Picton Castle

Built by Sir John Wogan around 1315, its design was inspired by royal castles. Sir John Wogan was an important man in Edward I’s court. He was appointed by Edward as Justiciar of Ireland 1295-1312 and was responsible for introducing the first Parliament in Ireland. Picton still retains its medieval heart in its circular drum towers and the untouched Undercroft, that Sir John would recognise to this day.

Whilst luxurious for its age, Picton had considerable military defences. The castle has withstood more than one battle, having been besieged by Owain Glyndŵr in 1405, with a force of 12,000 men. Picton once again saw fighting in the Civil War in 1645, when it changed hands more than once. Despite this history, ownership of the castle has only ever passed through marriage. From the Wogan family, to the Dwwns (who claimed descent from the 9th century Welsh king, Rhodri Mawr) eventually to Sir Thomas ap Philip of Cilsant (later anglicized to Philipps). Sir Thomas had strong connections with Henry Tudor, later Henry VII. Sir John was part of Henry’s retinue in exile in France and is thought to have landed with Henry and fought for him in the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. By the 1490s he married the Picton heiress, Joan Dwwn, ‘the Golden Heiress’.

The peaceful location and rich agricultural lands surrounding Picton, along with good stewardship, meant that the castle remained in the hands of the Philipps family for over 500 years. Notable members of the family included, the Sir John Philipps, ‘the Good Sir John’ who help funded circulating schools in Wales to education the public in the early 18th century. Later on in the 1760s, the family freed a young Senegalese boy from slavery and adopted him. Cesar Picton as he was known, became a rich and successful coal merchant in London, supported as he was by the Philipps family coal mines in Pembrokeshire.

Under the care of the Philipps family, the castle was transformed internally in the 1740s from a mighty medieval manor to a sumptuous Georgian country home. This work included creating a rare circular library, installing fireplaces carved by Sir Henry Cheere, all while retaining the essential medieval structure of the building. You can peak through a door in the 18th century wainscot and you will find a medieval spiral staircase. The original collection of art and antiques is still on display in the castle. This includes early Welsh language bibles books, The Picton ‘Renoir’, a rare chamber organ, and a fine collection of ceramics.

The Castle was further developed in the 1790s, with addition of a new wing of rooms. The baroque gardens were swept away to create a parkland with magnificent views over the rolling Pembrokeshire countryside. These trees and plantings can still be enjoyed today. The former owners of Picton, the Philipps family remained influential members of the Welsh Gentry and regularly served as MPs and helped financially support civic society in west Wales.

In the 20th century artistic connections flourished. The last private owners of Picton Castle, the Rt. Hon Hanning and Lady Marion Philipps were avid art collectors and expanded the collection of modern art (which is on display). They were close friends with Graham Sutherland, who was inspired by the stunning Pembrokeshire landscape in his later works during his frequent stays at Picton.

In 1987 the Philipps family, including Hanning’s sister, Rt. Hon Gwenllian Philipps, created the Picton Castle Trust. Gifting the castle and its contents to be conserved for the public benefit. Since that time the work of the Trust has been to restore the castle and gardens, provide access to the public and support education in the arts, culture and heritage. In 2019-20 the Walled Garden enjoyed a £1.1 million restoration (with the help of the NHLF as well as other generous donors). The work to fully restore the castle is a major project that we are just embarking on.