Narberth Castle

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Single-ward stone castle. Rectangular site. Ruins of 2 quarter-engaged drum towers. Traces of curtain wall with two semi-cirular bastions to W of enclosure. To the E is a vaulted cellar, the remains of a tower, and evidence for two garderobes. A masonry castle, set upon a steepsided N-S knoll, comprising a subrectangular enclosure, c.40m N-S by 20m, defined by fragmentary remains of walls and round towers: the visible remains are thought to be mid. C13 and later, the castle being first mentioned in 1116, possibly being occupied into C17, described in a survey of 1539. The c.36m across area of the knoll N of the enclosure may have formed an outwork: excavations, in 2001, recorded at least 20 graves, thought to be C12-C13 in this area, which has been considerably mutilated on the N; possibly the site of a church. Uncertain features occupy the S tip of the knoll

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Narberth Castle

Copyright Nathan Reynolds and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons license.

 

Narberth Castle

Copyright Nathan Reynolds and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons license.

 

Narberth Castle

Copyright Nathan Reynolds and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons license.


 

Narberth Castle

Copyright Nathan Reynolds and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons license.

 

Narberth Castle

Copyright Nathan Reynolds and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons license.

 

Narberth Castle

Copyright Nathan Reynolds and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons license.


 

Narberth Castle

Copyright Nathan Reynolds and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons license.

 

Narberth Castle

Copyright Nathan Reynolds and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons license.

 

Narberth Castle

Copyright Nathan Reynolds and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons license.



Name Narberth Castle 
Alternative Names Arbeth 
Historic County Pembrokeshire 
Community Narberth 
Type Masonry Castle 
Confidence Certain 
Remains Masonry ruins/remnants 
Listed Grade 1
Scheduled Ancient Monument Yes
Ordnance Survey Reference SN109144
Eastings 210980
Northing 214400
Coflein (RCAHMW)94121
Historic Environment Record 3748

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StreetMaps

Books

  • Morgan, Gerald, 2008, Castles in Wales: A Handbook (Talybont: Y Lolfa Cyf.) p211-12
  • Hull, Lise, 2005, Castles and Bishops Palaces of Pembrokeshire (Logaston Press) p142-8
  • Ludlow, N. and Jameson, T., 2003, Narbeth Castle 2003: Interim Report (Cambria Report)
  • Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p166
  • Davis, Paul, 2000, A Company of Forts. A Guide to the Medieval Castles of West Wales (Gomer Press) p96-8 [plan]
  • Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p109
  • Salter, Mike, 1996, The Castles of South West Wales (Malvern) p68--9
  • Miles, Dillwyn, 1979 (Revised 1988), Castles of Pembrokeshire (Pembrokeshire Coast National Park) p26-7
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p395
  • Soulsby, I., 1983, The Towns of Medieval Wales (Phillimore)
  • Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p367
  • Stickings, T.G., 1973, Castles and Strongholds of Pembrokeshire (Tenby) p67-72
  • Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
  • RCAHMW, 1925, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Pembrokeshire (HMSO) p246-8
  • Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p280
  • Edwards, Emily Hewlett, 1909, Castles and Strongholds of Pembrokeshire (Tenby) p33-4 http://www.archive.org/stream/castlesstronghol00edwauoft
  • Lewis, Samual, 1849, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=47872#s12
  • Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p424

Antiquarian

  • Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1906, Leland's Itinerary in Wales (Bell and Sons; London) p62 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryinwales00lelauoft

Journals

  • 2005-6, 'Narberth Castle' Castle Studies Group Journal Vol19 p135-8
  • Ludlow, N, 2003 'The Castle and Lordship of Narberth', Journal of the Pembrokeshire Historical Society Vol12 p5-43
  • Murphy, K. and Crane, P., 2002, 'Burials at Narberth Castle, Pembrokeshire' Archeaology in Wales Vol42 p73-7
  • King, D.J.C., 1976, ‘Narberth Castle’; The 123rd Annual Meeting in South Pembrokeshire, 1976, CAA p13-14
  • Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
  • Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1963, 'Early castles in Wales and the Marches: a preliminary list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol112 p77-124
  • Harrison, W., 1964, 'Narbeth Castle' Archaeological Journal Vol119 p328-30
  • Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 p249-280 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p90-121] http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28195904%2974%3A291%3C249%3AALOC1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P

Primary Sources

  • Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) [lists sources for 1272-1422] p393

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The information on this web page may be derived from information compiled by and/or copyright of English Heritage and other individuals and organisations. All the sources given should be consulted to identify the original copyright holder and permission obtained from them before use of the information on this site for commerical purposes. I do not receive any income from this site and I fund it myself. The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others. This site is based upon the databases collated and maintained by Philip Davis who kindly gave permission for its use.