Carswell Medieval House is a

Grade II* In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

-listed historic stone ruin of a medieval

tenant farm A tenant farmer is a person (farmer or farmworker) who resides on land owned by a landlord. Tenant farming is an agricultural production system in which landowners contribute their land and often a measure of operating capital and management, ...

in the village of

Penally Penally ( cy, Penalun) coastal village, parish and community southwest of Tenby in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The village is known for its Celtic Cross, Penally Abbey (a Gothic style country house), the neighbouring St. Deiniol's Well, WWI Practice ...

, near

St Florence St Florence (Welsh: ''Sain Fflwrens'') is both a village, a parish and a community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. St Florence sits on the River Ritec that flows eastwards to its estuary in Tenby. The Church of St Florence is a grade II* listed buildi ...

Tenby Tenby ( cy, Dinbych-y-pysgod, lit=fortlet of the fish) is both a walled seaside town in Pembrokeshire, Wales, on the western side of Carmarthen Bay, and a local government community. Notable features include of sandy beaches and the Pembroke ...

. Visit Wales describe it as "one of the only buildings of its type still standing in this part of Wales" and an example of "everyday medieval life away from the grand castles often associated with the period."

History

The present site formed what was a complex of farm buildings in the estate of the earls of Pembroke. Together with the land, the rent was one tenth of a knight's fee. In 1397 it was rented by a William Wyte. Records of the building trace back to the fourteenth and sixteenth century by which the building had been divided into two. The building has a strange layout, having a separate entrance to each floor, and no internal access. A later addition, a staircase, was added but is no longer visible. The building is a two-storey gabled structure and has a vaulted undercroft. The building has evidence of a hearth, stone bench, stones indicating hobs, and an "exceedingly large and complete chimney." Since the 17th century the property was managed by the Trustees of the Tenby Charities and the Church of St. Mary's in Tenby, and later by other Tenby charitable foundations, from around the seventeenth century. The roof became roofless in the 19th century. The site came into state care in 1982 and is presently maintained by Cadw. It is according to historians an "excellent example of a medieval yeoman's house."

Access

The property lies beside Carswell Farm, one mile to the east of the village of St Florence. It has the postcode SA70 8NE, but CADW list the property through its coordinates due to the number of unmarked local roads. Visitors are advised to locate the site using an

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map and number SN098010 instead. There is no visitor parking area or facilities, and while the site is accessible at all hours, it is advised that visitors come during "reasonable hours."

Bibliography

* Turner, Rick. 2000. Lamphey Bishop's Palace, Llawaden Castle, Carswell Medieval House and Carew Cross: Cadw Guide (Revised Edition)

References

External links

*
Ancient Monuments UK – Carswell Old House

Cadw - Carswell Old House

Coflein - CARSWELL HOUSE, ST FLORENCE
{{Communities of Pembrokeshire History of Pembrokeshire Tenby Medieval Wales Grade II* listed buildings in Pembrokeshire 15th-century architecture 15th-century architecture in the United Kingdom Norman architecture