Pembroke Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Penfro; Penbroch

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

The unsurpassed strength of this mighty Norman Castle, sited on a high ridge between two tidal inlets, gave it the distinction of never haven fallen to the Welsh. The strategic position, on a major routeway, was chosen early in the first Norman incursions into south-west Wales, when the castle was founded by Roger of Montgomery in 1093, and it stood firm against Welsh counter-attacks in subsequent years. In 1189 the castle came into the hands of William Marshal, who, over the next 30 years transformed the earth-and-timber castle into a mighty stone fortification. First to be built was the inner ward with its magnificent round keep, deservedly famous for its early date, height of over 22m and remarkable domed roof.

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 SM98160160

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
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's National Monument Record (Coflein) number is 94945
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 4518 '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.thislandwales.com/pembrokecastle.htm
    http://www.castlewales.com/pembroke.html
    http://www.greatcastlesofwales.co.uk/pembroke.htm
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_wales/158/pembrokecastle.htm
    http://www.cambria.org.uk/HLC/milford/area/305.htm
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/pembroke.html
• Books
  • Morgan, Gerald, 2008, Castles in Wales: A Handbook (Talybont: Y Lolfa Cyf.) p213-8
    Hull, Lise, 2005, Castles and Bishops Palaces of Pembrokeshire (Logaston Press) p166-81
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p167-72
    Davis, Paul, 2000, A Company of Forts. A Guide to the Medieval Castles of West Wales (Gomer Press) p103-7 [plan]
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p115-7
    Salter, Mike, 1996, The Castles of South West Wales (Malvern) p72-9
    Miles, Dillwyn, 1979 (Revised 1988), Castles of Pembrokeshire (Pembrokeshire Coast National Park) p29-31
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p396
    Soulsby, I., 1983, The Towns of Medieval Wales (Phillimore)
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p370-1
    Stickings, T.G., 1973, Castles and Strongholds of Pembrokeshire (Tenby) p39-50
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Toy, Sidney, 1955, History of Fortifications from 3000 BC to AD 1700 (London) p202
    Toy, Sidney, 1953, The Castles of Great Britain (Heinemann) p112-16
    Toy, Sidney, 1939, Castles: A short History of Fortifications from 1600 BC to AD 1600 (London) p120-3, 189-91
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p200-204
    RCAHMW, 1925, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Pembrokeshire (HMSO) p282-7
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p278-9
    Evans, Herbert A., 1912, Castles of England and Wales (London) p194-203
    Thompson, A. Hamilton, 1912, Military architecture in England during the Middle Ages (OUP) p179-81
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co) p111-14
    Edwards, Emily Hewlett, 1909, Castles and Strongholds of Pembrokeshire (Tenby) p15-22 http://www.archive.org/stream/castlesstronghol00edwauoft
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol3 (London) p469-70
    Lewis, Samual, 1849, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=47875#s9
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p426
    Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol7 p200-5
• Journal Articles
  • Rowlands, I.W., 1995, 'William Marshal, Pembroke Castle and the historian' Château Gaillard Vol17
    Ludlow, N., 1991, ‘Pembroke Castle and town walls’ Fortress Vol8 p25-30
    Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' The Archaeological Journal Vol143 p309
    King, D.J.C., 1978, ‘Pembroke Castle’ Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol127 p75-121
    King, D.J.C., 1977, ‘Pembroke Castle: derivations and relationships of the domed vault of the donjon, and of the Horseshoe Gate’ Château Gaillard Vol8 p159-69
    Renn, 1967-8, Transactions of the Ancient Monuments Society [new ser] Vol15 p35-47 [on the keep]
    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
    1938, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol93 p287-90
    Bagnall-Oakley, M.E., 1895-97, 'Grosmont Castle, Skenfrith Castle and Church, Pembroke Castle' Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol20 p88-99 http://www2.glos.ac.uk/bgas/tbgas/v020/bg020088.pdf
    Cobb, J.R., 1883, 'Pembroke Castle' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol38 p196-220, 264-73
    Clark, G.T., 1861, 'Earls and Earldom of Pembroke' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol16 p185-204
    Clark, G.T., 1860, 'The Earls, Earldom and Castle of Pembroke' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol15 p1-11, 81-97
    Clark, G.T., 1859, 'The Earls, Earldom and Castle of Pembroke' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol14 p1-13, 81-91, 188-202, 241-5
• Guidebooks
  • Innes-Smith, Robert, 1996, Pembroke Castle (Derby, Pilgrim Press)
    Innes-Smith, Robert, n.d., Pembroke Castle birthplace of the Tudor dynasty (Pilgrim)
    Candler, G. M., 1989, Pembroke Castle (Pilgrim)
    Anon, 1971 (14edn), A Short History of Pembroke Castle (Five Arches Press; Tenby)
    Anon, 1947 (7edn), A Short History of Pembroke Castle (Waterlow and Sons Ltd)
    Anon, 1907 (1edn), A Short History of Pembroke Castle (London)
    Clark, George Thomas, 1880, The earls, earldom, and castle of Pembroke (Tenby, R. Mason) [reprint of Arch. Camb. articles with additions]
• 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]
    Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) [lists sources for 1272-1422] p394-5
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/glameng.html#pemb3]
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1906, Leland's Itinerary in Wales (Bell and Sons; London) p116 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryinwales00lelauoft