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Gower peninsula, West Glamorgan, Wales
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Penmaen was a small Norman timber castle located on the Gower peninsula. Recent excavations at the site have revealed a ringwork castle typical of the 12th-century March. Eventually stone replaced earth and timber at most major Marcher and royal strongholds. The two phases of building at Penmaen cannot be closely dated, but the ringwork with its timber gateway is accepted as being Norman. At some stage the gate was destroyed by fire, although whether this was through Welsh attack or domestic mishap will never be know. However, it was replaced by a drystone-walled gatetower, which could have been Norman or possibly a rebuilding by a Welsh lord, Rhys Gryg ap Rhys, who had destroyed all the castles in the Gower in 1217. Penmaen's "Castle Tower" was also a drystone-walled hall with curved ends. The walls as excavated stood only about .35m high, and were probably built well under 1m originally. (Pounds 1991)
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