Editing Tenby (section)

===Middle Ages===
With its strategic position on the far west coast of [[Great Britain|Britain]], and a natural sheltered harbour from both the Atlantic Ocean and the [[Irish Sea]], Tenby was a natural settlement point, probably a [[hill fort]] with the mercantile nature of the settlement possibly developing under [[Hiberno-Norse]] influence. The earliest reference to a settlement at Tenby is in ''[[Etmic Dinbych]]'', a poem probably from the ninth century.<ref>{{cite book|title=Literacy in Medieval Celtic Societies|page=29|publisher=Cambridge University Press|editor-first=Huw |editor-last=Pryce|isbn=9780521570398| year=1998}}</ref>

Tenby was taken by the [[Normans]], when they [[invaded West Wales]] in the early 12th century. The town's first stone-wall fortification was on [[Tenby Castle|Castle Hill]]. Tenby's mercantile trade grew as it developed as a major seaport in Norman controlled [[Little England beyond Wales]]. 

[[Flemish settlement in Pembroke|Flemish settlers]] from Tenby tried to assassinate [[Cadell ap Gruffydd]], the Welsh prince of [[Deheubarth]], after which the settlement and castle were successfully attacked and sacked by his brothers [[Maredudd ap Gruffydd|Maredudd]] and [[Rhys ap Gruffydd|Rhys]] in 1150<ref name=Laws115>{{cite book|last=Laws|first=Edward|title=The History of Little England Beyond Wales|publisher=Bell, London |date=1888| page=115|url= https://archive.org/details/b21781023/page/107|accessdate=26 February 2023}}</ref> highlighting the need for additional defences. Sacking of the town was repeated in 1187 and again by [[Llywelyn ap Gruffudd]] in 1260.<ref name="castlewales.com">{{Cite web|url=http://www.castlewales.com/tenby.html|title=Tenby Castle|website=castlewales.com}}</ref> 

After the 1260 attack the [[Earl of Pembroke]] at the time, [[William de Valence, 1st Earl of Pembroke|William de Valence]], ordered the completion of the [[Tenby town walls]]. The stone curtain wall, towers and gates enclosed a large part of the settlement{{mdash}}now known as the "old town". In the [[Late Middle Ages]], Tenby was awarded royal grants to finance the maintenance and improvement of its defences and the enclosure of its harbour. With the construction of the town walls, Tenby Castle was made obsolete and had been abandoned by the end of the 14th century.<ref name=Penmar/> William de Valence granted Tenby a [[Town charter|charter]] in 1290.