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Llawhaden Castle is a medieval fortress located in Pembrokeshire, Wales, which served as a significant administrative and defensive stronghold for the Bishops of St Davids from the thirteenth century onwards. The castle comprises substantial remains of a stone-built structure set within a natural defensive position, featuring the characteristic elements of a medieval episcopal residence including domestic and fortified components. Originally established in the early thirteenth century, the castle was repeatedly modified and strengthened throughout the medieval period, reflecting its importance as a seat of ecclesiastical power in south-west Wales. The site preserves evidence of its multi-functional role as both a fortress and a centre of diocesan authority, with surviving masonry indicating the scale and sophistication of its medieval construction.
Llawhaden Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference PE024. View the official record →
Llawhaden Castle is a medieval fortress located in Pembrokeshire, Wales, which served as a significant administrative and defensive stronghold for the Bishops of St Davids from the thirteenth century onwards. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference PE024.
Llawhaden Castle dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a castle. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Llawhaden Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is PE024.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Castell Coch (3.8 km), Minwear Ringwork (4.1 km), Newton North Church (4.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Llawhaden Castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Llawhaden Castle stands on Ashgill Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.