Description

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 which measures c 30m by 20m and is enclosed by a curtain wall surviving to a height of c 5m, there are small round towers at each corner that mostly survive to their full height although the south east tower at the water’s edge that was made into a columbarium or dove cot has partly collapsed. A rectangular hall stand to roof height against the outer wall of the courtyard on the north east and the ruinous remains of smaller service buildings are located against the courtyard inner wall on the south east. A stone well house is situated against the outside wall adjacent to the northwest tower. North of the courtyard and contemporary with the house was a garden pleasuance surrounded by a castellated wall, in the remains of which on the west side are six aumbries. Medieval tiles were recovered in the garden adjacent to the north wall of the courtyard and a 1644 silver shilling has also been found in the garden also. The garden contains traces of a stew pond.

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.

Source: Cadw