Pennard Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pennard Castle |
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| Gower Peninsula, Wales | |
Exterior of the gatehouse
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 Pennard Castle
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| Coordinates | 51°34′36″N 4°06′08″W / 51.5766°N 4.1023°W |
| Type | Ringwork |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | Pennard Golf Course |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Condition | Ruined |
| Site history | |
| Materials | Stone |
Pennard Castle is an old, ruined castle in south Wales. It stands near the village of Pennard on the beautiful Gower Peninsula.
It was first built in the early 1100s by the Normans. At that time, it was a wooden fort called a ringwork. This happened after the Normans took over parts of Wales. Later, around the late 1200s and early 1300s, the Braose family rebuilt it using stone. They added strong walls and a gatehouse.
But soon, blowing sand dunes covered the castle, forcing people to leave it. It slowly fell apart. During the 1900s, some parts were repaired. Today, the castle ruins are a protected historical site in the UK.
Contents
History of Pennard Castle
Early Days: A Norman Wooden Fort
The Normans started moving into South Wales in the late 1060s. They built castles and set up new areas of control. Pennard Castle was built in the early 1100s. This was after Henry de Beaumont, the Earl of Warwick, took over the Gower Peninsula. Pennard became one of his main estates.
The castle was built on a limestone hill. It looked over the Pennard Pill stream and Three Cliffs Bay. Cliffs on the north and west sides helped protect it.
At first, it was an oval-shaped ringwork. It was about 34 by 28 meters (112 by 92 feet) wide. It had a defensive ditch and earth walls around it. Inside, there was a wooden hall. A local church, St Mary's, was built nearby. A small village grew up around the castle. People also raised rabbits in the nearby sand dunes.
Rebuilding in Stone: Stronger Walls and Towers
In the early 1200s, a simple stone hall was built. It was about 18.6 by 7.6 meters (61 by 25 feet). It replaced the older wooden building. This hall was made of red-purple sandstone with white limestone details.
Around the late 1200s and early 1300s, the castle was owned by William and his son, also named William. They replaced the wooden defenses with stone. A thin stone curtain wall was built. It was about 8 meters (26 feet) tall with battlements on top.
The new stone walls included two towers. There was a square tower on the west side. A round tower was on the north-west corner. A new gatehouse was built as the main entrance. It had two half-round towers, possibly like those at Caerphilly Castle. It had a portcullis (a heavy gate) and a few arrow loops for defense.
The new walls were made from local red sandstone and limestone. The Braose family might have rebuilt Pennard. Their other castle at Penmaen was being covered by sand dunes.
The Castle Falls to Sand and Time
Pennard Castle also started to be covered by sand dunes. The castle and its village were slowly left empty. By 1650, a report said the castle was "desolate and ruinous" and surrounded by sand.
By 1741, most of the castle's south wall had fallen. But the rest of the castle was still mostly standing. By 1795, it had fallen apart even more. The ruins became a popular subject for artists. Many drawings and paintings were made of the castle from the 1700s onwards. By 1879, big cracks appeared in the gatehouse's southern tower, causing part of it to collapse.
Protecting the Ruins: Modern Efforts
By 1922, people were worried about the castle's condition. The Penard Golf Club, who owned the land, worked with other groups. They tried to raise money to fix the stonework. But it was too expensive. Instead, the gatehouse was patched with concrete in 1923 and 1924.
Much of the remaining southern wall fell down in early 1960. An archaeological study was done in 1960 and 1961. Urgent repairs to the stone were made in 1963. Different groups, including a government ministry and local societies, helped pay for these repairs.
Today, the ruins of the gatehouse still stand tall. Its east side even reaches up to the battlements. This is partly because it was built with very strong mortar. Parts of the curtain wall also survive, mostly on the north and east sides. They are about 1.1 meters (3.6 feet) thick and 5 meters (16 feet) tall. The remains of the square mural tower are also there. The ruins are protected by UK law as a Grade II* listed building and a scheduled ancient monument.
