Narberth Castle, Grade I listed Norman castle in Narberth, Wales.
Narberth Castle is a Norman castle ruin in Narberth, a small town in Pembrokeshire, Wales. What remains today includes two drum towers with angled bases, a vaulted chamber that was once part of the main building, and traces of a rectangular walled enclosure.
A first fortification on this spot was built in the early 12th century and was destroyed by Welsh forces in 1257. The stone structure seen today dates from after that event and passed through the hands of several noble families before falling into disuse.
Narberth Castle appears by name in the Mabinogion, a collection of medieval Welsh tales that are among the oldest stories written in Britain. In those stories, the place is described as a royal court where feasts are held and strange events unfold.
The site is on private land, so access to the ruins is not always open, and the best view is often from the public areas just outside. Sturdy footwear is a good idea since the ground around the ruins can be uneven.
Excavations around the ruins uncovered more than 20 graves from the 12th and 13th centuries, which were not expected at a military site. This points to the presence of a church on this spot before the castle was built.
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