Wogan Cavern
Beneath the northern part of the castle lies Wogan Cavern, a vast cave that is accessed from above down a spiral staircase. Wogan Cavern is today home to Greater Horseshoe bats, but its large size and flat floor make it a very useful space, and we know that many people in the past used it. During the Middle Ages it probably served as a store, while artefacts found in the cave show its use during the Roman period, as well as much earlier in prehistoric times.
Recent archaeological excavations have revealed just how long people have been using Wogan Cavern, and have shown it to be a nationally important archaeological site in its own right. We now know that Mesolithic hunter-gatherers inhabited the cave around 11,000 years ago. In addition, the cave has yielded rare evidence for even earlier hunter-gatherers, who occupied the site during the last Ice Age. Bones of mammoth and reindeer have been found alongside stone tools left behind by some of the earliest Homo sapiens ever to occupy Britain.
The excavations in the cave are ongoing. For the Report of the 2022 excavations at Wogan Cavern, please click here.
There are some useful press releases and video clips below:
Support our work
We are currently raising funds towards keeping and caring for the Wogan Cavern collection in Pembroke. If you would like to donate and keep in touch with the latest news of excavations and what’s happening with the collection then just scan the QR code below which will take you to our PAYA My Giving donation site. Any contributions will be much appreciated.
