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When Rhys ap Thomas became the owner of Carew Castle, he was a man on the rise. The son of a powerful Carmarthenshire family, Rhys had come into substantial holdings by the time he purchased Carew.
Rhys modernized all of Carew, adding Bath stone windows and small bay windows. The Middle Ward became a courtyard and a gatehouse was constructed to link the outer ward. New private apartments were created and a royal retreat was added, complete with the crest of Henry Tudor over the fireplace. He later also included the crests of Henry VIII, Arthur, Henry’s son, and Arthur’s young wife Catherine of Aragon. One of the greatest events of Rhys’ ownership of Carew was the holding of the Great Tournament of 1507, one of the grandest social events held in Wales. The event marked Rhys becoming a knight. Hundreds of member of nobility came to the five-day gathering. There were celebrations of St. George’s day, superb banquets and jousting, sword fights and many other grand displays. After Rhys passed away, his grandson Rhys ap Gruffudd retained the castle but not his grandfather’s royal trappings. Henry VIII didn’t care for the younger Rhys and had him executed in 1531. Henry took the property of Carew. What had started as the heritage of the de Carew family became a legacy of the Crown. Editor Note: In my research for this series of articles I have used the following printed resourses: Carew Castle Souvenir Guide, published by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Go To Page: 1
The copyright of the article Carew Castle and Rhys ap Thomas in Welsh History is owned by Sandra Jones. Permission to republish Carew Castle and Rhys ap Thomas in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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