Wogan Cavern

This natural cavern, unparalleled in other British castles, is below the Northern and Norman Halls, formed in the limestone rock on which Pembroke Castle is built. Access to and from the castle is gained by a circular staircase built half in the rock and half in an exterior turret.

In shape it is a roughly circular vault measuring about 80 feet from north to south, and 60 feet from east to west with a lofty roof. It was probably used as a storehouse and boathouse and was fairly dry when the buildings over it were roofed. In front of the arched entrance, a canal or ditch ran down to the river; this ditch was filled in when forming the path around the castle. It was probably used by small ships so that they could load and discharge cargo directly from the cave. The sally port overlooking the river is now made secure with an iron grille.

Warning! Outside at the north-east angle, in a shoulder of the wall, is an arch which is the outlet of the latrine in the Northern Hall above!

• Anon (1932): A Short History of Pembroke castle, 2nd ed, pp. 30- 3l.
• British Caver (41) 42
• Cathcart King, D J (): Pembroke Castle, S p. 47.
• Cathcart King, D J (1978): Pembroke Castle, Arch Camb 127 110-111 S
• CBA Research Report (20) 235
• Cobb, J R (1883): Pembroke Castle, Arch Camb 196-8, 207-212, 256-66
• Caves in Wales and the Marches p 22 NGR only.
• Duncan, P A (): Limestone caves at Pembroke, Tenby, Caldey, BC 19 31-34, 1949. Location and description.
• Fenton, Richard (1903): A Historical Tour Through Pembrokeshire, FAS p 201.
• Freeman, E A (1853): Domestic Architecture in South Wales., Arch Camb 3 188-192
• Gosse p 106-107.
• Gwynne p 45, 125, 126 refers to Hogan cave (sic).
• Hall p 457
• Hill, A (1946): Review of activities in South Wales 1937-1946, BC 14 95-105. Wogan's Cave 104
• Jones. Keith (1998): Wogan's Cave, The Red Dragon (25) 12 - 15 S
• Leach, A L (1908): Guide to Tenby and South Pembrokeshire,
• Leach, A L Arch Camb 98 (2) 248-254. Work of Rev. G.N.Smith in area. Excavations. Finds in Tenby Museum.
• Lockley, R M (1957): Pembrokeshire, Mentions bats.
• Mason p 99
• Millo p 113
• Platten, G (1940): Under Pembroke Castle, BC 5 58. A note.
• Platten, G (1941): Welsh Wanderings No 1, BC 8 7-16. A mention.
• Platten, G (1946): Wanderings No 6, BC 14 36-39 Extract from Bradley, Romance of Wales (1929). Mention.
• Platten, G (1958): Welsh Look Around You, BC 29 20-29.
• Platten, G (1958): Wild Wales No. 2, BC 29 77-85.
• Timmins p 30 & 59
• Tourist pp 32-33
• Trevelyan, M (1909): Folk-lore and Folk-stories of Wales, WL p 155. Mention.

Reprinted with cringing permission from Caves of West Wales by Tony Oldham (2003).