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 dathladiau 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.
Y mwnd, 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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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 Council1 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. -
The Great HallRob Anthony4 Mar 2022The brief life and times of the Great Hall, Nevern Castle
Fig 1 Artist’s impression of Nevern Castle: -
My Dig MemoriesGaynor Bussell6 Feb 2022Gaynor Bussell, Volunteer at Nevern Dig 2009-2018
After working over 30 years in London, in June 2008 I decided to give it all up. I was not sure what I wanted to do with the rest of my life; I was not quite 50! But I had developed hiraeth for the lands from where my family had come and where many of my relatives still lived. -
Podcast: Tomos Jones, PCNPAPembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority10 Jan 2022The Archaeology of Nevern Castle
Tomos Jones, Community Archaeologist at Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, talks about the archaeological excavations at Nevern Castle between 2008 and 2018. -
The Lord Rhys’ OathRob Anthony1 Jan 2022The broken oaths of the Lord Rhys would have put him at risk of eternal damnation, according to the tenets of the 12th century.
Dr Robert Anthony -
Was Nevern really a borough?Rob Anthony15 Dec 2021Were there really 18 burgage plots within the castle? Can we believe the claim by George Owen, 16th/17th century antiquarian and lord of Cemais, that Nevern was once a borough, with special privileges?
Dr Rob Anthony explains, and examines the evidence. -
A decorated keyChris Caple23 Nov 2021An object that has come up recently in the research on Nevern is the shaft of a key, a slide key for a padlock, with inlaid spiral decoration.
Keys like this only turn up on 12th century sites such as York, Winchester, Castle Acre. Unnecessarily decorated and expensive, they were probably mainly owned by aristocratic ladies safeguarding things which they wanted to keep safe: perhaps documents, jewellery, clothes or shoes. -
Family feudsPembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority3 Nov 2021
Delun Gibby tells the story of Rhys' imprisonment in his own castle. (Delun was Community Archaeologist for Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.) -
Archbishop Baldwin 1188Rob Anthony24 Oct 2021Dr Robert Anthony
Monday, 28 March 1188: it is not often in medieval history that an event can be dated with such precision, especially when concerning Wales, and we have Gerald of Wales (Giraldus Cambrensis), scholar, canon of St David’s and Archdeacon of Brecon, to thank for this. The event in question is described in his book: The Journey Through Wales (1191), an account, almost in diary form (although with lavish digressions), of the six week mission to south and north Wales by Baldwin Archbishop of Canterbury to preach the Cross in support of the Third Crusade.
Images © Dr Chris Caple except where noted otherwise.
[PCNPA]: © Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority
