Paterchurch Tower is a Grade I-listed

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

fortified tower in

Pembroke Dock Pembroke Dock ( cy, Doc Penfro) is a town and a community in Pembrokeshire, South West Wales, northwest of Pembroke on the banks of the River Cleddau. Originally Paterchurch, a small fishing village, Pembroke Dock town expanded rapidly following ...

Pembrokeshire Pembrokeshire ( ; cy, Sir Benfro ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and the rest by sea. The count ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

. It received its name from one of the families that owned the land. While its exact function is not known, it probably served as a

pele tower Peel towers (also spelt pele) are small fortified keeps or tower houses, built along the English and Scottish borders in the Scottish Marches and North of England, mainly between the mid-14th century and about 1600. They were free-standing ...

for the manorial complex (now demolished) in which it was situated.

History

The tower is the last remaining structure of a manorial complex whose surviving ruins were torn down with the expansion of

Pembroke Dockyard Pembroke Dockyard, originally called Pater Yard, is a former Royal Navy Dockyard in Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales. History It was founded in 1814, although not formally authorized until the Prince Regent signed the necessary Order in Cou ...

in 1844. It received its name from the de Paterchurch family which originally owned the land. It probably served as a pele tower as there is no evidence of a church on site. The land around the tower was purchased in 1759 by the

Board of Ordnance The Board of Ordnance was a British government body. Established in the Tudor period, it had its headquarters in the Tower of London. Its primary responsibilities were 'to act as custodian of the lands, depots and forts required for the defence ...

to build an

artillery battery In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to fac ...

to defend the interior of

Milford Haven Waterway Milford Haven Waterway (''Welsh: Dyfrffordd Aberdaugleddau'') is a natural harbour in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is a ria or drowned valley which was flooded at the end of the last ice age. The Daugleddau estuary winds west to the sea. As on ...

from attack. It was originally outside the dockyard walls when they were built in the mid-1810s, but expansion of the dockyard in 1844 brought it inside the walls. Bones were discovered around the base of the tower when workshops were built around it.

Description

It is a three-storey building about with a

crenellated A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at interva ...

parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/breast'). Whe ...

. The tower's rubble stone walls range in thickness from . Each floor has a single vaulted chamber with plastered vaults in the upper two storeys.

Status

The building is currently owned by

Pembrokeshire County Council Pembrokeshire County Council ( cy, Cyngor Sir Penfro) is the governing body for Pembrokeshire, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. Political control The first election to the council was held in 1995, initially operating as a shadow authorit ...

, who placed it up for sale in July 2013.

Notes

Bibliography

*{{cite journal, last1=Tiffany, first1=M. N. E., title=Paterchurch: A Mystery Solved, journal=Journal of the Pembrokeshire Historical Society, date=1992–1993, volume=5, pages=31–50, url=http://welshjournals.llgc.org.uk/browse/viewobject/llgc-id:1166285/article/000074828 Buildings and structures in Pembrokeshire Grade I listed buildings in Pembrokeshire