St Davids Bishop's Palace - Motte and Bailey Fort - Wales. Great Britain. - Castles on Waymarking.com

This Castle is nearly always referred to as The Bishops Palace.

The Bishops Palace was alongside, St Davids Cathedral, and was also enclosed within the Castle walls. There were several Gatehouse entrances, alas only one now remains, and is now used as a Bell Tower for the Cathedral.

St Davids became home of the Marcher Lords, and Bishop, responsible for guarding the border. It was a site of great strategic importance, and a hugely important religious site, housing relics of the St David, patron saint of Wales.

"The original monastery was established here by St David in the sixth century.
It was attacked and ransacked at least 10 times by Norse raiders over the next 400 years.
When the Normans arrived in Pembrokeshire in the 11th century, they took over the cathedral and appointed a Norman Bishop.
Realising how vulnerable the cathedral was, they first built a motte and bailey fort, which they later abandoned.
They then built a stone defensive wall around all the cathedral buildings, including the Palace." Text Source: (visit link)

"During the Middle Ages there were few landowners in Wales wealthier than the Bishop's of St Davids. As well as being princes of the church, they were Marcher Lords in their own right, owing allegiance only to the king. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that at their cathedral city these powerful prelates created a group of medieval buildings unsurpassed anywhere west of Offa's Dyke. Even in ruin, the palace is a magnificent architectural splendor, speaking volumes of men rich in experience of both Church and State. The entire cathedral close was surrounded by a precinct wall and one of four gates. Porth y Twr, which dates to about 1300 remains standing. Within, the palace is very largely the work of a succession of 'builder-bishops' who held the see in the later 13th and 14th centuries." Text Source: (visit link)

Dates, & Visiting Times.
1 July - 31 August 2013
Times
Daily 9.30am - 6.00pm

Admission Prices
Adult - £3.50
Family - £10.50*
Senior citizens, students and children under 16 - £2.65
Disabled and companion - Am ddim/Free

Accessibility: Full access Condition: Partly ruined Admission Charge?: yes Website: [Web Link]

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Date Logged Log User Rating   09/02/2017 Djstevi.&.BlackWidow visited it 08/17/2017 Beeklust visited it 02/08/2013 veritas vita visited it

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