History of Scolton Manor 

Scolton Manor was built in 1842 for the Higgon family by the local architects William and James Owen. Perhaps the most impressive feature is the cantilevered staircase, made of Bath stone. The Higgons supplied no less than 3 Sheriffs of Pembrokeshire, and since there were no other large landowners in the area they were the major employer.

In the inner hall hangs a portrait of John Higgon (1873-1916) who would have inherited Scolton but died while fighting in France during WWI.

The last Higgon to reside at Scolton was Lt Col John Higgon, who was captured and held as a prisoner of war in WWII. He survived and in 1951 became the 3rd of his family to become Sheriff of Pembrokeshire.

Scolton served as the Higgon's family home until World War Two when it became a convalescent hospital. In 1972 it was purchased by the Pembrokeshire County Council and restored to house the county museum, offering visitors a glimpse of Victorian life above and below stairs. Watch out for a wonderful array of Victorian household gadgets, from knife cleaning machines to an 1880s clothes washing machine.

Look for the portrait of Lucy Walter in the drawing room. Walter was Charles II's mistress and mother of James, Duke of Monmouth. In the Dining Room is the most important painting in the County Museum's collection, 'The Tenby Fisherwoman', painted by William Frith in 1880. The painting shows the artist's wife and daughter buying fish from a Llangwm fish seller while on a holiday at Tenby.