Dyfed Archaeological Trust Historic Environment
Record
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Old Castle
Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 1468 Trust : Dyfed Community : Newport Unitary authority : Pembrokeshire NGR : SN05833950 Site Type (preferred type first) : Medieval Ringwork Status : Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
Summary : The site lies on ground sloping down to the north near the banks of the Nevern. When visited it was heavily overgrown with grass and bracken. The site is as described by various authorities. It is a semi-circular segment of enclosure defined by a bank and outer ditch. The feature is open on the north and has presumably been destroyed in this area. The causeways across the ditch mentioned by OS were not located. The causeway on the south may have been hidden by undergrowth but that on the south-west may have been destroyed by the construction of two tennis courts. Terracing for a court has cut away at least the top of the^ditch on the west and also cut into the outer toe of the bank here. Corresponding build up for a court downslope has encroached on the interior of the site and also runs across presumed line of the defences. This change is recorded in the SMR. More recently and apparently hitherto unrecorded the outer lip of the ditch has been encroached on by terracing to form a playing field. Although originally recorded on the SMR as an Iron Age enclosure, a consensus of opinion suggests that it was re-used or more probably constructed de novo in the Mediaeval period, that it is the original Newport Castle. In particular it sits squarely in the town's street plan. (see particularly Murphy 60 and Bignall refs). The ring work has had a chequered history (DRF). The Tennis court proposals were variously opposed by the Trust or supported provided full excavation was carried out, neither recommendation was accepted by the Welsh Office. A management agreement with the National Parks and other bodies was proposed, including the clearance of the site, but there is no correspondence on file relating to^this after 1984. The site is ruinous and overgrown. One of the Trust's concerns was that the Tennis Court development would have to further encroach on the site and this has indeed occurred. A management agreement would be ideal but failing this monitoring of the site and any proposals for the creation of further recreational facilities is of major importance. ^GW 1996.^
Events : 66078 : OLD CASTLE;NEWPORT LONG STREET, FIELD OBSERVATION, 1974 (year : 1974) 85242 : OLD CASTLE;NEWPORT LONG STREET, FIELD OBSERVATION, 1980 (year : 1980) 89602 : OLD CASTLE;NEWPORT LONG STREET, FIELD OBSERVATION, 1982 (year : 1982) 91242 : OLD CASTLE;NEWPORT LONG STREET, FIELD OBSERVATION, 1986 (year : 1986) 92167 : OLD CASTLE;NEWPORT LONG STREET, FIELD OBSERVATION, 1996 (year : 1996) 92705 : OLD CASTLE;NEWPORT LONG STREET, FIELD OBSERVATION, 2003 (year : 2003) 102583 : NEWPORT RUGBY CLUB CHANGING ROOM, LONG STREET (year : 2012) 33381 : Newport Lower St Mary's Street (year : 1996) 52686 : Archaeological Monitoring of the Intertidal and Coastal Zone, Pembrokeshire, 2004-5 (year : 2004-5)
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