Rosebush did not exist as a village before slate began to be quarried nearby in the early 19th century. Rosebush was not named in Lewis's 1833
A Topographical Dictionary of Wales, but quarrying in the parish of Maenclochog was, and Rosebush is marked on a pre-1850 parish map. The village took its name from Rosebush quarry when houses were built for quarry workers. Rosebush may have been the first Welsh village to have piped water, facilitated by the building of Rosebush Reservoir in the late 19th century.
Slate quarrying Rosebush quarry was a modest but locally significant mining operation in the
Welsh slate industry. Quarrying at Rosebush began in 1842 and continued until the end of the century. Rosebush House, now the Old Post Office Bistro and Bar, was built in 1872 by the owners of Rosebush quarry and is a Grade II-
listed building. Inside can be found a slate quarry apprentice piece of work, cut to the shape of a Welsh plank for cooking Welshcakes. This slate comes from
Llangolman. The telephone call box outside is also listed.
Railway In 1876 a railway line from
Clynderwen to Rosebush was opened by the
Narberth Road and Maenclochog Railway company which facilitated the export of slate from the quarries. The line closed in 1882 and the name changed to
North Pembrokeshire and Fishguard Railway in 1884 but was not reopened until 1895 with an extension from Rosebush to
Letterston. An early passenger was a
Western Mail reporter who travelled from Newport into the mountains to interview the husband of Margaret Rees who was being tried for murdering her child at Tyr-Bwlch. At the end of the report, he wrote that he drove
"...to Rosebush Station to return, by the new North Pembrokeshire Railway, to more civilised haunts." At the end of the 19th century attempts were made to encourage tourists to visit by rail, but the proposal did not bear fruit. The
Great Western Railway took over in 1898. The line was closed to passengers in 1937 and to freight in 1949. During World War II the railway line across the moorland was used by British and USA air forces for target practice. The Preselis were used extensively by the military ground forces during the conflict, and some troops were stationed in and around Rosebush.
Forgery charge In 1881 at Newport, former Lincolnshire curate John Frederick Morgan, after visiting the rector Rev. Thomas Walters at Rosebush, was committed for trial for stealing a cheque book and passing forged cheques for £50 and £27.10s. He was allowed bail, and subsequently pleaded guilty at trial.
Explosion On the evening of June 2013 an explosive device was detonated inside a letter box in the village, destroying the box and scattering cast iron fragments. == Amenities ==