Pembroke Castle
Pembroke Castle | |
---|---|
Timber | |
Battles/wars | Siege of Pembroke |
Listed Building – Grade I |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Pembroke_Castle%2C_view_from_the_street.jpg/220px-Pembroke_Castle%2C_view_from_the_street.jpg)
Pembroke Castle (
In 1093,
Construction
The castle is sited on a strategic rocky
In 1189, Pembroke Castle was acquired by William Marshal. He soon became Lord Marshal of England, and set about turning the earth and wood fort into an impressive
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d5/Pembroke_Castle_%2815803980917%29_cropped.jpg/270px-Pembroke_Castle_%2815803980917%29_cropped.jpg)
The
In the late 13th century, additional buildings were added to the inner ward, including a new Great Hall. A 55-step spiral staircase was also created that led down to a large limestone cave, known as Wogan Cavern, beneath the castle. The cave, which was created by natural
The
Although Pembroke Castle is a Norman-style enclosure castle with great keep, it can be more accurately described as a linear fortification[5] because, like the later 13th-century castles at Caernarfon and Conwy, it was built on a rocky promontory surrounded by water. This meant that attacking forces could only assault on a narrow front. Architecturally, Pembroke's thickest walls and towers are all concentrated on its landward side facing the town, with Pembroke River providing a natural defense around the rest of its perimeter.
History
Pembroke Castle stands on a site that has been occupied at least since the
When
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/Pembroke_Castle_%2815987712201%29.jpg/290px-Pembroke_Castle_%2815987712201%29.jpg)
Henry VII of England in the castle
In August 1189 Richard I arranged the marriage of Isabel, de Clare's granddaughter, to William Marshal who received both the castle and the title, Earl of Pembroke. He had the castle rebuilt in stone and established the great keep at the same time. Marshal was succeeded in turn by each of his five sons. His third son, Gilbert Marshal, was responsible for enlarging and further strengthening the castle between 1234 and 1241. All of Marshal's sons died childless. In 1247, the castle was inherited by William de Valence (a half-brother of Henry III), who had become Earl of Pembroke through his marriage to Joan de Munchensi, William Marshal's granddaughter.
The de Valence family held Pembroke for 70 years. During this time, the
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/Pembroke_Castle_November_2016.jpg/290px-Pembroke_Castle_November_2016.jpg)
Pembroke Castle then reverted to
In the 15th and 16th centuries, the castle was a place of peace until the outbreak of the
In 1648, at the beginning of the Second Civil War, Pembroke's commander Colonel John Poyer led a Royalist uprising alongside Colonel Powell, Tenby Castle, and Sir Nicholas Kemoys, Chepstow Castle.[6] Oliver Cromwell came to Pembroke on 24 May 1648 and took the castle after a seven-week siege. Its three leaders were found guilty of treason and Cromwell ordered the castle to be destroyed. Townspeople were even encouraged to disassemble the fortress and re-use its stone for their purposes.[4]
The castle was then abandoned and allowed to decay. It remained in ruins until 1880, when a three-year restoration project was undertaken. Nothing further was done until 1928, when Major-General Sir Ivor Philipps acquired the castle and began an extensive restoration of the castle's walls, gatehouses, and towers. After his death, a trust was set up for the castle, jointly managed by the Philipps family and Pembroke town council.
Archaeology
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/The_castle%2C_Pembroke%2C_Wales-LCCN2001703529.tif/lossy-page1-220px-The_castle%2C_Pembroke%2C_Wales-LCCN2001703529.tif.jpg)
In July 2022, archaeological survey funded by the Natural History Museum and the British Cave Research Society uncovered evidence of prehistoric megafauna such as reindeer and woolly mammoth bones, in addition to seashells, pigs and deer at Wogan Cavern. According to the researchers, the cave was occupied by residents as far back as the Paleolithic and Mesolithic Periods.[7][8]
Film location
Pembroke has appeared in numerous feature films. These include the 1968 film
References
- ^ "Pembroke Castle". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
- ^ Soulsby, Ian (1983). The Towns of Medieval Wales. Sussex: Phillimore & Co. Ltd. p. 214.
- ^ a b c d e f Cathcart King, D.J. (1975). Pembroke Castle. Archaeologia Cambrensis.
- ISBN 9780800851866
- ^ "The Second Civil War: Wales". bcw-project.org. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
- ^ HeritageDaily (12 July 2022). "Prehistoric evidence found in cave beneath Welsh castle". HeritageDaily - Archaeology News. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
- ^ "Pembroke Castle cave dig may uncover more evidence of Ice Age life". BBC News. 16 June 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
- ^ "Pembroke Castle makes the big screen in film adaptation". Tenby Observer. Tindle Newspapers. 29 June 2016.
- ISBN 978-0786478118.
- ^ "Cast confirmed for BBC Two's cycle of Shakespeare films" (Press release). BBC Drama Publicity. 24 November 2011. Archived from the original on 26 November 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
- ^ Bruce Sinclair (10 May 2016). "Me Before You movie release will see Pembroke on the silver screen". Western Telegraph. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
Further reading
- Day, Alice; Ludlow, Neil (2016), Pembroke Castle: Geophysical Survey 2016 (PDF), DAT Archaeological Services and the Castle Studies Trust
External links
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