▁the ▁southern ▁edge ▁of ▁the ▁town . ▁ ▁Top onym y ▁The ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁town ▁means ▁" ford ▁used ▁by ▁he if ers " ▁or ▁" ford ▁used ▁by ▁go ats " ▁from ▁Old ▁English ▁h æ fer . ▁In ▁local ▁dialect , ▁it ▁is ▁pron ounced ▁" Har ford ". ▁" West " ▁was ▁added ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century , ▁to ▁distinguish ▁the ▁town ▁from ▁Here ford . ▁The ▁Wel sh ▁name ▁is ▁said ▁by ▁B . ▁G . ▁Charles ▁to ▁be ▁" mer ely ▁a ▁cor ruption ▁of ▁the ▁English ▁name ". ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Ha ver ford west ▁has ▁been ▁English - spe aking ▁for ▁centuries . ▁South ▁P embro kes hire ▁is ▁known ▁as ▁' L ittle ▁England ▁Bey ond ▁Wales ', ▁but ▁because ▁the ▁mark ets ▁trad ed ▁with ▁Wel sh ▁far mers ▁in ▁the ▁north ▁and ▁east , ▁there ▁has ▁always ▁been ▁a ▁significant ▁Wel sh - spe aking ▁influence . ▁The ▁sub urb ▁of ▁Pr ender g ast ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁origin ated ▁as ▁an ▁extr am ural ▁Wel sh ▁d orm itory , ▁d ating ▁from ▁the ▁times ▁when ▁all ▁agricult ural ▁trade ▁had ▁to ▁pass ▁through ▁the ▁bor ough , ▁and ▁the ▁fear ful ▁Norm ans ▁before ▁the ▁destruction ▁of ▁Ang lo - N orm an ▁power ▁in ▁ 1 1 3 6 ▁tried ▁to ▁prevent ▁Wel sh men ▁bearing ▁arms ▁from ▁entering ▁within ▁the ▁castle ▁walls ▁after ▁night fall . ▁ ▁Orig ins ▁It ▁seems ▁likely ▁that ▁such ▁an