Newport Castle

Newport Castle stands on the edge of the town of Newport in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The first castle on the site was built in the 13th century, though the present building dates from the 19th century. It began as a Norman stronghold after the death of Rhys ap Tewdwr, when Martin de Turribus seized the lands. His son Robert fitz Martin moved the Marcher Lordship’s headquarters here in 1197 and built the original castle. The castle passed through the Fitz Martin and Audley families over the centuries. Ownership later went to a local lawyer, William Owen of Henllys, whose son became a noted antiquarian. The castle’s history reflects the turbulent politics of medieval Wales. Llywelyn the Great captured it in 1215, only for the Fitz Martins to retake it soon after. In 1326 the lordship passed to Joan Audley and her husband James Audley. During the Glyndŵr Rising in the early 15th century the castle suffered serious damage. Later, in 1497, the crown seized the castle after James Audley was executed for treason, but it was restored to his son in 1534. The Marcher Lordship ended the following year. Today the castle is a private residence built in 1859 around part of the old gatehouse. Three towers and a curtain wall survive from the medieval structure. The building was given Grade I listed status in 1952 and remains in private hands. The 19th-century house stands on three storeys, with one of the original gatehouse towers removed during renovations. The remaining towers mark the corners of the older defences. The setting combines medieval ruins with a later grand residence.