PEMBROKE, WALES—According to a report in The Guardian, archaeologists digging test trenches on the grounds of Pembroke Castle have uncovered stone structures that could be the remains of a mansion where Henry VII was born in 1457. Other finds indicate the building had a slate roof adorned with green-glazed ridge tiles, and a spiral staircase. It had been thought the king was born in castle’s thirteenth-century tower, but this building’s outline was spotted in the parched grass of the castle grounds from the air. “We know [from documentary evidence] that he was born in the castle, which was at that time owned by his uncle, Jasper Tudor,” said archaeologist James Meek. “It’s more likely that he was born in a modern residence, for the time, than in a guard tower on the walls.” A newly discovered cesspit could also offer information about royal medieval life. Henry VII ascended to the throne of England after he defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, ending the Wars of the Roses. To read about the discovery of the burial place of Richard III, go to “Richard III’s Last Act.”
