time the home of a former Parkgate sea captain.
The adjacent house, Sawyers Cottage, is believed to have been built before 1700, but probably about the same time as Pengwern. These may be the oldest surviving buildings in Parkgate.
The little terrace of 4 cottages pictured here is called Dee Cottages; they were built around 1750.
A Pub for over 100 years
From 1793 to 1905 (over 100 years) Sawyer’s Cottage was a public house known as Sawyer’s Arms. It was named after the occupation of the first publican, Richard Bartley, a sawyer and carpenter.
It is thought that Bartley was a ship’s carpenter and that ships may have been constructed on the shore before the wall was built. This may be the reason for the orientation of Dee cottages. The granting of a licence to these premises coincides with the closure of the ship-building business and may have been a consequence of that event.
This early picture shows the Sawyer’s Arms as a public house with details above the door and three beer barrels in front of the window, where the proprietor appears to be standing.
The building has been the subject of major rebuilding and restoration since this early photo was taken, but the general character of the house has been retained.
No need for yellow lines!
The cars identified in the picture suggest that this photo was taken in the early 1950s and shows Dee Cottages looking from the north.
The marsh looks very similar to its present-day appearance, though more of the sea wall is exposed; it became established during the 1939-45 war years.
The channel seen in the picture is still present and marks the official boundary of the RSPB reserve; this organisation is responsible for the management of the marsh.
The traffic looks considerably lighter than the present day, so no need for yellow lines yet!
Last Updated April 2022