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The antiquities of Langharne [sic] and Pendine
The antiquities of Langharne and Pendine - sic Author:Mary Curtis Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: PART IV. LAUGHARNE CASTLE. Charter granted by Sir Gui de Brian— The Borough—Sir John Perrot—Sir Sackville Crowe—Sir John Powell—Cromwell takes the Castle—C... more »romwell at Maesgwrda—De Brians—The Corporation—The Common Walk—Roche Castle—Island House—Roman Villa. The castle1 is thought to have been built on the ruins of a Roman fort: its early history lies in obscurity. The Romano Britons had a settlement here, near Muridunum (i. e. Caermarthen), and here have been found coins of Cauransius, the Roman naval commander. This castle is the work of different architects at different periods. It is often mentioned in the ' Welsh Annals' as having been taken by Welsh princes in wars with the English : date of erection unknown. Rees, in his ' Beauties of England and Wales' (vol. xviii.), thinks it was built by an Anglo-Norman, soon after the Conquest: others make it the work of Rhys ap Griffydh, last of the princes of South Wales, who after hard fighting became tributary to Henry II., and did homage when he visited this castle on his return from Ireland, 1172. Some parts of it are in the style of the Flemings, who built their towers round, not arched, and formed a dome at the top by placing several large stones one on another, each of which gradually projected beyond the one underneath. In some work, it is said Laugharne Castle had a tower thus built; the great tower of Pembroke Castle so formed. The Flemings were used to make the approach to the second gate in a different direction from that of the first; in Laugharne Castle the first or outer gate is in another direction to what the second gate would be ; for this must have been opposite that gable end, flanked by two towers. Here was the great hall, and a gate always led directly to the hall. The principal street in Laugharne is call...« less