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| St Mary's Church |
An ancient tradition in Tenby is that of New Year's Water.
New Year's Water is perhaps the best known of all the old
Tenby customs. Early on New Year's morning the local boys
and girls would fill an earthenware cup or tin with water
drawn fresh from the well. A small bunch of evergreen twigs,
such as box myrtle, rosemary or sea spurge would be picked
and the children would set off on a circuit of neighbours
and family friends. The children then knocked on the doors
and asked "would anyone like any New Year's water?"
Hands and faces were liberally splashed with water from the
twigs dipped in the tins. The response to this was to drop
coins into the cups. It is thought that this custom has its
origins in pagan ceremonies to welcome the new year, others
believe that the sprinkling has to do with holy water. Although
this custom has largely died out, it is apparently still practised
in the Evergreen Pub, The Green, Tenby (with thanks to Pat
for this one).
It is said that on some nights a ghostly figure dressed in
a cowled robe walks quickly down the central aisle of the
church and fades away. It is not known who this person is,
but there are several tunnels leading from beneath the church
to various parts of the town
Other reported happenings in and around the church include
furniture being moved around and 'moaning noises'. These have
been largely attributed to wooden floors and damp causing
the floors to shift height and therefore slide furniture around
the room to the accompaniment of low creaking noises or 'moans' |
