Pembroke, lies to the south of Milford Haven in an area that is often referred to as, "little England beyond Wales". It acquired the name when the English, who settled after the Norman invasion, gave their towns English names and built fortifications to hold back and isolate Welsh speakers.
The town is dominated by one of the largest and most impressive examples of a Norman castle ever built. It was originally built buy the Normans in the late 11th century and was largely rebuilt in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. The impressive structure is surrounded on three sides by water, has seven bastion towers and a 75ft keep. Henry Tudor, first king of the House of Tudor was born here in 1457.
During the Civil War the castle was parliamentarian until the military governor switched sides; Oliver Cromwell held the castle under siege for 48 days and then sacked it. This impacted upon Pembroke, which though it had evolved as a centre for weaving, dyeing, tailoring and leather making lost its local importance and the towns prosperity did not fully return until 1814 when the Royal Naval Dockyard moved here. Since then over 250 warships have been built at Pembroke.
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