Pembroke

Pembroke Castle rises above a tidal inlet in southwestern Wales, its great round keep dominating the walled town. A stronghold of Norman and later English lords, it was also the birthplace of a dynasty: Margaret Beaufort gave birth here in 1457 to the future Henry VII, first Tudor king of England. During the Civil War Pembroke initially supported Parliament, but its garrison rebelled in 1648. Oliver Cromwell besieged the town and castle for weeks before the defenders surrendered. The fighting caused severe damage, and the defences were dismantled. The remaining castle preserves the outline of a fortress that had witnessed both royal beginnings and civil conflict.