Pembroke Castle
| Pembroke Castle | ||
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 Pembroke Castle |
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| Creation time : | 12th century | |
| Castle type : | Spurburg | |
| Conservation status: | Castle ruins | |
| Standing position : | Aristocratic residence | |
| Place: | Pembroke | |
| Geographical location | 51 ° 40 '39 " N , 4 ° 55' 14" W | |
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Pembroke Castle is a Norman castle from the 12th century, built at the end of a rocky ridge, surrounded on three sides by water. It is located in the south Welsh county of Pembrokeshire in a bay of the River Pembroke at the western end of the village of Pembroke opposite the city of Milford Haven . Before it was built, there was a small fortress here that Arnulf de Montgomery had built in 1093.
The huge main tower had an unusual stone dome and is still 20 meters high. The builder was William Marshall , son-in-law of Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke , known as Strongbow, the conqueror of Ireland and responsible for repairing the castle in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. The overview you have from up there over Milford Haven explains the strategic importance of this part of the castle. A staircase once led from the surrounding buildings to a large cave at the foot of the hill.
The up to five meter thick outer wall ring of Pembroke Castle has been preserved as a ruin, but the inner one has almost completely disappeared. The gatehouse had a clever loopholes and three portcullis. Overall, the complex is a showpiece of medieval castle construction.
Pembroke Castle plays a role several times in the story. From here, Henry II crossed to Ireland in 1172 to support Richard de Clare in his fight against King Roderick of Connaught and finally to subdue Ireland completely. Heinrich Tudor, who later became Henry VII , was born here in 1457 .
During the English Civil War , the castle was besieged successively by both royalists and Cromwell's troops because of the disagreement among its residents . It was not until Cromwell himself took the town under fire with heavy artillery that the castle was handed over in 1648.
Today Pembroke Castle is run as a public benefit. Great efforts have been made over the past decade to keep the castle's history alive. In this way, the most important events can be tracked in exhibition rooms.
Others
Pembroke Castle was the location for the American-British romance film A Whole Half a Year from 2016.
literature
- Heidi E. Conrad: Wales . Prestel, Munich 1982, ISBN 3-7913-0594-8 , p. 334.
Web links
- Official site of the Pembroke Castle (English)