Cresswell Castle 100m W of Cresswell Quay

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Monument.

The monument consists of the remains of a domestic house dating to the medieval period thought originally to have been founded in the thirteenth century by the Augustinian Priory of Haverfordwest as a fortified manorial complex. It was situated at the highest navigable point of the River Cresswell. The present buildings date from the sixteenth century onwards after the Barlow family of Slebech had converted the complex into a domestic residence with stables, gardens and fishponds. It was abandoned in the later part of the seventeenth century. Creswell Castle comprises a ruined complex of three buildings set around a rectangular courtyard. The courtyard measures c 30m by 20m and is enclosed by a curtain wall surviving to a height of about 5m, there are small round towers at each corner these mostly survive to their full height though the south east tower at the water’s edge this has partly collapsed. This had been was converted into a columbarium or dove cot. A rectangular hall stands to roof height against the north east outer side of the courtyard and there are ruinous remains of smaller service buildings within on the south east. A stone well house is situated outside the wall adjacent to the northwest tower. North of the courtyard and contemporary with the house was a garden pleasuance surrounded by a castellated wall. Within the remains of the wall on the west side are six aumbries.The garden contains traces of a stew pond. Medieval tiles and a 1644 silver shilling have been recovered from the garden.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of settlement and domestic activity. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of associated archaeological features and deposits. The structure itself may be expected to contain archaeological information concerning chronology and building techniques. A house may be part of a larger cluster of monuments and their importance can further enhanced by their group value.

The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive but excludes the area of the pleasuance garden.