Wiston Castle

Wiston Castle stands in the village of Wiston in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales. It is a motte-and-bailey castle built on a hilltop, with the mound rising about nine metres above the surrounding ditch. The flat summit is enclosed by a shell-keep of polygonal stone, its eighteen short sides now partly collapsed on the north side. Below the motte lies a large, oval bailey protected by a well-preserved bank. Opposite the castle stands St Mary Magdalene Church, and a flight of roughly fifty stone steps leads up to the entrance. The castle was founded in the early 12th century by Wizo, a Flemish settler granted the land by Henry I after he took it from Arnulf de Montgomery. It changed hands several times, being captured by Welsh forces under Hywel ab Owain in 1147 and later by Hywel the Saxon in 1193. In 1220 Llywelyn Fawr sacked the castle, and repairs were ordered by William Marshall the younger. By the end of the 13th century the owner had moved to nearby Picton Castle and the site was abandoned. Visitors find a grassy motte with the remains of the shell-keep and a wide view over the surrounding countryside. The bailey below is still clearly defined, and the stonework shows the original Norman features without later additions. The church across the lane and the village itself preserve the Flemish heritage introduced by Wizo’s settlers. The site remains one of the best-preserved motte-and-bailey castles in Wales, cared for by Cadw.