Dale Castle
Encyclopedia
Dale Castle is a 13th century castle
located close to the village of Dale
in Pembrokeshire
, Wales
.
Built after the English
invasion of South Wales
, the castle was originally built by the de Vales, descendants of a knight who had accompanied Robert fitz Martin
on his invasion of north Pembrokeshire. The male line died out, meaning that subsequent owners have rotated through the female bloodline. The Walter family of Roch Castle
took ownership, from whom Lucy Walter
, mistress of King Charles II
and mother of the Duke of Monmouth was descended. It was then owned by the families of the Paynters, Allens and Lloyds.
The modern house and farm at Dale Castle was re-modelled and re-built in 1910, incorporating parts of the original medieval castle. The south wing of the current structure was the central block of the medieval castle, 19.5 metres (64 ft) east-north-east to west-south-west by 17 metres (55.8 ft), with walls 2.4 metres (7.9 ft) thick.
Owned now by the Lloyd Philipps family and their trusts, they have sold much of the remaining non-core estate land holdings, including the island of Skokholm
. The castle is not open to the public.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
located close to the village of Dale
Dale, Pembrokeshire
Dale is a small village and community in Pembrokeshire, West Wales, located on the Dale Peninsula which forms the northern side of the entrance to Milford Haven estuary. The village has 205 inhabitants according to the 2001 census.-History:...
in Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
Built after the English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
invasion of South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
, the castle was originally built by the de Vales, descendants of a knight who had accompanied Robert fitz Martin
Robert fitz Martin
Robert fitz Martin was a Norman knight and first Lord of Cemais, Wales.-Family background:Robert fitz Martin was born some time in the late 11th century to Geva de Burci, heiress of Serlo de Burci, and an otherwise unknown man called Martin.Geva de Burci's second husband was William de Falaise,...
on his invasion of north Pembrokeshire. The male line died out, meaning that subsequent owners have rotated through the female bloodline. The Walter family of Roch Castle
Roch Castle
Roch Castle is a 13th century castle, located near Haverfordwest, Wales.Built by Norman knight Adam de Rupe in the second half of the 12th century, probably on the site of an earlier wooden structure...
took ownership, from whom Lucy Walter
Lucy Walter
Lucy Walter or Lucy Barlow was a mistress of King Charles II of England and mother of James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth. She is believed to have been born in 1630 or a little later at Roch Castle near Haverfordwest, Wales into a family of middling gentry...
, mistress of King Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
and mother of the Duke of Monmouth was descended. It was then owned by the families of the Paynters, Allens and Lloyds.
The modern house and farm at Dale Castle was re-modelled and re-built in 1910, incorporating parts of the original medieval castle. The south wing of the current structure was the central block of the medieval castle, 19.5 metres (64 ft) east-north-east to west-south-west by 17 metres (55.8 ft), with walls 2.4 metres (7.9 ft) thick.
Owned now by the Lloyd Philipps family and their trusts, they have sold much of the remaining non-core estate land holdings, including the island of Skokholm
Skokholm
Skokholm is an uninhabited island off the coast of south west Pembrokeshire in Wales, lying south of the neighbouring island of Skomer. The whole island is a Site of Special Scientific Interest as is Skomer. The surrounding waters are a marine reserve, all part of the Pembrokeshire Coast National...
. The castle is not open to the public.