A PEMBROKESHIRE castle-turned-hotel has an fascinating legend related to it.
Right here we check out the historical past of Roch Citadel together with the legend.
Roch Citadel is a twelfth century fortress positioned on the ‘landsker line’ the place the division was mentioned to have been between the English and Welsh talking components of Wales.
The fortress was in-built 1195 by Norman knight Adam de Rupe and that is the place the legend comes into play.
The legend says that de Rupe ordered the fortress to be constructed after a witch’s prophecy.
The witch instructed him that he’ll die from a snake chew inside a 12 months, except he managed to make it all through the 12 months with out being bitten – if he did so, he would reside a protracted and wholesome life.
He then ordered for the fortress to be constructed and retired to the very best room of the fortress, meaning to spend the 12 months there.
Nonetheless, his plan is alleged to not have labored as whereas he was profitable for a lot of the 12 months, when it got here to winter, he wanted to remain heat so requested a servant to get some wooden for a fireplace. The servant returned with some logs however they’d not been checked completely and a snake lurking in a log bit de Rupe and he died shortly after.
It’s recognized that after the fortress was constructed, it was a stronghold that fortified Anglicised Wales, serving to guard the Flemish settlers from the specter of the Welsh to the north. The de Rupe household (which is believed later modified its identify to de la Roche) was given authority over the world of Pembrokeshire between Milford Haven and Newgale.
De Rupe had a spiritual fame across the space, founding the Priory of Capsule and endowed it with the parishes Saint Kewit of Steynton, St Mary of Rupe, St David of Newcastle and St Nicholas of New Mote.
The household lived on the fortress for numerous a long time and had been accountable for defending the world from Welsh assault. Within the 1300s, family members had been frequent guests to Eire as they accompanied the English forces throughout the ocean. They’d take up residence there and be often known as Viscounts Fermay.
The fortress was leased out in 1397 to a Henry Bart. He was ordered to protect the fortress and prisoners and if wanted, to make repairs.
In 1420, the de la Roche male line of heirs died out with Thomas, so the fortress was inherited by his daughters Ellen and Elizabeth. The pair married into the Aristocracy, with Ellen marrying the fifth Lord of Chartley, Edmund de Ferrars and Elizabeth, Sir George Longueville.
MORE NEWS:
The male heirs would later inherit this fortress as in 1520 it’s famous that the proprietors had been Lord Ferrars and Sir John Longueville. 40 years after this, the Earl of Essex and the Earl of Longueville had been homeowners of the fortress and their descendants remained in cost for an additional 41 years.
It was in 1601 when the fortress modified arms exterior of the households as it’s believed it was bought to the Walters of Rosemarket. In 1630, their daughter Lucy was born and he or she would later have the fated Duke of Monmouth as a toddler with King Charles II – a narrative we’ll cowl later.
In 1642, Roch Citadel was garrisoned on the order of King Charles I, with the garrison being below command of Captain Francis Edwards.
This was to be a sensible transfer, as two years in a while February 17, 1644, Oliver Cromwell’s Parliamentarian troops attacked the fortress. They had been led by Colonel Roland Laugharne. The garrison held out for 9 days earlier than surrendering the fortress to the Parliamentarians.
The injury to the fortress was extreme however the Walter household had been protected as they’d moved to London in the course of the conflict, with Lucy being despatched away from any potential hurt to the Hague.
Cromwell’s troops weren’t answerable for the fortress for lengthy as in July of the identical 12 months, it was recaptured by Sir Charles Gerrard and his band of Royalist troops. In addition they captured 300 cattle and 1,500 sheep which had been on the fortress to supply provision to Cromwell’s forces.
The next 12 months, the fortress was once more recaptured by the Parliamentarians. It remained below their management till the Restoration in 1660.
In the identical 12 months the fortress was recaptured by Cromwell’s troops, Lucy would meet King Charles II and in 1648, grew to become his mistress. The couple would have a toddler collectively the next 12 months, James Scott, who can be created Duke of Monmouth.
Image: Karen Morris
In 1650, Roch Citadel was handed to Lucy’s brother Richard following the demise of their father. Six years later, he can be given the job of Excessive Sheriff of Pembrokeshire. Lucy would die within the Netherlands in 1658.
From round 1700, the fortress, like many in the course of the time interval, can be left unoccupied and fall into break, the partitions would stay intact however the roofs and inside would crumble. In direction of the tip of the 1700s, it’s believed the fortress was purchased by John Harries, nevertheless in 1800, can be bought once more to Rees Stokes. His son would inherit the fortress however would promote it to his personal sister Elizabeth Rees in 1840. She would name the fortress her personal till her demise 5 years later when it might cross to her son John Stokes.
In 1888 his daughter Emma Elizabeth Rhys Massey inherited the fortress and 11 years later she bought it to the primary Viscount of St Davids – John Wynford Phillips. In the beginning of the twentieth century, the Viscount started to rebuild the fortress, intending on utilizing it as a rustic seat.
This restoration was accomplished simply two years later and he added a wing to the north of the fortress in the identical model.
The Phillips’ would occupy the fortress for numerous years and it was steadily visited by David Lloyd George, who would go on to be the UK’s Prime Minister.
The fortress can be handed to the Viscount’s son the honourable Jestyn Phillips in 1929 and in 1954, the fortress was purchased by the honourable John Whitfield, the son of Lord Kenswood.
Lord and Girl Kenswood would take up residence on the fortress and would proceed restoration of the inside of the property. Lord Kenswood died in 1963 and his spouse the Dowager Girl Kenswood remained within the property till 1965 when it was bought by Lord Kenswood’s son to Hollis MacLure Baker, an American furnishings producer.
In 1972, the fortress grew to become house to William Berry, who determined that he would set free the fortress in 1977 as a vacation house.
The fortress remained as a vacation house for numerous years whereas the funds generated would enable for any repairs needing to be performed.
The Griffiths Roch Basis purchased the fortress from David and Susan Berry in 2008 and gave Welsh Heritage Development the contract to refurbish and restore the fortress below the watchful eye of architects Acanthus Holden.
In 2013, the fortress reopened as a six-bedroom luxurious lodge, which it stays to at the present time.
There are tales that the fortress is haunted, with folks saying that de Rupe steadily wanders the higher flooring and that individuals have seen a ghost of a girl who’s believed to have been the daughter of one of many households who occupied the fortress all through the centuries.
