Castle hotel
Roch Castle
Roch, Pembrokeshire
Level 5 True CastleLevel 5: a Grade I listed castle first built around 1200 to 1270. All six named bedrooms are inside the original castle structure.
Sleep inside the walls
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Roch Castle is a genuine medieval Norman castle in Pembrokeshire, Wales, first built around 1200 to 1270 by the de la Roche family. Now a Grade I listed castle stay with six named rooms, it suits couples wanting an authentic historic castle stay close to St Davids.
Quick facts
- Castle Authenticity Scale
- Level 5: True Castle
- Where you sleep
- Sleep inside the walls
- Built
- Circa 1200, dated to about 1270 by historian G.T. Clark
- Architecture
- Norman castle with a D-plan, battlemented angle turrets and a taller square tower
- Heritage status
- Grade I listed
- Rooms
- 6
- Bedrooms
- 6
- Minimum stay (nights)
- Two nights (November to March), two or three nights (April to September) for self-catering exclusive-hire bookings
- Star rating
- Five-star (Booking.com)
- Guest rating
- 9.7 out of 10 on Booking.com (September 2026)
- Restaurant
- No (hotel website)
- Exclusive use
- Yes (hotel website)
- Listed on Booking.com
- EV charging point, Parking, Free wifi
- Last checked
- September 2026
The story
The story of Roch Castle
Roch Castle stands on a rocky outcrop in the village of Roch, Pembrokeshire, and is a Grade I listed building. According to its listing, the castle was first built around 1200 by Adam de Rupe, also recorded as Adam de la Roche, with the historian G.T. Clark later dating the structure to about 1270. The castle has a rough D-plan with battlemented angle turrets to the north and a taller square tower to the south, built from rubble stone.
The de la Roche family left in the 15th century and the castle fell into ruin. During the English Civil War it was garrisoned for the royalist cause and besieged in 1644. Sir J. Wynford Philipps later restored it for residential use, and further restoration took place between 1901 and 1904, with more work around 1910 and again from about 1918 to 1920, according to the listing description.
The sleep
Rooms at Roch Castle
Roch Castle has six named bedrooms, all within the castle structure itself: Ap Gruffydd, De Rupe, Lucy Walter, Nest, St Brides and St Davids. De Rupe is described on the castle's own website as the highest room in the castle, Lucy Walter sits in the upper turrets, and Nest is a circular room in the tower, while St Brides and St Davids are ground-floor rooms.
The castle operates as a bed and breakfast with these individual rooms, and can also be booked in full for exclusive hire as a self-catering stay, according to its own website. For self-catering bookings, a two-night minimum applies between November and March, rising to two or three nights between April and September.
The table
Eating at Roch Castle
Roch Castle does not run its own restaurant on site, according to its own website, which instead points guests to Blas Restaurant at its sister property, Twr y Felin Hotel in St Davids. Guests booking the whole castle for exclusive hire self-cater instead, using the castle's own kitchen, and the site gives no further detail on catering for individual room bookings.
The grounds
Around Roch Castle
The castle sits on a volcanic rocky outcrop in the centre of Roch village, giving it views described by its own listing as visible from considerable distances across the Pembrokeshire coast. It is close to St Davids, home to Roch Castle's sister hotel, Twr y Felin. The castle's own website gives no specific walking routes or distances from the building itself.
What we'd flag
What we'd flag
- Roch Castle has no restaurant of its own. Dining as a bed and breakfast guest is at the sister hotel, Twr y Felin, in St Davids.
- Some rooms, such as Lucy Walter and Nest, are reached via stairs into the turrets and tower, which may not suit guests with mobility needs.
- For self-catering, exclusive-hire bookings, a minimum stay of two nights applies in winter, rising to two or three nights between April and September.
Who it's for
Who Roch Castle suits
Roch Castle suits couples and small groups wanting to sleep inside a genuine medieval castle, whether in an individual room or by booking the whole building for exclusive, self-catering use. It also suits visitors basing themselves near St Davids. It is less suited to guests who need step-free access throughout, since several rooms sit in the castle's turrets and tower.
Where Roch Castle is.
Map tiles from OpenStreetMap.
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Roch Castle: questions
Is Roch Castle a real historic castle?
Yes. Roch Castle is a Grade I listed building first constructed around 1200 by Adam de la Roche, with a later dating of about 1270 by historian G.T. Clark. Guests sleep inside the original castle structure, which places it at Level 5 (True Castle) on our authenticity scale.
Who built Roch Castle?
According to its Grade I listing, Roch Castle was first built around 1200 by Adam de Rupe, also recorded as Adam de la Roche. The de la Roche family held it until the 15th century, after which it fell into ruin before later restoration.
Can you book the whole of Roch Castle?
Yes. Roch Castle can be booked in full for exclusive, self-catering hire, according to its own website, as well as by individual room as a bed and breakfast. A minimum stay of two to three nights applies for self-catering bookings, depending on the season.
Is there a restaurant at Roch Castle?
No. Roch Castle does not have its own restaurant, according to its own website, which points guests instead to Blas Restaurant at its sister hotel, Twr y Felin, in nearby St Davids. Guests taking the whole castle for exclusive hire self-cater in the castle's own kitchen instead.
Where are the bedrooms at Roch Castle?
The six named bedrooms sit at different levels of the castle itself, from ground-floor rooms such as St Brides and St Davids to upper rooms in the turrets and tower, including Lucy Walter and Nest, according to the castle's own website.
Sources and checks
Last checked: September 2026. We checked these sources for this page. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
- britishlistedbuildings.co.uk: listing grade, build date, architectural description, history
- rochcastle.com: general description, sister hotel, booking model
- rochcastle.com: room names and locations within the castle
- rochcastle.com: self-catering exclusive hire, minimum night stays