STEPASIDE village was a heavily industrialised site during the later end of the nineteenth century with a thriving iron works using iron ore and limestone from local quarries. Today, this site is privately owned and features a chalet style complex. At one time, the village itself offered a school, post office, shop, garage and petrol station, a cobbler and tailor. Today, the only industry is the very busy coachworks, with several small estates. Legend has it that Oliver Cromwell named it when he ordered his troops to “step a side” and camp for the night when en route to Pembroke Castle. Certainly he passed through the area, coming down what is known as the Old Welsh Road and climbing out of the valley up the Holloway which many years ago was called Old Noll’s Way (Cromwell’s nickname). Today, Stepaside is comparatively quiet since the building of the by-pass. It is an easy walk to Wiseman’s Bridge beach through the picturesque Pleasant Valley.

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