Manorbier

Manorbier Castle is a little off the beaten track. Located in Pembrokeshire a few miles off the A4139 on the narrow B4585, The drive to the village of Manorbier takes you through some of the most scenic parts of Pembrokeshire, and winds dramatically along leafy hedged lanes towards the coast. In fact, the castle and its surrounding lands are nestled in a narrow valley carved from two streams which flow past sandy beaches to Manorbier Bay.

Acrros the valley on the opposit hill top is the Church of St. James , active during the Norman times when the castle was established. And down in the valley below, tangible vestiges of castle life complete the picture of feudalism at Manorbier. The castle at Manorbier is an unusual vision, a startling combination of beauty and function, residence and fortification, comfort and utility, which entices, enchants and educates the curious mind. Superficially, the castle may be seen simply as a lavish residence for wealthy Norman landowners but it is so much more than that. While the place certainly exudes warmth and luxury, the castle also represents the harsher realities of life with the Normans and the subjugation of the local Welsh populace.

Manorbier Castle sits majestically above the adjacent roadway which leads to the main entrance. Sheltered by trees and shrubbery, the castle suddenly pops out before you when you set foot on the grounds. Ahead is the outer bailey, with its fascinating relics from the English Civil War: the redan, a series of earthen embankments and ditches which were reinforced with stone, and would have impeded the advance of the enemy.

The rectangular great gatehouse projects over the surrounding ditch and Like many gatehouses, this contains several defensive features: strong battlements, a portcullis, arrow-slits and machicolations (openings over the passageway through which liquids or solid missiles were thrown down upon attackers). The fine gatehouse leads directly to the inner ward.

The hall-keep at Manorbier was more an area of routine living than a place of retreat. Located along the southwestern wall, across the inner ward from the great gatehouse, the hub of this complex of buildings was the impressive great hall. The buttery and pantry were strategically constructed adjacent to the hall, along with the kitchens and ovens, Above the buttery are the remains of the old solar, the original withdrawing room of William de Barri's fortified home, and the most likely place for Gerald's birth.