Brief History of the Motte and Bailey

The medieval village and manor of Wolfscastle, or Castrum Lupi, lay in the Episcopal lordship of Dewisland, itself the feudalisation of the ancient Welsh cantref of Pebidiog. The stronghold of the manor, but not the residence of the Bishop during his visits, the castle dates from the early twelfth century and occupies a commanding site in the Castle Field (Parc y Castell). This may previously have hosted an Iron Age Fort, the presence of which is indicated by a short crescentic mound. The Normans then erected the castle inside the security of the enclosure created by the mound.

 Once the castle was finished, a village followed, soon spreading further afield, outside the confines of the bailey. By the late thirteenth century the village had expanded to an area around the eventual village green, with villagers practising strip farming.

 Surviving evidence, dating from as early as 1229, documents the awarding of the tenancy of Wolfscastle to Hamo Crassus by Earl Marshall, custodian of the bishopric of St. Davids. Similarly, there is proof concerning Bishop David Martin’s petitioning of King Edward II in 1308, with the aforementioned document being sent from Wolfscastle. The Bishop’s demesne is contemporarily the site of the ruins of a farm named ‘Lordship’.

 The Black Book of St Davids, dated 1326, provides the best snapshot of Medieval Wolfscastle. From the pages devoted to Castrum Lupi it is possible to ascertain the diverse ethnicity of the population, with Norman, English and Welsh elements present. Three classes of tenant existed; cottages were the humblest, then those who held farms by deed and those held without.

 Many farmers were adept at other trades as indicated by their names, including Adam the Smith, Walter the Miller and John the Weaver.

 Until recent effort by the community to undertake the clearance and interpretation of the site, the castle had been largely forgotten. The villagers of Wolfscastle can today be proud of their efforts in regaining their castle and the birthplace of the modern community has received its due recognition.

 This information is based on an article by Ken Murcott, “Wolfscastle, the outline of a local history” (The Journal of the Pembrokeshire Historical Society 1985), and the Royal Commission on Ancient Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire: County of Pembroke.

The redevelopment work was achieved with the help of a generous grant from the Wales Environment Trust.  Ongoing management of the site is being supported by Cadw.  The Wolfscastle and Treffgarne Millennium Celebration Committee are extremely grateful to these organisations for their financial assistance and to the landowner, Mr Andrew Stirling, Wolfscastle Country Hotel for allowing the redevelop of the site to occur.

Date last updated: 11 April 2007