Eden House Country Guest House B & B Accommodation - Picton Castle
Picton Castle
Picton Castle has been the historic home of the Phillips' family who are direct descendents of Sir John Wogan, who built the Castle over 850 years ago. Picton Castle is open all year round for weddings and corporate events and during the summer there are guided tours of the Castle which still retains much of its original character.
The 40 acres of gardens are open to the public. Part of the Royal Horticultural Society Regional Garden Scheme they are home to a feast of Rhododendrons, Embothrium and Eucryphia.
The Woodland Gardens burst with colour during the spring with blankets of wild flowers blended with beautiful shrubs from all corners of the world. In the summer the restored walled garden with its enchanting fountain and fernery is a haven of tranquillity. The art gallery is host to a variety of artist exhibitions and the events schedule is a popular feature of the Picton Castle calendar with garden lectures, open air theatre and family days being just some of the fun events on offer.
Picton Castle is a most unusual ancient building being in design half fortified manor house and half fully developed medieval castle. From the outside with its four symmetrically spaced half round towers and gatehouse entrance flanked by two narrower towers it looks like a miniature version of a great Edwardian Castle such as Conwy in North Wales. However as soon as one enters inside it is revealed not to have an inner courtyard and keep but rather a series of finely planned rooms typical of the grand country house that it is. There is no other building quite like it in Britain.
Since the 13th century Picton has been in the hands of the Wogans, Baron of Wiston and it was Sir John Wogan Justiciar of Ireland, circa 1295 – 1313, who is believed to have built the present castle. The Phillips's, who are direct descendents of Sir John Wogan, have held Picton since the days of Sir Thomas Phillips. In 1611 James 1st wanted to raise money to meet the cost of keeping his army in Ireland and he hit upon the idea of selling baronetcies. Sir John Phillips bought one at the cost of £1,095.
Throughout the 17th and 18th Century the Phillips's of Picton Castle were the most powerful family in Pembrokeshire, exercising both tremendous political, social and economic influence over all aspects of local life. They had vast estates and were prominent philanthropists (being particularly supportive of the charity school movement). Patrons of the arts for generations, they supplied Pembrokeshire with Sheriffs, Justices of the Peace, Lord Lieutenants and Members of Parliament.
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Eden House Country Guest House B & B Accommodation - Picton Castle
