Edward Andrews Downman was an English vicar and antiquary (1857 - 1931). Between 1901 and 1915, he undertook a project to research and record all the ancient earthworks across the UK and several archives contain his drawings (including London and Oxford). Pembrokeshire was believed to be the last chapter of this work.
Ancient Earthworks in Pembrokeshire is a large (A3 landscape) manuscript, bound with a hard cover. It is written entirely by hand and is 100 pages in length. His work in Pembrokeshire was never completed – this is known as there is a list of sites included at the front with not all of them completed inside the manuscript. It is believed that after a family death during the First World War, Mr Downman lost heart for the project. However, his work in Rosemarket had already been completed by that point and was included.
The picture below is taken from page 17 of the manuscript and is all about the Rosemarket Rath, which he records as having “visited and examined” on 26th April 1912.
Mr Downman’s drawing has details of scale and measurement, with his findings to the right of the drawing, and transcribed below:
“This stronghold is formed out of a spur, jutting out S. and E. between and above two streams which unite on S.E. The country round is undulating.
The position chosen has a natural protection on the fall of the ground on three sides.
The entrenchments are in a fair state of preservation, and consist of one ditch and two ramparts cutting off the enclosure from the rest of the high land on the N., and one ditch and one rampart on the other sides above the natural slope. The earthworks on the N.N.W. are of a powerful build.
The work being near to the parish church would seem to be a Norman castle, but the form is not like the usual type of a Norman stronghold.
Subsoil, nab stone
Commands, the neighbourhood
Entrance, apparently from the N.
Tumuli are not found near.
Other strongholds -
(1) Old Castle Rath, 3 miles SW by N.
(2) Priory Rath, 3 miles W. by S.
(3) Thornton Rath, 3 miles W.
Access may be obtained with permission. There are no visible traces of masonry. The inner scarp of the inner rampart may have been wider in the original projection of the earthworks”.
At the base of the page, “E.A.D. Laindon, Essex - July 1912”, can be seen. This is believed to be Mr Downman marking completion of the entry, with the date and location also being noted.
The original manuscript, Ancient Earthworks in Pembrokeshire, was kindly donated by a family member to Haverfordwest Library some years ago, who passed it on to Pembrokeshire Archives for temperature-controlled storage. If you’d like to view the original manuscript, please contact the friendly team at Pembrokeshire Archives to make an appointment.