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Description: | Roger Montgomery, a Norman invader to Wales, built Pembroke Castle in 1093. Situated on top of a limestone promontory and surrounded by water on three sides, the castle was one of the strongest fortresses on the Welsh coast and withstood many heavy Welsh bombardments. Due to Pembrokeshire's coastal position, the castle was used as a starting point for Irish battle campaigns led by Montgomery's allies.
The castle was greatly reinforced over the following centuries by its various owners and by the time of the Civil War (1642-1649), was one of the largest in the country. The great keep, whose walls measure 19ft thick in places and stands at over 75ft tall, looms threateningly over the landscape - a daunting prospect for any attacking army!
After Cromwell and his Parliamentarians captured the castle in 1648, he ordered its destruction. The barbican and the fronts of the towers were blown up and the whole structure gradually fell into great disrepair. In the 1930s extensive restoration work was carried out and the remains can be seen to this day as a reminder of the region's bloody past. | License: | http://www.bl.uk/services/copy/permission.html | Rights holder: | British Library | Source: | Collect Britain | Creator: | Buckler, John Chessell | Identifier: | http://www.collectbritain.co.uk/personal... | Language: | en-GB | Go to resource |
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