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Bargain Travel Europe guide to Europe on a budget for unusual destinations,
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PEMBROKE CASTLE
Tower and Walls of William Marshal and the First Tudor

Pembroke Castle Waterside View photoPembroke Castle in southwestern Wales is not only impressive for its size, setting and stonework of great walls and towers in the classic form expected of a great medieval fortress, but for its place in the pageant of the clash of English, Irish and Welsh history. The castle is not especially important for any great battles fought there, though it withstood several, its place in history is more for who owned it and their parts to play.

Gatehouse and Walls Battlements Shadows Pembroke Castle photoThe first castle fort set on a hill in the curve of the river estuary was a wooden structure built by Roger of Montgomery, a Norman made lord of Pembroke after the Battle of Hastings. The stone castle as it is seen today was begun under William Marshal, one of Henry II’s most loyal knight barons and hero of the Crusades in 1189. William Marshal had married the daughter of Richard de Clare, the “Strongbow” who had brought much of Ireland under the control of the English crown (see Ros Tapestry). Henry II had denied de Clare’s claim to the Earldom of Pembroke, but gladly recognized the title and lands on his favored right hand. Marshal was responsible for the great round tower and inner ward structures. His third son, Gilbert, continued the development of the fortress between 1234 and 1241. A legend has it that an Irish cleric had put a curse on Marshal that his sons die without heirs, and whether from the curse or not, the castle and title passed to William de Valence, half-brother of Henry III who had married Marshal’s granddaughter Joan. It was the Velance family who built the great curtain walls and towers around the outer ward in the 1300s and also fortified the town with a ring of walls.

Inner Ward Tower Pembroke Castle photoIn the War of the Roses, Pembroke Castle played its other great role in the history of the English crown – as a nursery. By the 1400s the castle had returned to the control of the crown. King Richard II, the last of the Norman Plantagenets granted the land to Welsh lord Jasper Tewdwr, or in Anglicized form, Tudor. During the Wars of the Roses, the 30 year struggle for power of succession between the Lancasters and Yorks, Jasper's 15 year old sister-in-law Margaret was sent to Pembroke castle for protection, where she gave birth to a son Henry, who would grow to defeat the last of the roses, Richard III, at the Battle of Bosworth and become the first Tudor king, Henry VII, father of Henry VIII and grandfather of Elizabeth I (see Berkeley Castle).

English Civil War Tableau Pembroke Castle photoIt was under the Tewdrw family that the castle had its medieval heyday as great residence, until coming to the end of its glory days in the English Civil War, suffering the fate of many of the great medieval castles. Cromwell’s forces did their best to destroy the castle, leaving it a stone hulk, with much of the inner living quarters and stone plundered by the local townsfolk. It remained a ruin until extensive restoration in the 1920s, restoring the walls and towers as much as possible to their original appearance.

Medieval Banquet Dining Tableau photoThe castle’s towers and rooms can be explored to see a good representation of what they would have been like in the Middle Ages. Colorful displays explain the history of the castle and the important families who controlled it. You'll find models of how the castle was at various stages of its history. Climb the tower built by William Marshal. The great round tower is hllow inside from the ground to the dome, but with great views from above. In the inner ward tower is a recreated tableau of costumed figures representing the birth of Henry Tudor, with Lady Margaret and her ladies in waiting. In the gatehouse Pembroke Castle Inside Round Tower photoare other quite life-like modeled scenes of a medieval supper and the fateful Cromwellian civil war battle. In the dungeon, you’ll find the story of the last prisoner to be held there and the cruelties of medieval punishment. The center of the outer ward inside the curtain walls is basically open grassy space where a variety of entertainments and events are held throughout the year. The Knights of Longshanks (Edward I) at the end of May presents a clash of armored knights, archery, sword combat and crafts. Black Mountain Falconry events are held monthly and the Wythe Retinue in August demonstrates canonry and battles of the War of the Roses, as well as others.

The Pembroke Walk is a path around the walls of the castle where it meets the waters of the estuary. Cross the bridge to the far side for the most impressive photogenic view of the castle, reflected in the still waters. The Brass Rubbing Center next to the castle gate offers a middle ages crafts experience.

Visiting Pembroke Castle

Pembroke Castle Model photoPembroke Castle is in located the historic old town of Pembroke (duh, but important), about 2 miles from the more current city of Pembroke Dock, which is the terminus of the ferry from Rosslare in Ireland. The castle and exhibits are open daily from 10am to 5pm March and October, 9:30 to 6pm April through September, and 10 to 4 November to February. Last entry is 45 minutes before closing. Entrance admission is £6 for adults £5 for kids and seniors, Children under 5 are free. Pembroke Castle is included in the Great British Heritage Pass. Guided tours are given 4 times a day. There is a café and the gift shop is open all year round. © Bargain Travel Europe

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