Pembroke Castle is the biggest of all the castles in Pembrokeshire. It’s probably the most well-preserved too.
Set on a millpond it’s an imposing example of a medieval castle dating back to 1093.
It’s also the birth place of the father of Henry the 8th, Harri Tudur (Henry VII). He was born in Pembroke Castle in 1457 in what is now known as Henry VII Tower.
Restored extensively over the years, particularly during the Victorian era, it’s really very impressive how much of the castle remains today.
How to get to Pembroke Castle
The easiest way to get to Pembroke Castle is by car but there are bus and train services that run here too.
From Haverfordwest
- Take the A4076 towards Milford Haven.
- Having passed through Johnston take the A477 towards Neyland.
- Take the first exit off the first roundabout, at the next roundabout (the Honeyborough roundabout) proceed straight ahead and cross the Cleddau Bridge.
- Proceed through the next roundabout and down the hill to the roundabout.
- Take the first exit (left) and immediately turn right onto Ferry Lane. (A4139).
- Stay on this road passing over a bridge and you will see Pembroke Castle to your right.
- Unfortunately, in order to park conveniently you will need to turn right, heading away from the Castle, and follow the one way system through the town.
- At the end of the shopping street, Main Street, you will get to a roundabout. Take the third exit down Well Hill.
- At the bottom of the hill take the second exit (right) on to Orange Way, which leads on to New Way and then Common Road where you will find car parks on your left hand side.
Pembroke is approximately 12 miles from Haverfordwest, about a 23 minute drive.
From Carmarthen
- Take the A40 heading towards St. Clears.
- At the St. Clears roundabout take the first exit, A477, sign posted Tenby.
- Keep on this road passing through Red Roses, Stepaside, Carew Cheriton and Milton.
- Turn left on to the A4075 sign posted Pembroke until you reach the Town.
- You will firstly get to a roundabout with The Hope Inn in front of you.
- Take the second exit down Well Hill.
- At the bottom of the hill take the second exit (right) on to Orange Way, which leads on to New Way and then Common Road where you will find car parks on your left hand side.
Pembroke is approximately 23 miles from St. Clears, about a 29 minute drive.
Where to park for Pembroke Castle
The car parks off Common Road are the most convenient for the castle.
- Map reference SM 98273 01408
- Nearest Post Code SA71 4LD
To get to the castle from them you need to just walk up the hill, past he castle, and you’ll find the Gate house entrance on your left.
Charges apply.
There is also a drop off point right outside the Castle Gatehouse on Westgate Hill.
Thoughts on Pembroke Castle
There’s plenty to explore inside Pembroke Castle and with a wealth of facilities it’s easy spend a whole day here. Because of that we think the admission charges represent decent value. Although we do think it’s a shame they don’t do group discounts.
There’s also a nice circular walk here which runs right around the castle. We really enjoy doing that whenever we visit. It’s not very long but you do get to see the castle from some interesting angles and you’ll probably see some ducks as well.
Photo opportunities are good here. Inside and out. You can get some great shots from up in the tower inside the castle itself. But also from the outside right around the millpond. In our experience the castle looks at it’s best on a sunny still day. Better still at golden hour or as the sun is starting to go down.
More Information
There is an admission charge to visit Pembroke Castle and guided tours are available. Inside the castle is a café as well as conveniences and baby changing facilties.
You can always take a picnic as there are extensive lawns, picnic tables and benches here – but remember to take your litter home. There’s also a gift shop on site and Pembroke Castle admits dogs on leads (with well behaved humans of course).
There are numerous places to eat, drink and purchase refreshments in Pembroke town.
Pembroke Castle is held as a Private Charitable Trust administered by members of the Philipps family and representatives of Pembroke Town.
Other nearby Castles in Pembrokeshire include Manorbier (7 miles), Carew (5 miles), Tenby Castle (10 miles), and Llawhaden (15 miles).
If you are visiting Pembrokeshire now or in the near future please be aware that social distancing rules still apply in Wales. Please keep yourselves and others safe.
Where to stay near Pembroke Castle
There are lots of places to stay near Pembroke Castle. More independents, B&Bs and guesthouses than large chain hotels. We always use Booking.com to check what’s available where.
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8 thoughts on “Pembroke Castle”
Pembroke Castle looks lovely and a great place to visit on a trip to Pembrokeshire!
Thanks for reading and commenting Becky. It’s well worth a visit.
Another great castle in Wales To visit and we need to come back just for your castle tour!
Absolutely Tom!
It looks like you’re going to be able to visit and catalogue every castle in Wales this year! This is another impressively restored one – apart from being able to storm the gift store 😀
We’d like to give it a go! 😆👍
I really love a Monster castle like this one. It’s amazing how they still shape our landscapes to this day. Great bit of history here too with Henry VIII
Absolutely John 👍 And this one is massive!