Mediæval Military Architecture in England, Volume 1 (of 2)Clark, George Thomas
History
Mediæval Military Architecture in England, Volume 1 (of 2)
Clark, George Thomas
Architecture -- England; Architecture, Medieval; Military architecture
Pembroke, far less exposed than Cardigan to the common enemy, is
divided by the Haven of Milford, owing to which the southern part of
the county, partially peopled by a colony of Flemings, was completely
sheltered from the Welsh incursions, and became in fact a purely
English territory. It was protected but also dominated by the grand
castle of Pembroke, founded by Arnulph de Montgomery, the first Norman
invader, but better known as the seat of Strongbow and the Mareschals,
who thence took the title of their earldom. Pembroke Castle, though a
ruin, retains much of its ancient magnificence. The hall, gatehouse,
curtain wall, and mural towers still remain, and the grand round keep
continues to give mass and character to the whole group. The town also
was strongly walled, the castle forming part of the circuit. At the
other end of the root of the peninsula, on the sea, was the Castle of
Tenby, also attached to the earldom, strong in its position, and also,
as its remains show, well fortified. The town of Tenby was walled, and
still retains a portion of the wall and one of its gates. Near Tenby
was Manorbeer, an early castle, though in its present form probably
of the date of Henry III. There is no keep, and the hall is vaulted.
The gatehouse remains. The ruins show it to have been strong. It is
celebrated as the birthplace of Giraldus Cambrensis or de Barri.
Carew Castle no doubt represents an early fortress, and hence sprung,
as is supposed, the families of Fitz-Gerald and Windsor, and most
certainly that of Carew. Lamphey was a castle of the Bishops of St.
David’s and has an arcaded parapet, a poor imitation of that of Bishop
Gower at Swansea; and Castle Martin was the residence of the Barons
Martin. At Nangle was a fortified house of the Sherbornes, and it is
very probable that Stackpole Court was preceded by an early castle
built by the founder of the family of that name. North of the Haven,
that great fiord which gives its distinctive feature to the name of
Haverford, is the strong rectangular keep of Haverford-West, the
present state of which reflects utter discredit on the county. It was
the work probably of Gilbert de Clare early in the twelfth century,
and around it, scattered over the whole face of the county, are an
unusually great number of small castles and strong houses, built and
inhabited by the Norman knights who followed Arnulph and Strongbow,
and whose descendants continued to hold them by military service under
the succeeding earls. Such was Upton, the castle of the Malefaunts, of
which remain the chapel and the gatehouse; Dale, placed on the root of
the peninsula of St. Ann’s Head, belonged to the De Vales; Narberth
was founded by the Perrotts; Lawhaden was the chief seat of the Bishop
of St. David’s and the “caput” of the Episcopal Barony (of it there
remain a fine gateway and some other buildings); Wiston, the castle of
Sir Philip Gwys, and afterwards of the Wogans, is mentioned as taken
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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