Pele Tower

The Pele Tower stands on the northern bank of a tidal creek near Angle in Pembrokeshire, southwest Wales. Built in the 14th century, it is the only surviving pele tower in Wales and is listed as a Grade I structure. The tower once belonged to a moated medieval mansion, with remains of another building visible until about 1930. Traditionally called the 'Old Rectory,' it may have been built by the Sherbornes, former Lords of Angle. The building represents an important example of medieval defensive domestic architecture. The tower measures about 4.5 metres square and stands 9.1 metres high, though its upper floors and roof are missing. A moat once surrounded the site on three sides, with the creek forming the fourth. The walls are mostly complete, built from sandstone rubble, with a stair turret projecting slightly on two sides. Corbels at the top suggest a parapet walk with machicolations, and a late-medieval arched doorway leads into the first floor. Small square windows face the creek, while the rest are arrow slits. Inside, each storey consists of a single room about 3.6 metres square. The basement has a vaulted ceiling, likely used for storage, while the first floor is reached by a partly external and partly internal stair. A newel staircase leads to the upper floors, each equipped with fireplaces and stone bressummers. The garderobe is built into the east wall of the first storey. The tower’s design reflects its defensive purpose, with features like the drawbridge chain slits and machicolations.