Upton Castle

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

Small castle, a knight's holding from Pembroke on a creek of the Carew River. Upton was actually a fortified mansion but has remarkably strong towers for so small a fortification. It is thought to have been built in C13 by the Malefants, a Norman family who held it until C16. The male line died out and in C18 it went out of the family altogether. A nearby chapel contains three tomb effigies dating from C14, all thought to members of the Malefant family. The defensive side, the entrance to the castle, has three round towers with a gate between two of the three. There is also a building that was once apparently a hall. The castle was modernized in C18.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SN02040470

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 103460
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 26200 '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/upton.html
    http://www.cambria.org.uk/HLC/milford/area/338.htm
• Books
  • Morgan, Gerald, 2008, Castles in Wales: A Handbook (Talybont: Y Lolfa Cyf.) p248 [listed]
    Hull, Lise, 2005, Castles and Bishops Palaces of Pembrokeshire (Logaston Press) p214-5
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p176-7
    Davis, Paul, 2000, A Company of Forts. A Guide to the Medieval Castles of West Wales (Gomer Press) p123
    Salter, Mike, 1996, The Castles of South West Wales (Malvern) p84
    Jones, Francis, 1996, Historic Houses of Pembrokeshire (Brawdy Books)
    Miles, Dillwyn, 1979 (Revised 1988), Castles of Pembrokeshire (Pembrokeshire Coast National Park) p35-6
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p397
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p382
    Stickings, T.G., 1973, Castles and Strongholds of Pembrokeshire (Tenby) p129-32
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p208
    RCAHMW, 1925, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Pembrokeshire (HMSO) p401-2
    Edwards, Emily Hewlett, 1909, Castles and Strongholds of Pembrokeshire (Tenby) p41-42 http://www.archive.org/stream/castlesstronghol00edwauoft
    Lewis, Samual, 1849, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=47889#s3
• Journal Articles
  • King, D.J.C., 1976, ‘Upton Castle and chapel’, The 123rd Annual Meeting in South Pembrokeshire, 1976, CAA p33-4
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132