Carew Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Carew Castle |
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| Part of Pembrokeshire | |
| Carew, Wales | |
Castle's north face, beside an inlet of the Carew River
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| Type | Norman Rectangular castle with Elizabethan Ranges |
| Height | Up to 15 metres (49 ft) |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Carew family |
| Controlled by | Pembrokeshire Coast National Park |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Condition | Partially restored |
| Website | Carew Castle & Tidal Mill |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1270 |
| Built by | Nicholas de Carew |
| Materials | Carboniferous Limestone |
| Battles/wars | English Civil War |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Designated | 14 May 1970 |
Carew Castle (Welsh: Castell Caeriw) is an amazing castle located in Carew, Pembrokeshire, Wales. The Carew family, who gave the castle its name, have owned this site for over 900 years! Today, the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park manages the castle.
Contents
Building the Castle
The castle you see today replaced an older stone keep (a strong tower). Most of it is built from local Carboniferous limestone. However, some fancy parts, like the window frames from the Tudor period, use Cotswold stone. This stone had to be brought in from far away.
Even though it started as a Norman fortress, Carew Castle shows many different building styles. This is because people kept adding to it and changing it over hundreds of years.
To get into the main part of the castle, called the inner ward, you would cross a dry moat. There was also a strong barbican (a fortified gate) and a gatehouse. The front of the castle had three D-shaped towers and walls with crenelations (the tooth-like tops). The back of the castle had two large round towers. In the 1500s, the northern wall was changed into a beautiful Tudor section with fancy windows and a long gallery.
Outside the main castle, in the outer ward, you can still see earthworks. These were built by the Royalist defenders during the English Civil War in the 1640s.
Castle History
People have used this spot for military purposes for at least 2000 years!
Early Times
The castle sits on a limestone bluff. This is a high, flat area of land overlooking the Carew inlet. This inlet is part of the Milford Haven Waterway, which is a tidal river mouth. This location was perfect for defense. Archeologists have found old defensive walls from an Iron Age fort in the outer castle area.
The Norman castle began around 1100. Gerald de Windsor built a stone keep here. Gerald was put in charge of Pembroke Castle during the first Norman invasion of Pembrokeshire. He married Nest, a princess from Wales, around 1095. Nest brought the land of Carew as part of her dowry (a gift from the bride's family). Gerald cleared the old fort to build his own Norman-style castle. At first, only the keep was stone, and the outer walls were timber. This original stone keep is now known as the "Old Tower" within the castle.
Medieval Period
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Gerald's son, William, took the name "de Carew." In the mid-1100s, he built stone walls around the keep and added a "Great Hall." The tall-walled castle you see today, with its many rooms, was built around 1270 by Nicholas de Carew. This was around the same time that Edwardian castles were being built in North Wales. The outer area was also walled in at this time.
Tudor Period
The de Carew family faced tough times after the Black Death (a terrible plague). They had to mortgage (borrow money against) the castle. It then came into the hands of Rhys ap Thomas. He became very rich by cleverly changing sides and supporting Henry VII just before the Battle of Bosworth.
As a reward, Rhys ap Thomas received land and a knighthood. He added luxurious apartments to the castle in the late 1400s. These new parts had many beautiful Tudor features. An inner doorway even has three coats of arms carved into it: one for Henry VII, one for his son Arthur, and one for Arthur's wife Catherine of Aragon.
However, this loyalty didn't last forever. Rhys's grandson, Rhys ap Gruffudd, lost favor with the king. The castle then went back to the crown and was rented out to different people. In 1558, Sir John Perrot bought it. He was a powerful figure in Ireland. Sir John made the last big changes to the castle. He rebuilt the north walls to create a long range of rooms for living.
The Castle's Decline
Sir John Perrot later lost favor with the queen and died while imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1592. The castle again went back to the crown. Finally, the de Carew family bought it back in 1607.
During the English Civil War, the castle was made stronger by the Royalists (supporters of the King). However, south Pembrokeshire was mostly Parliamentarian (supporters of Parliament). The castle changed hands three times. After this, the south wall was pulled down to make sure the Royalists couldn't use the castle for defense anymore.
When the king returned to power, the castle was given back to the de Carew family. They continued to live in the eastern part until 1686. After that, the castle was left empty and slowly fell apart. People even took stones from the castle to use for other buildings or to make lime.
Since 1984, Cadw (the Welsh government's historic environment service) has helped fund a lot of restoration work. This work is done by the Pembrokeshire National Park Authority.
Carew Tidal Mill
Carew Tidal Mill is the only restored tidal mill in Wales. A tidal mill uses the power of the tides to grind grain. We don't know exactly when the mill was first built, but it was likely there by 1542. It's sometimes called the "French Mill." This might be because it used "French burrstone" millstones, which were very good quality.
Sir John Carew fixed the causeway walls and floodgates around 1615. One of the mill wheels has the date 1801 on it. The mill stopped being used in 1937 and became a ruin.
Images for kids
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Carew Castle from a distance
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The Carew Tidal Mill
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A closer look at the castle walls
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Carew Castle on a sunny day
