Erbyn hyn nid oes llawer i’w weld o’r Castell yn Nanhyfer. Ond am bron i ganrif, gwelwyd stori gymleth a dramatig o frad, ffyniant, ffraeo teuluol a dathliadau ar y penmaen hwn yng Ngogledd Sir Benfro.
1108: Adeiladodd gwladychwyr Normanaidd orchgloddiau a mwnd gyda phalisau coed a thŵr
Turmhügelburg. – Photo: Wy / Wikipedia
Ddeugain mlynedd wedi’r concwest o Loegr ym 1066, roedd y Normaniaid yn dal i geisio darostwng Cymru. Rhoddodd y brenin Normanaidd Harri ‘r cyntaf yr awdurdod i Robert Fitzmartin i reoli Cemaes, yr hyn sydd erbyn hyn yn ogledd Sir Benfro. Dewisodd Fitzmartrin Nanhyfer fel cadarnle i’w luoedd.
Daeth yn ganolfan bwysig gydag adeiladau trawiadol o garreg, y bu brwydro drosti rhwng y Cymry a’r Normaniaid
Nid oedd gorchfygu’r Cymry yn hawdd. Wedi marwolaeth Harri’r cyntaf, dibwyllwyd y Normaniaid gan anghydfod hirhoedlog dros goron y Saeson. Ym mrwydr Crug Mawr ym 1136, adennillodd y Cymry reolaeth yn ddibennol, gan feddiannu cestyll yn Aberteifi a Nanhyfer. Roedd Gruffydd, ac yn ddiwedddarach ei fab Rhys, yn arweinwyr blaenllaw.
1196: Llosgwyd i’r llawr wedi naw deg o flynyddoedd . Wedi bod yn dir amaeth ers hynny
Mewn amser, dychwelodd y Normaniaid. Cafwyd ‘heddwch gwŷr mawr’ wedi i William Fitzmartrin briodi Angharad, merch Rhys. Ond yn syth wedi i William adael i ymladd yn y croesgadau, alifeddiannodd Rhys Nanhyfer. Bu ymladd gyda ac ymysg ei feibion a’r diwedd fu chwalu’r castell.
1980: Prynodd Cyngor Cymuned Nanhyfer y safle er budd i’r gymuned
Ar y cyd gydag Awdurdod Parc Cenedlaethol Arfordir Penfro a Cadw (gwasanaeth amgylchedd hanesyddol Llywodraeth Cymru) mae Cyngor Cymuned Nanhyfer wedi gweithio’n galed i edrych ar ôl y safle a’i hagor er mwyniant pawb.
Ymunwch â Chyfeillion Castell Nanhyfer i warchod a rheoli’r safle
2008-2018: Datguddiwyd hanes amrywiol a strwythur newidiol y castell yn dilyn cloddio archaeolegol
Arweiniwyd y cloddio gan Dr Chris Caple o Brifysgol Durham. Darganfuwyd nifer o greiriau, sy’n rhoi golwg cyfareddol o fywyd yn y castell. Yn ogystal, dangosodd y darganfyddiadau ddatblygiad yr adeiladau a’r muriau ynghyd â’u hadeilwaith a ddefnyddiodd ddulliau Normanaidd a Chymreig.
Erbyn hyn yn llecyn llawn heddwch a thangnefedd
Bu i nifer o bobl fyw ac amaethu yma dros y canrifoedd. Erbyn hyn mae’n gartref i gerddwyr a bywyd gwyllt. Dim ond ychygig â welir o’r castell heblaw am y cloddiau, ffosydd a’r mwnd. Mae coed yn tyfu ble’r oedd neuaddau gwych a golygfeydd llywodraethol dros y wlad. Dewch i fwynhau yr heddwch; a chofiwch ein hanes!
Beth sydd i’w weld heddiw
Y Tŵr Sgwâr
Ar ben sger garegog ar ochr ddwyreiniol y castell, fe welwch adfeilion o dŵr sgwâr o wneuthuriad cerrig. Dyma’r rhan gyda’r amddiffinfeydd cryfaf, gyda llethrau serth o’i gwmpas. Ond dim ond tua diwedd bywyd y castell yr adeiladwyd hwn.
Y Gadlys
Wedi ei warchod gan gloddiau a muriau ar ddwy ochr, a llethrau serth ar y ddwy arall, yn y gadlys – ardal wastad dan olwg y tyrrau – oedd lle roedd bywyd o ddydd i ddydd y castell yn cymeryd lle.
Roedd neuaddau, tai, stablau a gweithdai yn y lle hwn. Ar y cyntaf, coed oedd eu gwnethuriad, ond yn ddiweddarach fe’u hadeiladwyd o garreg ac felly’n fwy cadarn.
Cloddiau a ffosydd
Y rhan gyntaf o’r castell i’w adeiladu oedd y mwnd, bryncyn o bridd gyda thŵr gwyliwyr ar ei ben. Roedd clloddiau amddiffynnol o amgylch y mwnda’r gadlys,. Yn ddiweddarach yn hanes y castell, ailadeiladwyd y tŵr crwn yma o garreg a’i ddefnyddio fel lle i fyw ynddo.
Erbyn hyn dim ond seiliau’r tŵr sydd i’w gweld
Y newyddion a’r erthyglau diweddaraf
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Gwneud synnwyr o’r darnauadmin15 Jul 2023Cafwyd sgwrs boblogaidd a hynod ddiddorol yn y Trewern Arms ddydd Mercher 12/7/2023 gan Dr Chris Caple, yr archeolegydd a fu’n arwain y cloddiadau yng Nghastell Nanhyfer am ddeng mlynedd.
Ers ei ddinistrio yn 1196, mae aredig a hindreulio wedi cuddio’r hyn sy’n weddill o’r castell. Darnau yn unig sydd ar ôl – a thasg yr archaeolegydd yw eu rhoi at ei gilydd, i ddatgelu digwyddiadau dramatig y cyfnod, a’r bywyd yr oedd pobl yn ei arwain. -
PCNPA tourFriends of Nevern Castle27 Apr 2023Tomos Jones, PCNPA Community Archaeologist, led a group on a tour of Newport Castle, St Brynach's Church, and Nevern Castle.
Early Purple Orchid seen at the Castle today -
Pilgrimage conferenceFriends of Nevern Castle19 Mar 2023Alan represented Friends of Nevern Castle at the Pilgrimage Today conference in Enniscorthy, Co.Wexford in March 2023. The gathering celebrated the opening of the Wexford-Pembrokeshire Pilgrim Way from Ferns in SE Ireland across the sea to St Davids. The meeting, sponsored by the Ancient Connections project and British Pilgrimage Trust, was attended by about 80 people including artists, businesses and places of interest along the route, officers of Visit Pembrokeshire and Fáilte Ireland, together with academics studying tourism and pilgrimage.
Alan was also there for his part as a software developer in Pererin Wyf, a project sponsored by Ancient Connections which links people of the Irish and Welsh diasporas worldwide. -
School visitFriends of Nevern CastleSchool children being shown a drawing of the tower atop the motte6 Dec 2022Friends of Nevern Castle conducted a tour of the Castle for a group of 9-10 year olds from St Dogmaels Primary School on 14th November 2022.
While walking around the site, we looked at mock-up pictures, talked about the characters of the time, and had great fun role-playing the coming and goings between Norman and Welsh control. And of course we talked about archaeology. -
Wexford visit to CastleFriends of Nevern CastleSpeaking to a party of visitors in the bailey23 Oct 2022Friends of Nevern Castle showed round a group of visitors from Ireland on Sunday 23/10/2022.
The visit was a first trial of a guided tour round the castle. We told the story of the main characters in its 90-year history, while explaining the visible remains and showing artists' impressions of what it looked like at the time. -
BBQ Aug 29thFriends of Nevern CastlePeople picnicing at the barbecue August 202215 Aug 2022We had a great time at the barbecue in the castle bailey on bank holiday Monday.
Good company in lovely surroundings, and delicious barbie food! -
Nevern ShowadminFriends speaking to people at Nevern Show 202211 Aug 2022Friends of Nevern Castle had a stand in the craft tent at Nevern Show on 10th August. Gaynor, Mike, Kath and Alan chatted to show goers about the castle.
The aim was to raise awareness of the existence of the site and the importance of the castle in the 12th century. We told visitors how the castle's history, with its alternation between Norman and Welsh control, encapsulated that pivotal period in the history of Wales. -
Trail guide updateadminMap/aerial photo of Nevern for updated trail guide leaflet 20228 Jul 2022Nevern Trail Guide leaflet was published in 2016 by Nevern Community Council and Pembrokeshire National Park Authority. It's now due for a reprint, and so there's an opportunity for updates and improvements.
Friends of Nevern Castle recently had a meeting with other residents of Nevern to discuss changes to the leaflet. We've also had discussions with representatives of St Brynach's Church, the Village Hall, and the Trewern Arms. -
Nevern’s Apotropaic SlatesChris Caple11 Apr 2022by Dr Chris Caple
In 2011, we unearthed a series of slates forming a threshold in the gateway of the southern entrance to the castle. A number of these slates contained faint scratched designs. As the slates were bedded on their edges, these designs could not be seen by the people passing over the threshold; only by supernatural forces. The designs were almost certainly incised into the slates by the workmen building the gateway (constructed circa 1170-1191). -
Friends’ Meeting – Trewern 30/3/2022Nevern Community CouncilBarbecue 20211 Apr 2022Inaugural meeting of the Friends of Nevern Castle
Enthusiasts for Nevern Castle met on Wednesday 30/3/2022, kindly hosted by the Trewern Arms. We created a formal association, with a constitution and the usual officers. We’ll be able to open a bank account, apply for grants, etc.
© Delweddau gan Chris Caple ac eithrio lle nodir yn wahanol
[PCNPA]: © Awdurdod Parc Cenedlaethol Arfordir Penfro
