Camrose Castle

Camrose Castle motte

Camrose Castle is a small Norman motte and bailey fortification, built around 1080 as an outlier to Haverfordwest Castle during the first wave of Norman settlement in south Wales. Camrose Castle was one of the Norman 'Landsker' castles, built along an imaginary line between Welsh and English speaking areas of south Wales.

For most of its existence Camrose was outside the mainstream of history, but it did play host to a royal visitor when William the Conqueror spent the night while on a pilgrimage to St David's Cathedral.

At an unknown date Camrose was rebuilt with a stone perimeter wall enclosing the top of the castle mound. It is possible that a shell keep was built here as well, though the remaining stonework is difficult to interpret.

During the 18th century the local landowner 'landscaped' the motte to act as a garden folly. If you look carefully you can make out the outer bailey wall, on the far side of the minor road that runs right through the site.