Photo Gallery of Caldey Island

Caption: "The abbey, the village, the Calvary, the slipway, general view"
Credits: Post Office Preferred, printed in Great Britain

From the harbour in Tenby a fleet of boats run to the island from the Spring Bank Holiday till late September. These boats are owned by local boatmen and strictly supervised and controlled to the Ministry of Transport standards. Many of these crews who provide a frequent service to the island across the Caldey Sound also form the Tenby Lifeboat service.

The gift shop on Caldey Island. Perhaps the best known business venture is in the manufacture of the world famous range of Caldey perfumes and toiletries which reflect the island flowers, herbs and gorse. A visit to their Perfumery Shop is an opportunity to explore the wonderful fragrances.  {See Products}

The long association and dedication to monastic heritage gives Caldey an air of peace and tranquility. With its natural beauty, and freedom from noise and traffic, a day at Caldey is more than a reward and is a chance to contemplate the deeper significance of this splendid isle.

Caldey Abbey, Wales © by Mark Howells-Mead

Caldey Island Lighthouse © by Paula J James


Priory Bay, Caldey Island © by Mark Howells-Mead

Exploration of the island can be made by foot with a walk to the lighthouse or visits to the parish church of St. David's. A small museum and the Post Office offer a chance to see the history of the island and even capture a picture post card franked with the unique Caldey imprint. Near the landing stage is the magnificent Priory Beach looking outwards Tenby. From the higher points you can see spectacular views of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park's rugged coastline.

Caldey Island, Pembrokeshire, Wales © by CamilaRD

More Photos

The Lighter Side: 
Vows of silence don't pay the bills

Sixteen Cistercian monks are breaking their vows of silence to talk up the tourism potential of their remote Welsh island home.

 Faced with financial problems, the monks have drawn up a series of television advertisements.

 "We have a strict rule of silence -- but we also have to live in the modern world," said Brother Robert, the abbot.

 The monks live on the tiny island of Caldey. Disaster struck in February when a tanker ran aground off the coast, spilling thousands of tons of oil. The monks then tried to sell some of their prize herd of 100 cattle only to be hit by the world-wide scare over British beef and mad cow disease.

Article  May 29, 1996 Copyright 1996, The Detroit News

Monks break habit of a lifetime
BY HARVEY ELLIOTT

Monastic Service, Abbey Church, Caldey Island © by Paula J James

     THE twin modern scourges of oil pollution and "mad cow" disease have persuaded 16 Cistercian monks to break their silence and make a television appeal for tourists to visit their island home and save it from economic disaster. To meet the costs of running their monastery on the tiny island of Caldey off the Welsh coast, the monks need an income of about £300,000 a year.

     Until now, most of the money has come from the 1,500 tourists who make the three mile boat journey to the monastery each day and buy the monks' farm produce and perfume. But when the Sea Empress ran aground in February and spilt its cargo of thick crude oil across the beaches and coves used by summer visitors, the tiny island suffered an immediate and near catastrophic decline. 

     The monks' almost unending prayers appeared to go unanswered and after an anguished appraisal of their problems, it seemed that the only way to balance the books was to sell some of their herd of 100 prize cattle. But, even as they drew up their plans, the BSE scare rendered the stock almost worthless. 

     So Brother Robert, Abbot of Caldey, turned to the modern "pulpit" of television and with the help of an accountant, the monks prepared advertisements. The abbot said: "We are not really publicity people. We do not speak at all for the first four hours of the day. However, we have to live in the modern world." The monks watch only two hours of television a week, on Sunday afternoons. But the abbot said: "We may make an exception for our advert." 

Caldey Abbey Centennial Pilgrimage © by A Wandering Oblate

CARDIFF, Wales (AP) -- Prince Charles became the first member of the British royal family in more than 800 years to visit the monks of Caldey Island off the Welsh coast.

 Prince Charles had coffee on Saturday with the 15 members of the Cistercian order and met the island's 50 villagers.

 The tiny island, with a 12th century priory, was a stopping off point on the pilgrimage route to St. David's, birthplace of the patron saint of Wales. Records suggest Caldey's last official royal visitor was King Henry I, who reigned from 1100 to 1135 and stayed at the monastery.

 ''The Prince of Wales was very interested to hear about our way of life here,'' Brother Gildaf said afterward.

 The islanders presented Charles with a basket of home produced goods, including perfumes made by the monks.

 The prince, who arrived by helicopter, made Caldey his first stop on a four day informal visit to Wales.

     In Sounds Celtic #6 Monks from Caldey Abbey and islanders talk about their life and work on Caldey.

     The Island of Caldey lies some two miles off Tenby, in the county of Pembrokeshire. It is one and a half miles long and three quarters of a mile wide. There are about forty islanders, and a community of 16 monks of the Cistercian order which owns the Island. The old Welsh name for Caldey is Ynys Pyr, after Piro - an early 6th century Abbot. Caldey is also known as Island of the Saints