Tenby Town Walls

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Dinbych-y-pysgod

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

Extensive remains of substantively medieval town walls. The landwards defences are substantially complete, with five mural towers and a gate complex. Elsewhere, along the coastal cliffs, scraps of retaining walls and a turret, or tower (SN13580033) may have belonged to the defensive scheme. Originally built in 1245, the walls were rebuilt in 1457 after a period of neglect. Rubble stone with arrow loops and crenellated parapet.

This site has been described as a;
Urban Defence.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Major remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SN13340038

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; 127

• Web site links
  • http://www.castlewales.com/tenby.html
    http://www.virtualtenby.co.uk/hist-arches.asp
• Books
  • Hull, Lise, 2005, Castles and Bishops Palaces of Pembrokeshire (Logaston Press) p211-3
    Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p18, 27, 30, 40, 114, 115, 124, 129, 131, 133, 135, 137, 149, 151, 168, 244, 278
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p175-6
    Davis, Paul, 2000, A Company of Forts. A Guide to the Medieval Castles of West Wales (Gomer Press) p109-11
    Salter, Mike, 1996, The Castles of South West Wales (Malvern) p83
    Bond, C.J., 1987, 'Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Defences', in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds) Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report) p92-116
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p400-1
    Soulsby, I., 1983, The Towns of Medieval Wales (Phillimore)
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p381
    Barley M.W., 1975, 'Town Defences in England and Wales after 1066' in Barley (ed) Medieval Towns in England and Wales (CBA research reports) pp57-71 plan p67
    Stickings, T.G., 1973, Castles and Strongholds of Pembrokeshire (Tenby) p125-8
    Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p218-24
    RCAHMW, 1925, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Pembrokeshire (HMSO) p395
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co) p247-8
    Edwards, Emily Hewlett, 1909, Castles and Strongholds of Pembrokeshire (Tenby) p29-33
• Journal Articles
  • Jones, R., 2004, 'Tenby, Brechmaenchine Tower' Archaeology in Wales Vol44 p174-5 [plan and elevation]
    Thomas, W. Gwyn, 1993, 'The walls of Tenby' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol142 p1-39
    Kenyon, J.R., 1981 'Early Artillery Fortifications in England and Wales: a Preliminary Survey and Re-appraisal' Archaeological Journal Vol138 p213
    Thomas, W. Gwyn, , 1976, ‘Tenby Castle’ and ‘Tenby town walls’, The 123rd Annual Meeting in South Pembrokeshire, 1976, CAA p26-8
    Walker, 1969, National Library of Wales Journal Vol15 p1-22
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    Leach, 1938, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol93 p278-9
    Laws, 1896, Archaeologia Cambrensis [ser5] Vol13 p177-92, 273-89
• Guidebooks
  • Davies, M., 1979, The Story of Tenby (Tenby Museum) esp p10-12
    
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/glameng.html#pemb2]
• Other sources and unpublished works (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • Garfi, S., 1993, Tenby Town Walls Archaeological Recording Project for Pembrokeshire District Council and CARW (NMR, Aberrystwyth)