Haverfordwest is the county town of Pembrokeshire in Wales. It functions as the county's primary commercial and administrative centre. Haverfordwest is the most heavily populated urban region in Pembrokeshire. However, according to the 2011 Census, the town has a permanent population of around 12042 people, which is a slight decrease from the 13367 residents documented in the 2001 Census. The town has been English-speaking for centuries, but since the town markets traded the items of Welsh farmers to the north and east, there has constantly been a significant Welsh-speaking influence and the air of a 'frontier' town. The residential area of Prendergast looks to have originated as an extramural Welsh dormitory, dating from the times when all farming trade had to pass through the district, and the fearful Normans before the break down of Anglo-Norman power in 1136 tried 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 principal commercial and retail centre. Recent years have seen the development of the river-side shopping centre. More recently still there has been substantial retail advancement in the suburban area of Withybush on the outskirts of the town, with the opening of a variety of big commercial chain stores. Haverfordwest is approximately 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 brings in countless holiday-makers every year. The closest border of the park is at Hanton Bridge 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southeast. The town is also the home of a number of football, rugby, cricket and kayaking clubs. For all of your home improvements, be sure to find dependable specialists in Haverfordwest to make certain of quality.