Upton Castle
| Upton Castle | |
|---|---|
| Cosheston,Pembrokeshire,Wales | |
 A view of Upton Castle in 1872, after enlargement and alterations | |
| Site history | |
| Built | 13th century |
| Built by | Malefant family |
| In use | Private |
Listed Building– Grade II | |
Upton Castleis a 13th-centurycastleorfortifiedmanor housewith an associatedchapel,located nearCosheston,PembrokeshireinWales.Although in private ownership, the gardens are open to the public. They are listed on theCadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.
History
[edit]Upton Castle is believed to have been built in the 13th century and stands close to acreekof theRiver Cleddauon land held by theEarls of Pembroke.The original holders were theNormanMalefaunt family, in whose hands it remained until the 16th century when it passed to the Bowen family. In the late 18th century, the house and estate was sold toJohn Tasker,[1]althoughNicholas Carlisledescribed the building in 1811 as "now in ruins".[2]Between 1828 and 1860 there were considerable alterations to the building, including the insertion of a new door and the construction of two largewings.In January 1883 there was a fire at the castle, attended by a fire crew from the23rd Regiment, Royal Welsh Fusiliers.The owner at the time was Mr H. H. Vaughan. The damage was confined to timbers, walls and chimney-piece.[3][4]
Management of the gardens, which had been substantially improved in the early 20th century, was taken over by thePembrokeshire Coast National Parkand opened to the public in 1976.[1]However, the park authority later withdrew their funding and since the property changed hands in 2007, the new owners and a team of volunteers have restored and reopened the gardens.[5]In the summer of 2012, the castle was investigated by a team ofarchaeologistsfrom theChannel 4television seriesTime Team,which confirmed that the chapel pre-dated the castle.[6][7]
Description
[edit]Too small to be described as castle in the strict sense of the word, most sources refer to it as a "fortifiedmansion"although its towers are unusually strong in comparison with other examples.[8]The medieval portion of the exterior stands to the north east of the range, which is dominated by three earlytowers,separated by short sections ofcurtain walland surmounted by a plainparapetoncorbels.Surviving internal medieval features include two fireplaces, aspiral staircaseand avaultedceiling. It is a Grade IIlisted building.[1]The gardens are designated Grade II on theCadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.[9]
Upton Chapel
[edit]Close to the castle isUpton Chapeldedicated toSaint Giles.Dated to the 12th or 13th century, it consists of a small nave and chancel. Amongst the variousmemorialsin the chapel are theeffigiesof William Malefant (died in 1362) wearingchain mailand another of a female member of the Malefant family. The interior was restored in 1978 by the owner of the castle. It is a Grade I listed building.[10]
References
[edit]- ^abc"Upton Castle, Cosheston".www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk.British Listed Buildings.Retrieved15 October2015.
- ^Carlisle, Nicholas (1811),A Topographical Dictionary of the Dominion of Wales,W Bulmer, London (p. 578)
- ^"Fire at Upton Castle".St James's Gazette.British Newspaper Archive.3 February 1883.Retrieved9 April2016.
- ^"Fire at Upton Castle".Gloucester Citizen.British Newspaper Archive.29 January 1883.Retrieved9 April2016.
- ^"Upton Castle Gardens - About Us".Retrieved15 October2015.
- ^"Video News Castle mystery unravelled by Time Team".Newsquest Media (Southern) Ltd. 8 March 2013.Retrieved15 October2015.
- ^The Buried Secrets Of Upton Castle.History Hit. 11 November 2020.Retrieved24 March2022.
- ^Roberts, Tony (1989),Castles and Ancient Monuments of West Wales,Abercastle Publications
- ^Cadw."Upton Castle (PGW(Dy)45(PEM))".National Historic Assets of Wales.Retrieved6 February2023.
- ^"Upton Chapel, Cosheston".www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk.British Listed Buildings.Retrieved15 October2015.