The Norman Influence of Carew Castle

The Norman influence of Carew stemmed from the heavy handed takeover of Southwest Wales by Arnulf de Montgomery, who created the Earldom of Pembroke. The governor that was appointed to the earldom was Gerald de Windsor.

Arnulf became a bit too big for his pantaloons and decided to rebel against the King Henry I. Arnulf’s mistake was Gerald’s triumph, as he ascended to not only becoming the representative to the crown and taking over Arnulf’s holdings, but by marrying the Princess Nest and receiving the lands of Carew as part of her dowry. Gerald completed his rise to stardom with the building of Carew Castle.

Time has not been kind to Gerald’s castle. The Old Tower is the only thing left. Once a proud and regal structure standing on its own, the tower was later incorporated into a curtain wall about 50 years after it was first constructed. The outline is still visible in the East Range.

On the first floor of the tower structure is a toilet chute, which is thought to be the very chute in which Gerald escaped during the attack, which saw his wife and children whisked away.

The tower was seemingly the only stone structure in the castle. Buildings of timer and mountains of earth and defensive ditches were the only other objects on the castle site. It was this area that made up the Inner Ward. The ditches mostly comprised the Outer Ward. Not much has been found during digs of the area, save the Norman era domestic garbage pile!

When Gerald died in 1116, his son William took over Carew and then passed it to his son Odo. It was during William’s holding of the castle that the family took the name @de Carew’.

Around 1150 extensive work was carried out. New towers were constructed and the first of many grand Great Hall were added to the grounds of Carew.

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