We explored the castle of my dreams, while on an extended layover in the UK, when returning from our European snowbird excursions. It has all the important elements including massive stone walls protecting an impenetrable tower keep on a prominent cliff, surrounded by a natural river moat. Of course it has a dungeon, and Great Hall, plus a secret underground cavern! It is even linked to King Henry 8th in the Tudor era, after its origins in 1100 era and even further back 11,000 years if you consider the cavern artifacts.
The Pembroke Castle tourist attraction is well suited to kids as well as history buffs, with a mix of totally intact walls and structures with old rubble ruins. The interactive audio video displays add great insights and the guide who provided the free guided tour was so knowledgeable. Well designed displays and models add depth to the history. The original Welsh were not very friendly to the tax collector inhabitants of the castle. The Castle is located on the West coast of Wales, which is about 5 hour drive from London.
The castle has extra meaning for me, since my 8th great grandfather John Poyer, was the governor and Mayor there until 1649, where the impenetrable castle was held seige for 2 months until taken and destroyed by Cromwell. Its as close as we get to having a castle in our family.
King Henry VIII’s father Henry the 7th was born here, to his 13 year old mother Lady Margaret Beaufort.
The castle has evolved from a simple wooden fortress in the 1100 era, to a stone version of that with the tower, enlarged to an even larger version.
Tower
The 75 foot tall, invincible tower was a key feature, being overbuilt it had a unique dome roof to avoid fire damage. It’s 5 floors could contain the important people during a siege, sealed off from the outside attack.
Norman Great Hall
The Norman “Great Hall” is one of the oldest sections and only the stone walls remain of the two story structure.
Notice that there are no eating utensils. You eat with your hands after they were washed of course. Instead of plates, notice the block of stale bread, on which food is placed. The stale bread could be eaten or given to the poor.
Dungeon
John Whithorne spent 7 years in this dungeon over a land dispute. Minimal food minimal light.
Women’s Place
Next to the Chapel ruins, a special building with table for the women to gather in.
Bathroom attached to the women’s area. It was a simple overhang which dropped into the river!
Underground Cavern
The large cave below the castle, had revealed artifacts that were from 11,000 years ago. There is a narrow spiral staircase from the cave into the Norman Great Hall area. This was convenient as a way to bring the groceries into the cooking area, via the river. Today there are red and green traffic lights to help manage the flow of tourists through the narrow passage.
Moat and Other areas
King Henry 7th
King Henry 7th was born in Pembroke Castle. His 13 year old mother Lady Margaret Beaufort is shown here dressed in red. He was raised by a relative and never saw his mother for another 12 years. He was the father of King Henry VIII.
My 8th Great Grandfather
John Poyer was my 8th Great Grandfather. He was the Governor and Mayor of the Castle until his death for treason in 1649. During the siege of Cromwell, he and 2 other men defended the castle, which fell to Cromwell in the end. The judge decided that only 1 of the 3 men should be executed, so they had a child draw names from a hat. John’s name was selected. Its hard in history to know which side to stand on! His grandson settled in North America. His family tree is here.
My personal family tree:
Multimedia Links within the castle.
- Official site and source of tickets
- Good brief history of the castle (8 minutes). YouTube
- Earl of Pembroke, William Marshall 1147-1219 YouTube
- Earl Jasper Tudor 1431-1495 YouTube
- Various Audio stories associated with QR codes. Lady in Waiting, Scullion boy, etc.
Other Castles in Wales
There are many other castles in various states of repair. We also enjoyed visiting Manorbier Castle, which is less than an hour away, along the coast.
Related articles:
- My Great Grandfather’s Welsh Castle Treason – yesRetired
- Finding Royalty in your Family Tree – yesRetired
Conclusion
We totally enjoyed our one week layover in the UK, which was focused on visiting Pembroke Castle which is part of my family heritage. It was challenging driving on the LEFT hand side of the road, and enduring the many round-abouts that seem to be placed every mile along the rural routes. The town of Pembroke is small but interesting to wander through. We also enjoyed traveling through the narrow rural hedge row lined roads. The Welsh language signs also included English, but the dialect was challenging at times. We stayed at a lovely manor in the Cotswold’s area, and spent a few days driving there. Enjoyed seeing Stonehenge first hand after reading a lot about it. A half day visit touring Windsor Castle was un-expectedly interesting, and a side trip to the White Cliffs of Dover before heading to Gatwick airport.
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