Our Eras Tour #9: Cardigan and Pembrokeshire

Pentre Ifan Dolmen

For our two nights in Cardigan, we stayed at the Flambards Hotel and Teahouse on the outskirts of town (or, maybe it was in town, it was hard to tell in such a rural setting). The town, which sits on the tidal reach of the River Teifi, has a population of only about 4,000.

Flambards Hotel & Teahouse; Left photo: Booking.com

The town grew up around Cardigan Castle, built by the Normans in the late 11th or early 12th century. It was the site of the first Eisteddfod music festival in 1176. Contestants came from all over the British Isles to compete for chairs in music and poetry. The community was sacked and the Castle razed shortly thereafter. Maybe the losers were unhappy with the results of the competition.

I am sorry we missed Cardigan Castle; Photo: FelinFach

We tried to go see the Castle, but all we saw was a keep behind a row of buildings. We had envisioned photographing castles sitting on broad expanses of land without thinking about how they were often the epicenter of towns and, therefore, are packed in with pubs and offices and roads (all too narrow).  

Photo: Castles & Fortifications of England

Our attempt to see the Cardigan Castle was late in the day and we couldn’t find the carpark. Since we knew that the Castle was closed and the only thing we'd be able to do at that hour was look at the walls, we decided to think about visiting the next day. But, we never went back. 

Now, looking at aerial photos, I think our GPS failed us. It looks like a partial view was right around the corner.

And, we didn’t explore much around Cardigan, opting instead to go south the next day for some exploring in Pembrokeshire as recommended by the Innkeeper at Flambards. 

Pembrokeshire

But, before heading south, we had one stop really close to hour hotel: Pentre Ifan.

Pentre Ifan Dolmen

The area of Pentre Ifan (literally Ivan's Village) gives its name to the largest and best preserved neolithic dolmen in Wales.

Impressive

Barely balanced

The Pentre Ifan dolmen is a collection of seven principal stones, the largest of which is 16 feet long, 7.9 feet wide and 3 feet thick. 

Estimated to weigh 16 tons, the huge capstone rests (barely) on the tips of three upright stones, about 8.2 feet off the ground. 

There are six stones, including the three support stones.

Of the remaining three, two portal stones form an entrance and the third, at an angle, appears to block the doorway.

The structure dates from around 3500 BC and had traditionally been identified as a communal burial chamber. Under this theory, the existing stones formed the portal and main chamber of the tomb, which would have been covered by a large mound of stones about 98 feet long and 55 feet wide. Some potential kerbstones, which would have marked the edge of the mound, were found during excavations.

The original concept; Art: MedievalEurope.eu

The stone chamber would have been at the southern end of the long mound, which stretched off to the north. Very little material that would have formed a mound remains. 

Most in their original position

Some of the stones have been scattered, but at least seven are in their original position. 

An elaborate entrance façade surrounding the portal, which may have been a later addition, was built with carefully constructed dry stone walling.

Individual burials were thought to have been made within the stone chamber, which would be reused many times. No traces of bones were found in the tomb, raising the possibility that they were subsequently transferred elsewhere. Or, it wasn’t a burial chamber at all.

Did they have it wrong?

A major study in 2014 identified distinctive attributes shared by the class of monument known as dolmens, all of which are particularly well exemplified at Pentre Ifan.

See the flat bottom?

First, dolmens typically have a large capstone derived from a glacial erratic, far bigger than is required or sensible if the aim is to roof a chamber. 

Furthermore, the capstone has a flat underside that was created by either splitting or painstakingly chiseling the rock.

The capstone is supported exclusively on the tapering tips of slender uprights and the other rocks play no part in holding it up.

This gives the impression of an enormous stone floating above the other stones. 

Based on the impressive design of the dolmen, it is surmised that the stones were never designed to be buried within a mound and they never formed a chamber to contain bones. 

Instead, they were intended to be seen. 

And, now, they are a historic monument

These dolmens may have been a more elaborate version of a standing stone that might have been constructed to demonstrate the status and skill of the builders or to add significance to an already significant place. 

It also could have been used for sacrificial ceremonies

The size of the huge capstone makes it likely that it was not brought in from elsewhere, but already stood as an independent glacial erratic on the spot it now occupies. 

Studied by early travelers and antiquarians, Pentre Ifan rapidly became famous as an image of ancient Wales, appearing in engravings and paintings. 

Sketch from 1884; Art: Ancient Wisdom

The site has been a protected historical site since 1884. 

Evidence from a 1948 excavation suggests that a large pit was dug to expose and work on the capstone, including splitting it to create the flat underside. It was probably levered vertically upwards a little at a time by a large group of people using poles and ropes and then packed into place using boulders. 

Once at the required height, the supporting uprights could be introduced, and the boulders removed to leave only the uprights, and such other surrounding stones as were wanted.

Like everywhere else, Sheep graze alongside the monument

We went early and, after stopping at the wrong Pentre Ifan (a trailhead, not the dolmen), we found the parking area and short trail to the dolmen. We were the only ones there for about an hour. Like the Dyfi Ffwrnais, it has no admission fee or hours, just a small parking area on a very narrow road. By the time we left, the carpark was filling up.

By ourselves

In addition to viewing and photographing the dolmen, we also amused ourselves ... 

... photographing colorful Garden Snails all along the trail ...

... watching a distant Red Kite ...

... wondering at the dramatic coastline

We continued south down the west coast as the weather improved.

The path back to the car

We were passing in and out of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park (Welsh: Parc Cenedlaethol Arfordir Penfro), the only National Park in the United Kingdom to consist largely of coastal landscapes. The 243 square-mile Park was established in 1952. 

The coast and the ocean

Our goal was to visit St. David’s Bishop’s Palace and Cathedral, which the Flambards Innkeeper said were “must visit” spots. He was right.

On the way, we did pass some ocean vistas. The morning's sunshine was deteriorating (only to rally again when we got to our first destination).

Be prepared: carry a rain jacket (umbrellas are fairly useless with the wind)

St. David’s Cathedral/St. David’s Bishop’s Palace

St. David’s Cathedral (Welsh: Eglwys Gadeiriol Tyddewi) is a still-active cathedral in Pembrokeshire built in a monastic community originally founded by St. David, Abbot of Menevia, who died in 589. It is now an Anglican church rather than the original Catholic.

St. David's Cathedral

Between 645 and 1097, the community was attacked and ransacked at least 10 times by Norse raiders and many of the bishops were murdered. 

A pretty clock

The arrival of the Normans in the 11th century brought some stability. They appointed a Norman bishop and attempted to protect the site by building a motte and bailey fort and, later, a stone defensive wall.

A gate, keep, wall and cemetery

The Cathedral became an important religious site, housing relics of the St. David, patron saint of Wales. William the Conqueror is said to have visited as a pilgrim in 1081.

In 1115, King Henry I of England appointed Bishop Bernard to lead St. David’s and Bernard began building a new cathedral. 

Stone effigies

In 1123, St. David’s Cathedral became a religious pilgrimage center for the Western world. 

For those who keep score, the Pope even decreed that "two pilgrimages to St. David’s is equal to one to Rome, and three pilgrimages is equal to one to Jerusalem."

Cathedral decoration and St. David

Bernard’s Cathedral was consecrated it in 1131. The congregation continued to increase, creating a need for a larger church.

 

Carved misericords (mercy seats) fold so worshippers can lean on them during long services

The present St. David’s was begun in 1181 and completed not long after. The tower collapsed in 1220 and an earthquake damaged the cathedral in 1247 or 48. In 1328-1347, the Bishop’s Palace, which I will talk about below, was added.

The Cathedral from the Palace

In 1365, work began on St. Mary's College, a chantry and a cloister to connect St. Mary's to the Cathedral. The Holy Trinity Chapel was built in the early 1500s and the nave’s roof and Irish oak ceiling were constructed between 1530 and 1540.

There are beautiful ceilings throughout

In 1538, Bishop Barlow, wishing to suppress the following of St. David, stripped the Cathedral of its jewels and confiscated the relics in order to counteract "superstition."

Beautiful stained glass

The establishment of the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell was particularly brutal in St. David’s. The Cathedral was all but destroyed and the lead was stripped from the Bishop's Palace roof. In 1793, the west front was restored but the work proved to be substandard and, within a century, the west front had become unstable. 

The nave

The whole building was restored between 1862 and 1870, the Lady Chapel was restored in 1901 and the eastern chapels were restored between 1901 and 1910.

In 1923, the diocese was made smaller when the Archdeaconry of Brecon ws moved to form the new Diocese of Swansea and Brecon. 

St. David’s began to deteriorate because it was too remote, but it rallied in the 1950s and, in the 1960s, St. Mary's College was restored as the cathedral hall for the parish and for art exhibitions and poetry readings.

In 1995, the British Government reinstated the title of "city" to St. David’s. This began a number of projects, including: rebuilding the organ; restoring the west front; building cloisters to house the cathedral choir, vestries, an education suite, parish rooms and a refectory; creating a Visitor Center within the bell tower; and enlarging the peal of bells from eight to ten. You can hear the bells in Caty's video below:

The rebuilt pipe organ is beautiful. I just wish we could have heard it.

The pipe organ

The cathedral choir at St. David’s was the first in the UK to use girls along with men as the main choir, rather than boys and men. (Salisbury Cathedral introduced boys and girls earlier on an equal basis, whereas St. David’s uses girls as "main" cathedral choristers.) There is also a boys' choir.

Cathedral interior

The man responsible for much of the site that can be seen today was Bishop Henry de Gower (1328-47). He carried out major works in the Cathedral and built the Bishop’s Palace (Welsh: Llys yr Esgob Tyddewi) with its distinctive wheel window, an arcaded parapet, a porch, a great hall and both private and public chambers. 

St. David’s Bishop’s Palace

Gower's east range was built first to serve as the Bishop’s home. The much grander south range was built later for entertaining.

The interior of the Great Hall

The excellent interpretive signs give a good look at how the Bishop and his household lived and how the servants worked in the storerooms and kitchens to provide extravagant hospitality to guests. Indeed, the Bishop lived as a king.

Kitchens and storage were below

The beginning of the Reformation heralded the decline of the Bishop’s Palace. Bishops stayed less at St. David’s and, by the middle of the 16th century, the chief episcopal residence had been relocated to Abergwili, Carmarthenshire, 50 miles away. 

Ruins of the once-crowded inner ward

In 1616, Bishop Richard Milbourne applied for a license to demolish some of the buildings. By 1678, when another license for demolition was sought, the Palace was considered beyond repair.

Ruins

Much of the town wall remains, particularly on the south side. The main gate into the cathedral compound, Porth-y-Tŵr, dates from about 1300 and remains intact. Construction materials had included a mixture of local stone and Precambrian volcanic rock. 

The Roman-style arches are a mosaic and were once painted bright colors

Carved faces are weathered

Exposure to the elements eroded the highly decorated stonework, windows and sculptures and, in some places, walls were so thin there was a danger of structural collapse. A restoration program from 2003 to 2009 rebuilt walls, repaired damaged carvings and replaced floors.

The whole time we were at the Palace and in the Cathedral, the weather was glorious, even getting a bit warm (especially since, not trusting Welsh weather, we had worn our raincoats).

While the Palace is a ruin, the beautifully appointed Cathedral is still in use.

Looking through ruins at ruins

Somehow, by following GPS rather than signs, we ended up in one of about six free parking spaces right in front of the entrance gate to the Palace instead of at the pay-carpark a few blocks away by the Cathedral. I am not sure why we got so lucky.

The wrought iron gate mirrors the wagon window

After touring both buildings, we had a lovely lunch at the on-site restaurant. We sampled local specialties Welsh rarebit and Welsh cakes, and had a sweet potato topped with BBQ beef (the Welsh nailed it again).

The cafe, left, was attached to the Cathedral

Pembroke Castle

On to another castle. Cuz, why not?

Pembroke Castle

We headed a little south and east to Pembroke Castle, which was originally built in 1093 during the Norman invasion of Wales and was the family seat of the Earldom of Pembroke. Sited on a strategic rocky promontory by the Milford Haven Waterway, it was a motte-and-bailey with earthen ramparts and a timber palisade.

A century later, the Castle was given by Richard I to William Marshal, who became one of the most powerful men in 12th-century Britain. He rebuilt Pembroke Castle in stone, creating most of the structure that remains today.

Aerial view; Photo: The Castles of Wales

The inner ward, which was constructed first, contains a huge round keep with a domed roof. Its original first-floor entrance was through an external stairwell. Inside, a spiral staircase connected its four stories (let me tell you, those spiral staircases are tricky when your shoe size is 9 or higher). The keep's domed roof also has several holes that supported a wooden fighting-platform. If the Castle was attacked, defenders could go out beyond the keep's massive walls above the heads of the attackers. The keep is 75 feet tall with walls up to 20 feet thick at the base.

A tent for an event seemed to fit

In the late 13th century, additional buildings were added to the inner ward, including a new great hall and a 55-step spiral staircase that led down to a large limestone cave, known as Wogan Cavern, beneath the castle. We went down there via the narrow, steep, creepy stairs. The cave has a large opening to outside where you can see the walkway that goes around the castle’s exterior. It begs the question: why not make an easier entrance here?

The cave has windows to the outside; Photo: BBC

The cave, which was created by natural water erosion, was fortified with a wall, a barred gateway (TO THE OUTSIDE!) and arrow slits. It may have served as a boathouse or a sallyport to the river where cargo or people could have been transferred.

Main gate of Pembroke Castle

The outer ward was defended by a large twin-towered gatehouse, a barbican and several round towers. The outer wall is 16 feet thick in places.

Because Pembroke Castle was built on a rocky promontory surrounded by water, attacking forces could assault only on a narrow front. 

The thickest walls and towers are concentrated landward facing the town, with Pembroke River providing a natural defense around the rest of its perimeter. I really wanted a photo of the outside from across the river, but we never found a way there (OK, we didn’t try too hard because the weather was deteriorating and the wind was fierce).

From outside, with a statue of William Marshal; Photo: Caty Stevens

In 1247, the Castle was inherited by William de Valence (a half-brother of Henry III), who had become Earl of Pembroke through his marriage to Joan de Munchensi, William Marshal's granddaughter. The de Valence family held Pembroke for 70 years and used it as a military base for fighting the Welsh princes during the conquest of North Wales by Edward I.

From the outside

Later, the Castle passed through marriage to the Hastings family.

In 1389, 17-year-old John Hastings died in a jousting accident (I hate it when that happens), ending a line of inheritance that had stretched back 250 years. 

Pembroke Castle then reverted to Richard II of England. Short tenancies were then granted by The Crown. 

When Owain Glyndŵr started the Welsh rebellion in 1400, Pembroke escaped attack because the Castle's Constable, Francis а Court, paid off Glyndŵr in gold. 

In 1452, the Castle and Earldom were given to Jasper Tudor by his half-brother Henry VI. Tudor brought his widowed sister-in-law, Margaret Beaufort, to Pembroke where, in 1457, she gave birth to her only child, who was to become King Henry VII of England.

Tall keeps

In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Castle was a place of peace until the outbreak of the English Civil War. Although most of South Wales sided with the King, Pembroke declared for Wales. It was besieged by Royalist troops but was saved after reinforcements arrived by sea from nearby Milford Haven.

Inside one of the rooms

At the beginning of the Second Civil War, Oliver Cromwell came to Pembroke in 1648 and took the Castle after a seven-week siege. 

Cromwell ordered Pembroke Castle to be destroyed and townspeople were encouraged to disassemble the fortress and re-use its stone for their purposes. 

The Castle was then allowed to decay and remained in ruins until 1880, when a three-year restoration project was undertaken. 

Nothing further was done until 1928, when the Castle's walls, gatehouses and towers were renovated. 

Pembroke is now the largest privately owned castle in Wales.

Mute Swan outside the Castle

Pembroke has appeared in numerous feature films. The opening scene of The Lion in Winter (1968) showed the future Richard I, played by Anthony Hopkins, jousting with another knight. In Me Before You (2016), Pembroke Castle was Will Traynor's family home. 

After our somewhat rainy tour, we drove back to Cardigan hoping for some Italian food (pub food was getting a bit old), but the restaurant we were headed for was closed for a family vacation. We ended up eating some good Indian food near the river. 

If the terms above are confusing, read my post on Welsh castles.

Trip date: June 6 - 20, 2024