Narberth Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Arbeth

In the community of Narberth.
In the historic county of Pembrokeshire (Modern authority of Pembrokeshire, preserved county of Dyfed).

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

This site has been described as a;
Masonry Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Masonry ruins/remnants remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Listed but grading unknown listed building protected by law*.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SN10981440

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

National Monuments Record number; 94121

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 3748

• Web site links
  • http://www.castlewales.com/narberth.html
    http://www.acadat.com/projects/narberthcastle.htm
    http://www.acadat.com/projects/BurialsatNarberthCastle.htm
• Books
  • 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
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p424
• Journal Articles
  • 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 and Crane, 2002, 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., 'Narbeth Castle' 1964, Archaeological Journal Vol119 p328-30
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press)] pp90-121
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol3 p62