It is said of the bleeding yew tree in Nevern churchyard, “The Yew will bleed until a Welsh King sits upon the throne in the Castle!”
The saying goes back a long way. We don’t have a Welsh king yet, but in 2008, Nevern Community Council took the first step by providing a throne.
On the back of the throne, you can see the two coats of arms. One is the red and white bars of the FitzMartins, who were the Norman colonists. The other, carrying a lion, represents the Welsh prince Lord Rhys, who led the local resistance.


However, there may be a mistake in the coat of arms identified with Rhys. The three ravens and jagged bar come from the arms of another Rhys ap Gruffydd, who lived two centuries later. The coat of arms of the 12th-century Lord Rhys have a yellow border and no ravens. It seems that the mistake was made during researches around the time the throne was built.

Coat of arms of Lord Rhys ap Gruffydd, d1197
Gules, a lion rampant, a bordure indented Or.
The panels at the sides of the throne are views of the Castle as it might have been. One side shows it around 1136, when the buildings and fences were made of wood. The other is around 1190, when it was a much more grand place, with impressive stone walls, towers, and halls. It was burned to the ground not long after that in 1196.


The throne was conceived as a piece of fun that children of all ages can enjoy, while their grown-ups contemplate the dramatic 12th century history of the Castle and enjoy the natural peace of its present. The throne was made by local craftsmen, sponsored by Nevern Community Council, and paid for with grant money from the National Lottery. It was refurbished by volunteers in 2021.