Henry VII birthplace under scrutiny at Pembroke Castle dig

Historians have long maintained that the first monarch of the House of Tudor was born on January 28, 1457, in a tower overlooking Westgate in Pembroke Castle.

But now, following a major archaeological discovery in the castle grounds, this opinion is being reconsidered.

“It’s quite possible that what we’re discovering could well be the birthplace of Henry VII,” commented Neil Ludlow, a consultant to Pembroke Castle.

“All our indications are pointing to a late-medieval building which was clearly of high status within Pembrokeshire, and it looks as if it was at least two-storeys, which possibly makes it a better candidate for the birthplace of a king rather that the tower that currently bears his name.”

For the past week Dyfed Archaeological Trust, led by Philip Poucher, has been carrying out a dig at the site following a geophysical survey in 2016.The survey’s findings, together two trial trenches carried out in 2018, pointed to a late-medieval winged hall-house, broadly dating to the 15th century.

“We’ve always known about these buildings as a couple of walls were still standing in the 18th century, although they were very ruinous, which possibly included a doorway, and the outline of the building has always shown up in dry weather as a parch-mark," sid Neil.

The site was partly dug in the 1930s by Pembroke Castle’s former owner, Sir Ivor Phillips, however no records nor documentation of his discoveries have been found.

The geophysical surveys and previous digs were funded by the Castle Studies Trust and now, following funding from the Pembroke Castle Trust, the investigations have once again been able to move forward.

The current dig, which began last Monday, (September 18) and continues throughout this week, is revealing some important new evidence.

“We’ve taken off the top soil and things are now starting to appear,” continued Neil Ludlow.

“The walls are definitely medieval and the size of the building is considerable, extending to around 25 metres in width.

“There’s no doubt that this would have been an extremely important building in Pembrokeshire and a highly significant domestic building of its time.

"When you consider other Tudor buildings such as the Merchants House in Tenby, they are of a very distinct local building style, but this one isn’t.

"Its characteristics are far more like those found in England or East Wales and the nearest we have here in the south west is at Penallt Mansion in Kidwelly.

An artist's impression of Penallt Mansion in Kidwelly (Image: PR Davis)

 “The building is most definitely adding a totally new dimension to Pembroke Castle - the former lawned area is now somewhere where people can visualise something on an extremely grand scale.

"It really is an important find for Pembrokeshire and an extremely exciting time for Pembroke Castle."