Haverfordwest Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Hwlffordd; Heleford

In the community of Haverfordwest. In the historic county of Pembrokeshire (Modern authority of Pembrokeshire, preserved county of Dyfed).

Founded by Takard or Tankred a Flemming c. 1110 although nothing of this period survives. Refounded in mid C12 by Gilbert de Clare, parts of the Norman walls remain. A curtain wall on northwest had walls 12 feet thick. Other ruins are two round towers, a chapel, a hall, and a dungeon. A museum and former prison governor's house is located in the ruins (medieval castle made into prison in C18).

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SM953157

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's National Monument Record (Coflein) number is 94235
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 3320; 7615 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• Web site links
  • http://www.castlewales.com/haver.html
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_wales/158/haverfordwestcastle.htm
    http://www.acadat.com/HLC/milford/area/309.htm
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/haverford.html
• Books
  • Morgan, Gerald, 2008, Castles in Wales: A Handbook (Talybont: Y Lolfa Cyf.) p205-7
    Gravett, Christopher, 2007, The Castles of Edward I in Wales 1277-1307 (Osprey Fortress series 64)
    Hull, Lise, 2005, Castles and Bishops Palaces of Pembrokeshire (Logaston Press) p96-108
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p161-2
    Davis, Paul, 2000, A Company of Forts. A Guide to the Medieval Castles of West Wales (Gomer Press) p78-81 [plan and reconstruction]
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p90-1
    Salter, Mike, 1996, The Castles of South West Wales (Malvern) p58-60
    Miles, Dillwyn, 1979 (Revised 1988), Castles of Pembrokeshire (Pembrokeshire Coast National Park) p16-22
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p393
    Soulsby, I., 1983, The Towns of Medieval Wales (Phillimore)
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p358
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Stickings, T.G., 1973, Castles and Strongholds of Pembrokeshire (Tenby) p56-62
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p670-1
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p200
    RCAHMW, 1925, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Pembrokeshire (HMSO) p109-10
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p280
    Edwards, Emily Hewlett, 1909, Castles and Strongholds of Pembrokeshire (Tenby) p34-7 http://www.archive.org/stream/castlesstronghol00edwauoft
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol3 (London) p480-2
    Lewis, Samual, 1849, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=47832#s11
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p419
    Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol7 p108-9
• Journal Articles
  • Crane, P., 2004, 'Excavation at Hayguard Lane, Heverfordwest, 1978 and 2003' Archaeology in Wales Vol44 p61-8
    Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p313
    King, D.J.C., 1976, ‘Haverfordwest Castle’, The 123rd Annual Meeting in South Pembrokeshire, 1976, CAA p37-8
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1963, 'Early castles in Wales and the Marches: a preliminary list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol112 p77-124
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 p249-280 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p90-121] http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28195904%2974%3A291%3C249%3AALOC1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P
    Phillips, J.W., 1922, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol77 p447-56
    Phillips, J.W., 1913, 'Haverfordwest Castle' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol68 p265-74
    Owen, 1911, 'Calendar of Public Records relating to Pembrokeshire' Cymmrodorion Record Series Vol7 pt1 p161-72 [historical documents]
    Owen, Henry, 1903, 'A Survey of the Lordship of Haverford in 1577' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol58 p40-1 [survey of 1577]
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Giraldus Cambrensis, c.1188, Journey Through Wales [http://www.building-history.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Primary/Gerald2.htm]
    Williams, John (ed), 1860) Annales Cambriae (Longman) p74
    Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) [lists sources for 1272-1422] p390-2
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/glameng.html#pemb6]