Pembroke Castle is a medieval
castleA castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. The term has a history of scholarly debate surrounding its exact meaning, but it is usually regarded as being distinct from the general terms fort or fortress, in that it describes a residence of a monarch or...
in Pembroke,
West WalesWest Wales is the western area of Wales.Some definitions of West Wales include only Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, an area called "South West Wales" in the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics. Other definitions include Swansea and Neath Port Talbot, but exclude...
.
The first castle was established in 1093 during the
Norman invasion of WalesThe Norman invasion of Wales began shortly after the Norman conquest of England. It was not undertaken with the fervor and intentionality of the invasion of England, and, as such, a specific date is difficult to pin down; nonetheless, it can be said that the invasion gradually played itself out...
. However its present appearance owes much to
William MarshalWilliam Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke , also called William the Marshal , was an Anglo-Norman soldier and statesman. He has been described as the "greatest knight that ever lived"...
, one of the most powerful men in 12th-Century Britain.
Construction
The castle is sited on a strategic rocky promontory by
Pembroke RiverThe Pembroke River flows through south Pembrokeshire, Wales and flows in to Milford Haven at Pennar Mouth.-External links:***...
. The first fortification on the site was a
NormanThe Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. They descended from Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of mostly Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
motte and bailey. It had earthen
rampartA defensive wall is a fortification used to defend a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
s and a
timber palisadeA palisade is a steel or wooden fence or wall of variable height, usually used as a defensive structure.- Typical construction :Typical construction consisted of small or mid sized trunks of trees aligned vertically, with no spacing in between. The trunks would be sharpened or pointed at the top...
.
In 1189, Pembroke Castle was acquired by William Marshal. The
Earl MarshalEarl Marshal is an ancient chivalric title used separately in England, Ireland and the United Kingdom, and formerly in Scotland.- England :...
then set about turning the earth and wood fort into an impressive
stone castleThe term Norman architecture is used to categorise styles of Romanesque architecture developed by the Normans in the various lands under their dominion or influence in the 11th and 12th centuries. In particular the term is traditionally used for English Romanesque architecture...
. The inner ward, which was constructed first, contains the huge round
keepA keep is a strong central tower which is used as a dungeon or a fortress. Often, the keep is the most defended area of a castle, and as such may form the main habitation area, or contain important stores such as the armoury, food, and the main water well, which would ensure survival during a...
with its domed roof. Its original first-floor entrance was through an external stairwell. Inside, a spiral stairwell connected its four storeys. The keep's domed roof also has several
putlog holesPutlog holes, as the name implies, are small holes that were intended to receive the ends of logs or squared wooden beams in the walls of buildings, especially in the Middle Ages....
that supported a
wooden-fighting platformA hoarding was a temporary wooden construction that was placed on the exterior of the ramparts of a castle during a siege.The purpose of a hoarding was to allow the defenders to improve their field of fire along the length of a wall and, most particularly, directly downwards to the wall base.The...
. If the castle was attacked, the hoarding allowed defenders to go out beyond the keep's massive walls above the heads of the attackers.
The
inner wardThe inner ward of a castle is the area surrounded by the innermost walls. Typically, it would hold the hall, well and the other key elements of the castle....
's
curtain wallA curtain wall is a building façade that does not carry any dead load from the building other than its own dead load, and one that transfers the horizontal loads that are incident upon it. These loads are transferred to the main building structure through connections at floors or columns of the...
had a large horseshoe-shaped gateway. But only a thin wall was required along the promontory. This section of wall has a small observation
turretIn architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
and a square stone platform. Domestic buildings including William Marshal's
Great HallGreat Hall may refer to* Great hall, the main room of a royal palace, nobleman's castle or large manor house* Great Hall of the People, Tiananmen Square, Beijing* Great Hall of the University of Sydney, Australia...
and private apartments were within the inner ward. The inner ward also held the documents of many lords concerning the sagas of the day.
In the late 13th Century, more buildings were added. These included a new Great Hall that enclosed a large cavern beneath the castle that was created by water erosion. The cave, once fortified, may have later served as a boathouse.
The
outer wardThe outer ward of a concentric castle is the area surrounded by the outermost walls, or the outermost area that is not regarded as inner ward. Typically, it would hold non-essential structures, which may have included stables, huts, fodder storage etc...
was defended by a large gatehouse,
barbicanA barbican A barbican A barbican (from medieval Latin barbecana, "outer fortification of a city or castle," a general Romanic word, perhaps from Arabic or Persian cf...
and several massive
round towerTowers are tall structures that are almost always taller than they are wide, usually by a significant margin. Towers are generally built to take advantage of their height, and can stand alone or as part of a larger structure.- History :...
s. The outer wall is thick in places.
Pembroke Castle superficially resembles a
concentric castleA concentric castle is a castle within a castle, with two or more concentric rings of curtain walls and, in cases, no central keep. Generally, the outermost walls are lowest and the height of the walls increases towards the middle. The walls would include towers and bastions and would usually be...
but it is more accurately described as a
linear fortificationA linear castle is a castle that was designed to confront its attackers with a series of barriers/impediments in a line .The principle was to funnel assaulting forces into attacking a very narrow front and focusing all of the castle's defences in that area...
because, like the later 13th-century castles at
CaernarfonCaernarfon Castle was constructed at Caernarfon in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, by King Edward I of England, following his conquest of Gwynedd in 1283...
and
ConwyConwy Castle is a castle in Conwy, on the north coast of Wales.-Construction:It was built between 1283 and 1289 during King Edward I's second campaign in North Wales. The design and work was overseen by master mason James of St. George using 1,500 laborers and stonecutters...
, it was built on a rock promontory surrounded by water. This meant that attacking forces could only assault a narrow front. Architecturally, Pembroke's thickest
wallsA defensive wall is a fortification used to defend a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
and towers are all concentrated on its landward side facing the town, the river creating a natural defense around the rest of its perimeter.
History
Pembroke Castle stands on a site that has been occupied since, at least, the
Roman periodRoman Britain was those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and about 410. The Romans referred to their province as Britannia...
. Yet its history is one of inheritance and acquisition not wars and sieges.
Norman Lord,
Roger of MontgomeryRoger de Montgomerie, also known as Roger the Great de Montgomery, was the first Earl of Shrewsbury. His father was also Roger de Montgomerie, and was a relative, probably a grandnephew, of the Duchess Gunnor, wife of Duke Richard I of Normandy...
founded the first castle here in the 11th Century. Although only made from earth and wood, it resisted several Welsh attacks and
siegeA siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit"....
s over the next 30 years. The castle establishing itself at the heart of the
NormanNorman may refer to:* Norman people or Normans, a people who colonized Normandy in France and conquered other lands, particularly England** Norman architecture, styles of Romanesque architecture developed by the Normans...
controlled-lands of south-west Wales.
In the 1100s
Roger de Montgomerie's eldest sonRobert de Bellême, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury , also spelled Belleme or Belesme, was an Anglo-Norman nobleman, and one of the most prominent figures in the competition for the succession to England and Normandy between the sons of William the Conqueror...
was forced to forfeit all his British lands and titles after he rebelled against
Henry IHenry I was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
. By 1138 King Stephen had given Pembroke Castle to
Gilbert de ClareGilbert de Clare, son of Gilbert Fitz Richard Earl of Clare and Alice de Claremont. Sometimes referred to as "Strongbow" but his son is better remembered by this name.-History:...
who used it as an important base in the Norman conquest of Ireland.
In August 1189
Richard IRichard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death in 1199.He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Ireland, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
arranged the marriage of Isabel, de Clare's granddaughter, to
William MarshallWilliam Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke , also called William the Marshal , was an Anglo-Norman soldier and statesman. He has been described as the "greatest knight that ever lived"...
who received the castle and became
Earl of PembrokeThe Earldom of Pembroke, associated with Pembroke Castle in Wales, was created by King Stephen of England. Several times the line has become extinct, and the Earldom has been re-created, starting the count over again with a new first Earl...
. The castle was then fortified in stone and the great
keepA keep is a strong central tower which is used as a dungeon or a fortress. Often, the keep is the most defended area of a castle, and as such may form the main habitation area, or contain important stores such as the armoury, food, and the main water well, which would ensure survival during a...
was built. Marshall was succeeded by each of his five sons. His third son,
Gilbert MarshalGilbert Marshal, 4th Earl of Pembroke was the third son of William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke and Isabel de Clare, 4th Countess of Pembroke, the daughter of Richard de Clare....
, was responsible for enlarging and further strengthening the castle between 1234 and 1241.
However as all of Marshal's sons died childless. In 1247, the castle was inherited by
William de ValenceWilliam de Valence, 1st Earl of Wexford and 1st Earl of Pembroke, born Guillaume de Lusignan or de Valence was a French nobleman and Knight, who became important in English politics due to his relationship to Henry III...
, a half-brother of
Henry IIIHenry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for fifty-six years from 1216 to his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
who became
Earl of PembrokeThe Earldom of Pembroke, associated with Pembroke Castle in Wales, was created by King Stephen of England. Several times the line has become extinct, and the Earldom has been re-created, starting the count over again with a new first Earl...
through his marriage to
JoanJoan de Munchensi or Munchensy , Lady of Swanscombe and Countess of Pembroke Joan de Munchensi or Munchensy (or Joanna, or Dionisie), Lady of Swanscombe and Countess of Pembroke Joan de Munchensi or Munchensy (or Joanna, or Dionisie), Lady of Swanscombe and Countess of Pembroke (c. 1230 – aft...
, William Marshal's granddaughter. The Valence family held Pembroke for 70 years. During this time, the
townPembroke is the traditional county town of Pembrokeshire in west Wales. However, the administrative centre and de facto county town is Haverfordwest...
was fortified with
defensive wallA defensive wall is a fortification used to defend a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
s, three main gates and a
posternA postern is a secondary door or gate, particularly in a fortification such as a city wall or castle curtain wall. Posterns were often located in a concealed location, allowing the occupants to come and go inconspicuously. In the event of a siege, a postern could act as a sally port, allowing...
.
Pembroke Castle became de Valence's military base for fighting the
Welsh princesGwynedd is one of several Welsh successor states that emerged in 5th-century post-Roman Britain. It was based on the former Brythonic tribal lands of the Ordovices, Gangani, and the Deceangli which were collectively known as Venedotia in late Romano-British documents...
, during the conquest of
North WalesNorth Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales, bordered to the south by Mid Wales and to the east by England.It comprises the island of Anglesey, the Llŷn peninsula and the Snowdonia mountain range, together with the catchments of the Rivers Conwy, Clwyd and Dee with the River Dyfi...
by
Edward IEdward I , also known as Edward Longshanks, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English Barons. In 1259 he briefly sided with a baronial...
between 1277 and 1295.
But on the death of
William de Valence's sonAymer de Valence, 2nd Earl of Pembroke was a French-English nobleman. Though primarily active in England, he also had strong connections with the French royal house. One of the wealthiest and most powerful men of his age, he was a central player in the conflicts between Edward II of England and...
, the castle passed through marriage to the Hastings family. In 1389, 17-year-old
John HastingsJohn Hastings, 3rd Earl of Pembroke , was the son of John Hastings, 2nd Earl of Pembroke and Anne Manny, 2nd Baroness Manny...
died in a
joustingJousting is a sport played by two knights mounted on horses. It consists of martial competition between two mounted knights using a variety of weapons, usually in sets of three per weapon , often as part of a tournament.Jousting was just one of a number of popular martial games...
accident ending a line of inheritance stretching back 250 years.
Pembroke Castle then reverted to
Richard IIRichard II was the eighth King of England of the House of Plantagenet. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
. Short tenancies were then granted by
The CrownThe Crown is a corporation sole that in certain countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as in any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof, represents the legal embodiment of executive government...
for its ownership. By 1400
Owain GlyndwrOwain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower and also sometimes styled Owain IV of Wales by modern historians, was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welsh person to hold the title Prince of Wales...
had began a rebellion in Wales. However Pembroke escaped attack because the castle's Constable, Francis а Court, paid off Glyndwr in gold.
Eventually the castle and the earldom were presented to
Jasper TudorJasper Tudor : c. 1431 – December 21/26, 1495, Earl of Pembroke and 1st Duke of Bedford, was the uncle of King Henry VII of England and the architect of his successful conquest of England and Wales in 1485....
by his half-brother
Henry VIHenry VI was King of England 1422–1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realms were governed by regents. Contemporaneously, he was described as a peaceful and pious man, not suited for the harsh nature of the struggles facing him...
in 1452. Tudor brought his widowed sister-in-law, Margaret Beaufort, to Pembroke where she gave birth to her only child, the future King
Henry VII of EnglandHenry VII was the King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty.Henry was successful in restoring the power and stability of the English monarchy after the political upheavals of the Wars...
(born 1457).
In the 15th and 16th centuries the castle was a place of peace. But at the outbreak of the
English Civil WarThe English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. The first and second civil wars pitted the supporters of King Charles I against the supporters of the Long Parliament, while the third war saw fighting between supporters of...
, although most of South Wales sided with
the KingCharles I, , the second son of James VI of Scotland and I of England, was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. Charles famously engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England...
, Pembroke declared for Parliament. It was besieged by
RoyalistA royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of government, but not necessarily a particular monarch...
troops but was saved after Parliamentary reinforcements arrived by sea from nearby
Milford HavenMilford Haven is a town in Pembrokeshire, Wales on the north side of the inlet of the same name...
.
Parliamentary forces then went on to capture the Royalist castles of
TenbyTenby is a walled seaside town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, lying on Carmarthen Bay....
,
HaverfordwestHaverfordwest Castle is a castle located in the town centre at Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, south Wales.It was originally a Norman architecture stone keep and bailey fortress, founded by Gilbert de Clare.- External links :* *...
and
CarewCarew Castle is a castle in the civil parish of Carew in the Welsh county of Pembrokeshire. The famous Carew family take their name from the place, and still own the castle, although it is leased to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, which administers the site.-Construction:The present castle,...
. But in 1648, when the war was at its close, Pembroke's leaders changed sides and led a Royalist uprising.
Oliver CromwellOliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader best known for his involvement in making England into a republican Commonwealth and for his later role as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland.He was one of the commanders of the New Model Army which defeated the royalists in...
came to Pembroke and took the castle after a
seven-week siegeThe Siege of Pembroke took place in 1648 during the Second English Civil War.- Background :In April 1648, Parliamentarian troops in Wales, who had not been paid for a long time, staged a Royalist rebellion under the command of the Colonel John Poyer, the Parliamentarian Governor of Pembroke Castle...
. 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 own purposes.
The castle was then abandoned and allowed to decay.
Present day
Pembroke Castle remained in ruins until 1880 when a three-year restoration project was undertaken. Nothing further was done until
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
veteran Major-General Sir Ivor Philipps acquired the castle in 1928 and started 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.
The castle is open to the public. It remains the largest privately-owned castle in Wales.
Film appearances
In 1989, the
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
used Pembroke Castle as the set of King Miraz's castle in its adaptation of
Prince CaspianPrince Caspian: The Return to Narnia is a novel for children by C. S. Lewis, written in late 1949 and first published in 1951. It is the second book in the Chronicles of Narnia series, although in the overall chronological sequence it comes fourth....
, one of C.S. Lewis's
Chronicles of Narnia.
External links