Carew Castle
When the Civil War began in 1642, Carew Castle, like many other Pembrokeshire strongholds, was held for the King. Its defences were strengthened by the construction of a ravelin, a rampart of earth and timber, which ran at a diagonal angle in front of the main gate to the middle ward. Although much eroded, this is still visible today.
Carew Castle, which is now administered by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.
The castle, its fifty strong garrison of musketeers commanded by a Lieutenant Jones, apparently saw no military action until 1644. In January of that year, a troop of soldiers from the parliamentary stronghold of Pembroke Castle was foraging for food in the vicinity of Carew when they came under attack from a company of musketeers led by Lieutenant Jones. They may also have been fired upon by a royalist outpost situated situated about a quarter of a mile from the castle, probably in the Old Rectory in Carew Cheriton.
Laugharne quickly gathered together seven of his men and charged the Royalists, capturing twenty of them, including the unfortunate Jones, and driving off the rest. Lieutenant Jones soon changed his allegiance; in March 1644, he was a member of the force with which Laugharne stormed Tenby.
Following the skirmish at Carew, the Royalist garrison was not challenged again until the fall of Tenby. On 10 March, a day or two after the capture of Tenby by the Parliamentarians, John Poyer, the Mayor of Pembroke, appeared before the walls of Carew with a troop of soldiers and demanded its surrender. The garrison, now isolated and outnumbered, agreed. They were allowed to march out, the officers bearing their swords and the ordinary soldiers with their muskets and baggage.
A Parliamentary garrison was quickly installed, but its tenure was probably a brief one. During the summer of 1644 a Royalist army under Colonel Charles Gerard marched into Pembrokeshire and recaptured many of the strongholds taken by Laugharne. Carew was probably restored to the King's adherents for a few months before Gerard returned to England in June of that year and Laugharne reasserted his authority across the county. A further change of fortune occured in 1645, when gerard mounted another campaign in West Wales before being recalled to England in June of that year.
His departure allowed Rowland Laugharne to finally establish Parliamentary authority in Pembrokeshire. On 1 August 1645, he defeated the Royalists at Colby Moor. Eight days later, he drew up his artillery before Carew Castle and demanded its surrender. The defenders quickly capitu;ated and were allowed to evacuate the building, taking with them many of their possessions. It was probably soon after this final change of hands that the south wall of the castle was destroyed to prevent its further use as a fortress.
Carew Castle is currently administered by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority and is open to the public. It regularly stages Civil War and other historical re-enactments.
