Haverfordwest is the county town of Pembrokeshire in Wales. It acts as the county's primary business and administrative centre. Haverfordwest is the most populous urban region in Pembrokeshire. Nevertheless, according to the 2011 Census, the town has a permanent population of around 12042 people, which is a small loss from the 13367 inhabitants recorded in the 2001 Census. The town has actually been English-speaking for centuries, however because the town markets traded the goods of Welsh farmers to the north and east, there has always been a substantial Welsh-speaking influence and the air of a 'frontier' town. The suburban area of Prendergast seems to have stemmed as an extramural Welsh dormitory, dating from the times when all farming trade needed to go through the district, and the fearful Normans prior to the break down of Anglo-Norman power in 1136 aimed to avoid Welshmen bearing arms from entering within the castle walls after nightfall. In accordance with its status as a sub local hub-town, Haverfordwest continues to function as Pembrokeshire's primary business and retail centre. Recent years have seen the development of the river-side shopping centre. More recently still there has actually been considerable retail development in the residential area of Withybush on the outskirts of the town, with the opening of a variety of big commercial chain stores. Haverfordwest is roughly 6 miles (10 km) miles east of the village of Broad Haven, part of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and Britain's only coastal national park, which attracts thousands of travelers each year. The closest boundary of the park is at Hanton Bridge 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southeast. The town is also home to a number of football, rugby, cricket and kayaking clubs. For all of your home improvements, make certain to identify respected experts in Haverfordwest to make certain of quality.