Dale Castle

Dale Castle
Dale, Pembrokeshire, Wales.
Dale Castle and Church
Type	Castle
Coordinates	51°42′27″N 5°10′39″W / 51.7075°N 5.1774°W / 51.7075; -5.1774Coordinates: 51°42′27″N 5°10′39″W / 51.7075°N 5.1774°W / 51.7075; -5.1774
Built	Second half, 12th century
Built by	de Vales
Height	Up to 10 metres (33 ft)
In use	Private
Current condition	Rebuilt, Occupied
Current owner	Lloyd Philipps family
Events	English Civil War

Dale Castle is a 13th century castle located close to the village of Dale in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

Built after the English invasion of South Wales, the castle was originally built by the de Vales, descendants of a knight who had accompanied Robert fitz Martin on his invasion of north Pembrokeshire. The male line died out, meaning that subsequent owners have rotated through the female bloodline. The Walter family of Roch Castle took ownership, from whom Lucy Walter, mistress of King Charles II and mother of the Duke of Monmouth was descended. It was then owned by the families of the Paynters, Allens and Lloyds.^[1]

The modern house and farm at Dale Castle was re-modelled and re-built in 1910, incorporating parts of the original medieval castle. The south wing of the current structure was the central block of the medieval castle, 19.5 metres (64 ft) east-north-east to west-south-west by 17 metres (56 ft), with walls 2.4 metres (7 ft 10 in) thick.^[2]

Owned now by the Lloyd Philipps family and their trusts, they have sold much of the remaining non-core estate land holdings, including the island of Skokholm. The castle is not open to the public.

References

1. ^ "Dale Castle". CastleWales.com. http://www.castlewales.com/dale.html. Retrieved September 2, 2010. 
2. ^ "Dale Castle". coflein.gov.uk. http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/102978/details/DALE+CASTLE/. Retrieved September 2, 2010.