History in Structure

Porth-y-Twr, including Gateway & South Tower

A Grade I Listed Building in St Davids, Pembrokeshire

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Coordinates

Latitude: 51.8814 / 51°52'53"N

Longitude: -5.2676 / 5°16'3"W

OS Eastings: 175206

OS Northings: 225363

OS Grid: SM752253

Mapcode National: GBR C5.RQ2L

Mapcode Global: VH0TD.NZ33

Plus Code: 9C3PVPJJ+HX

Entry Name: Porth-y-Twr, including Gateway & South Tower

Listing Date: 1 March 1963

Last Amended: 28 July 1992

Grade: I

Source: Cadw

Source ID: 12541

Building Class: Religious, Ritual and Funerary

ID on this website: 300012541

Location: Situated at entrance to The Cathedral Close from The Pebbles.

County: Pembrokeshire

Community: St. David's and the Cathedral Close (Tŷddewi a Chlos y Gadeirlan)

Community: St. David's

Built-Up Area: St Davids

Traditional County: Pembrokeshire

Tagged with: Bell tower Gatehouse

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History

Large C14 bell tower with attached, possibly C15, fortified gate. Rubble stone part ruinous, the bell-tower substantially restored 1929 by W D Caroe.

Exterior

Bell-tower is large two-stage octagonal tower with moulded plinth and moulded course before set-back bell-stage, ruinous and roofless in old photographs but now with corbelled flat parapet. Bell-stage has large pointed openings, originally longer but part-blocked, with hoodmoulds. Lower stage has E side lancet and N side pointed moulded doorway with column shafts and hoodmould. Studded plank doors. SE stair tower projecting slightly on upper stage and rising to restored octagonal turret. S side obscured by attached gateway.

Gateway and S tower added to S in rougher rubble stone with corbel table below former battlements, now ruinous. Rounded S end with higher corbel table. E front has big segmental pointed arch over roadway, small blocked doorway to right with loop over. To right, without break in walling, S tower with one high window, rounded S end with Close Wall attached to SW; W front window at upper level and lower large pointed light to left, just before change in level of corbel table. To left, segmental-pointed large arch over roadway, and above, to left a small window robbed of ashlar.

Southern range is roofless, but within gateway, two portcullis slots and double archway on N side, robbed of ashlar, giving access to half-round recess with narrow round-headed doorway. South side has round headed narrow doorway. Studded plank doors with iron strap hinges to both doorways.

Reasons for Listing

Group Value.

External Links

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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