Siege of Pembroke Castle 1102
Who Fought
History & Significance
Pembroke Castle (Welsh: Castell Penfro) is a medieval castle in the centre of Pembroke, Pembrokeshire in Wales. The castle was the original family seat of the Earldom of Pembroke. A Grade I listed building since 1951, it underwent major restoration during the early 20th century.
In 1093, Arnulf of Montgomery built the first castle at the site when he fortified the promontory beside the Pembroke River during the Norman invasion of Wales. A century later, the castle was given by Richard I to William Marshal, who became one of the most powerful men in 12th-century Britain. He rebuilt Pembroke Castle in stone, creating most of the structure that remains today. The castle is open to the public and is the largest privately owned castle in Wales.
The castle is sited on a strategic rocky promontory by the Milford Haven Waterway. The first fortification on the site was a Norman motte-and-bailey. It had earthen ramparts and a timber palisade.
The inner ward, which was constructed in 1189, contains the huge round keep with its domed roof. Its original first-floor entrance was through an external stairwell. Inside, a spiral staircase connected its four stories. The keep's domed roof also has several putlog holes that supported a wooden fighting-platform.
The inner ward's curtain wall had a large horseshoe-shaped gateway. But only a thin wall was required along the promontory. This section of the wall has a small observation turret and a square stone platform. Domestic buildings including William Marshal's Great Hall and private apartments were within the inner ward. The 13th century keep is 23 metres (75 ft) tall with walls up to 6 metres (20 ft) thick at its base.
In the late 13th century, additional buildings were added to the inner ward, including a new Great Hall. The outer ward was defended by a large twin-towered gatehouse, a barbican and several round towers.
Although Pembroke Castle is a Norman-style enclosure castle with great keep, because it was built on a rocky promontory surrounded by water, it can be more accurately described as a linear fortification.
Pembroke Castle stands on a site that was occupied during the Roman period, and recent discoveries in Wogan Cave underneath the castle show humans occupied the site at the end of the last ice age. Roger of Montgomery founded the first castle here in 1073. The castle was established at the heart of the Norman-controlled lands of southwest Wales.
Roger's son Arnulf strengthened the castle and appointed Gerald de Windsor as his castellan at Pembroke, after which it withstood a major siege in 1092. When William Rufus died, Arnulf de Montgomery joined his elder brother, Robert of Bellême, in rebellion against Henry I, William's brother and successor as king; when the rebellion failed, he was forced to forfeit his lands and titles. Henry appointed his castellan, but when the chosen ally turned out to be incompetent, the King reappointed Gerald in 1102. By 1138 King Stephen had given Pembroke Castle to Gilbert de Clare who used it as an important base in the Norman invasion of Ireland.
The ground they fought on
The site of Siege of Pembroke Castle 1102 lies on Dinantian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Mississippian. The rock here is limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything a full report reveals about Siege of Pembroke Castle 1102
This page covers Siege of Pembroke Castle 1102. A full Aubrey report for the area pulls together this battle alongside scheduled monuments and everything else the record holds within a few miles:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Scheduled Monuments near Siege of Pembroke Castle 1102
Battles near Siege of Pembroke Castle 1102
Explore the landscape around Pembrokeshire
Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in the UK — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.
- Pembroke Castle · Wikipedia
- Arnulf de Montgomery · Wikipedia
- Pembroke - castle · medievalheritage.eu