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The comprehensive gazetteer and bibliography of the medieval castles, fortifications and palaces of England, Wales, the Islands.
 
 
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Bonville's Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Bonville Court; Bonville Castle; Bonvil Court; Hen Castle

In the community of Begelly.
In the historic county of Pembrokeshire.
Modern authority of Pembrokeshire.
Preserved county of Dyfed.

OS Map Grid Reference: SN12550520
Latitude 51.71403° Longitude -4.71489°

Bonville's Castle has been described as a probable Tower House.

There are no visible remains.
Description

Thje surviving remains at Bonville's Castle consist of a masonry block that shows the remains of corbelled parapets. This apparently once adjoined a further range and hall, as described and illustrated in 1868 by Barnwell 1868. It is depicted on the Ordnance Survey County series map (Pembroke. XXXV.15 1889; 1907). The site was subsequently subsumed by colliery tipping. (Coflein)

In the year 1868 the late Mr. Barnwell described, and Mr. Blight figured, Bonville's Court (Arch. Camb. Ill, xiv, 81). During the 28 years that have passed since that date, the old house has fallen on evil times. The greater part of the south side has been torn out the remainder standing in a perilously dilapidated condition await ing the day which must soon arive, when the colliery tip will bury all that is left of the ancient home of the Bonviles. It seemed to us that Mr. Barnwell to a certain extent misread his ruin, and that his illustration No. 8 (which is on the south side) represents the interior, and not the front, which must be sought on the north side, the entrance being through a somewhat flat-headed arch (which still remains in a very good state of preservation) and through the arch to the left of illustration No. 8, into a building, the gable of which he figures, and which may still be traced. The little door in the centre of the first floor also leads into this building. The gabled wing was no doubt of recent construction. The older building would not have been designed to stand alone as a fortress, with its three doors. It must have been intended as gate-house to some house or castle that has disappeared, pulled down perhaps to make way for the gabled house. (Laws and Owen 1908)

Fortified medieval tower house, with additions, having 7 heaths in 1670. Diminished throughout the C19 by encroaching coal slag, when housing miners. By 1878 only the tower remained which went c. 1900. (Lloyd 1986)
Comments

Was a vaulted house similar to Angle Rectory. A Nicholas de Bonville held land here in the early C14 but the date of the lost house is unclear.
The landscape has undergone considerable alteration and locating the site is difficult but on the latest air photo the site appears to be occupied by a model/minature village (aparent a 12th scale version of Tenby) and an adjancent coach park.
Links to archaeological and architectural databases, mapping and other online resources

Data >
Coflein   County HER            
Maps >
Streetmap   NLS maps   Where's the path   Old-Maps      
Data/Maps > 
Magic   Historic Wales   V. O. B.   Geology   LIDAR  
Air Photos > 
Bing Maps   Google Maps   Getmapping   ZoomEarth      
Photos >
CastleFacts   Geograph   Flickr   Panoramio      

Sources of information, references and further reading
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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.
Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
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This record last updated 04/07/2016 12:02:03
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