PEMBROKE CASTLE
Tower and Walls of William Marshal and the First Tudor
Pembroke Castle in southwestern Wales is not only impressive for its
size, setting and stonework of great walls and towers in the classic
form expected of a great medieval fortress, but for its place in the
pageant of the clash of English, Irish and Welsh history. The castle
is not especially important for any great battles fought there, though
it withstood several, its place in history is more for who owned it and
their parts to play.
The
first castle fort set on a hill in the curve of the river estuary was
a wooden structure
built by Roger of Montgomery, a Norman made lord
of Pembroke after the Battle of Hastings. The stone castle as it is seen
today was begun under William Marshal, one of Henry II’s most loyal
knight barons and hero of the Crusades in 1189. William Marshal had married
the daughter of Richard de Clare, the “Strongbow” who had
brought much of Ireland under the control of the English crown (see Ros
Tapestry).
Henry II had denied de Clare’s claim to the Earldom
of Pembroke, but gladly recognized the title and lands on his favored
right
hand.
Marshal
was responsible for the great round tower and inner ward structures.
His third son, Gilbert, continued the development of the fortress between
1234 and 1241. A legend has it that an Irish cleric had put a curse on
Marshal that his sons die without heirs, and whether from the curse or
not, the castle and title passed to William de Valence, half-brother
of Henry III who had married Marshal’s granddaughter Joan. It
was the Velance family who built the great curtain walls and towers
around
the outer ward in the 1300s and also fortified the town with a ring
of walls.
In the War of the
Roses, Pembroke Castle played its other great role in the history of
the English crown – as a nursery. By the 1400s
the castle had returned to the control of the crown. King Richard II,
the last of the Norman Plantagenets granted the land to Welsh lord Jasper
Tewdwr, or in Anglicized form, Tudor. During the Wars of the Roses, the
30 year struggle for power of succession between the Lancasters and Yorks,
Jasper's 15 year old sister-in-law Margaret was sent to Pembroke castle
for protection, where she gave birth to a son Henry, who would grow to
defeat the last of the roses, Richard III, at the Battle of Bosworth
and become the first Tudor king, Henry VII, father of Henry VIII and
grandfather of Elizabeth I (see Berkeley Castle).
It was under the Tewdrw
family that the castle had its medieval heyday as great residence,
until coming to the end of its glory days in the
English Civil War, suffering the fate of many of the great medieval castles.
Cromwell’s forces did their best to destroy the castle, leaving
it a stone hulk, with much of the inner living quarters and stone plundered
by the local townsfolk. It remained a ruin until extensive restoration
in the 1920s, restoring the walls and towers as much as possible to their
original appearance.
The
castle’s towers and rooms can be explored to see a good representation
of what they would have been like in the Middle Ages. Colorful displays
explain the history of the castle and the important families who controlled
it. You'll find models of how the castle was at various stages of its
history. Climb the tower built by William Marshal. The great round tower
is hllow
inside
from
the ground
to the
dome, but
with great
views
from
above.
In the inner ward tower is a recreated tableau of
costumed figures representing the birth of Henry Tudor, with Lady Margaret
and her ladies in waiting. In the gatehouse 
are
other quite life-like modeled scenes of a medieval supper and the fateful
Cromwellian civil
war battle.
In the dungeon, you’ll find the story of the last prisoner to be
held there and the cruelties of medieval punishment. The center of the
outer ward inside the curtain walls is basically open grassy space where
a variety of entertainments and events are held throughout
the year.
The Knights of
Longshanks (Edward I) at the end of May presents a clash of armored knights,
archery, sword combat and crafts. Black Mountain Falconry events are
held monthly and the Wythe Retinue in August demonstrates canonry and
battles of the War of the Roses, as well as others.
The Pembroke Walk is a path around the walls of the castle where it meets the waters of the estuary. Cross the bridge to the far side for the most impressive photogenic view of the castle, reflected in the still waters. The Brass Rubbing Center next to the castle gate offers a middle ages crafts experience.
Visiting Pembroke Castle
Pembroke
Castle is in located the historic old town of Pembroke (duh, but important),
about 2 miles from the more current city of Pembroke
Dock, which is the terminus of the ferry from Rosslare in Ireland. The
castle and exhibits are open daily from 10am to 5pm March and October,
9:30 to 6pm April through September, and 10 to 4 November to February.
Last entry is 45 minutes before closing. Entrance admission is £6
for adults £5 for kids and seniors, Children under 5 are free.
Pembroke Castle is included
in the Great
British Heritage Pass. Guided tours are given 4 times a
day. There is a café and the gift shop is open all year round. © Bargain
Travel Europe
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Pembroke
Castle
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SEE ALSO:
CAERPHILLY CASTLE - LARGEST CONCENTRIC CASTLE
PLANTAGENET SOCIETY TOURNAMENT EVENTS
DINEFWR CASTLE PARK AND NEWTON HOUSE
ST
DAVID’S BISHOP’S PALACE AND CATHEDRAL
FISHGUARD
MANOR TOWNHOUSE B&B
