Where can I fly my drone in the UK and get £5,000,000 Public Liability Insurance cover? Welcome to Drone Scene!

Wondering where you can legally fly your drone? Looking for great places to fly? Looking for £5m Public Liability Insurance cover? Well look no further!

Welcome to Drone Scene, the place to find great drone flying locations in the UK, view images and videos posted by other pilots and share your flying locations in order to help other UK hobbyists find great locations where they can fly safely too.

Click on a marker pin to view details of that location. You can also add comments and discuss the location in our forum.

×You must login to see Airspace Restrictions, National Trust boundaries and other interactive map layers.

Pembridge Castle added to Castles and Fortifications in West Midlands by clinkadink on 23/10/2023

Parking & TOAL: 51.869025, -2.745608

The first thing to be borne in mind about Pembridge castle is that it is thirty miles south of Pembridge village. The reason for this is that both places share a family name. The village of Pembridge between Kington and Leominster gave its name to an Anglo-Norman family. They in turn gave their name to the second Pembridge castle at Welsh Newton by Monmouth. It should be remembered that the second Pembridge castle is a better description of the castle at Welsh Newton as there is a first Pembridge castle within the village of Pembridge itself. The purpose of the article which follows is to chronicle the history of the Pembridge family and unravel the history of Pembridge castle.

It is not certain when the manor of Pembridge came into the hands of the family that was to bear its name. In Domesday the manor (Penebruge) was held by Alfred Marlborough, the lord of Ewias Harold. Here it was noted that the land had been held by Earl Harold before Domesday at a value of £16, and according to the canons of St Guthlac's he and his father, Earl Godwine, had seized it illegally from them. The land had been waste in 1066 and was now worth £10 10s. Interestingly the land was measured as being of eleven hides minus one virgate. The question is why is one virgate missing from the productive land that the Domesday surveyors were looking for? It has been suggested elsewhere that castles were ignored in the survey simply because they were drains on local resources, rather than sources of revenue. If this is the case at Pembridge it may well suggest that the castle was already in existence in this border area. It would therefore seem likely that Ralph Pembridge (1075-1103+) was the first member of that family name to be granted the town by William Braose of Bramber (1073-c.1094). William apparently became lord of Radnor, some time soon after the Domesday survey. Some time in the period 1119 to 1139 and probably between 10 July 1137 and April 1138, it was noted that all the estates of Alfred Marlborough were in the hands of Miles Gloucester (c.1119-43) except for Pembridge. This was elsewhere noted as being held by William Braose.

Ralph Pembridge was one the leading men of the district who witnessed a grant of Philip Braose at Radnor, probably in the period 1094 to 1120, soon after the death of William Braose about 1094. By 1203 his descendant, Henry Pembridge, held five knights' fees in Herefordshire, which almost certainly included Pembridge. Henry died in 1211 and Ralph Pembridge fined with king John for 100 marks and one good horse to enjoy possession of his father's lands. Of this amount he immediately paid 25 marks into the Treasury. Ralph may well have been dead by 22 November 1221 when first mention is made of another Henry Pembridge who had certainly inherited Pembridge by 1230 when his overlord, William Braose, was executed by Llywelyn ab Iorwerth. The lordship of Radnor was subsequently passed into the custody of Ralph Mortimer of Wigmore (1211-1246) who married one of the Braose heiress's to his own eldest son Roger Mortimer of Wigmore (1232-82). In 1242 Henry Pembridge was noted as holding Pembridge and the adjacent vills for one knight's fee of the honour of Radnor, then in the custody of Ralph Mortimer.

By 1249 it was noted that Henry Pembridge held Burton of Roger Mortimer's land of Radnor and soon after Henry was made escheator of Worcestershire, an office in which he was replaced on 4 May 1251 by Simon Ribbesford, another Mortimer tenant. Around this time Henry appears to have married Elizabeth Gamages, and through her inherited the lordships and castles of Boughrood and Trewern in Elfael. In 1255 Henry was made sheriff of Hereford, and pursued his new office with great diligence, and consequently tripling the paperwork being kept at the Exchequer. At the start of the first Welsh War of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd in 1256 Henry Pembridge and his overlord Roger Mortimer of Wigmore, appear to have acted in unison for on 28 June 1258 a commission of oyer and terminer was given to Gilbert Talbot and Robert Turbeville touching trespasses and excesses committed against Roger Mortimer and Henry Pembridge in the parts of Wales, by Roger Tony, Richard Thunderley and Alan the constable of Painscastle. No doubt this concerned the manors of Boughrood and Trewern, which Henry therefore appears to have been holding as a member of the lordship of Radnor. On 23 February 1259 Henry was ordered to send 100 marks, from where he was serving with the army of Monmouth, to Roger Mortimer as part payment of his debt to the Crown, in order that Roger could continue his war against the Welsh. Roger's war took a decided turn for the worse in November 1262 when he, with Humphrey Bohun, was defeated at Cefnllys by Llywelyn ap Gruffydd. As a consequence on 24 December the king ordered Henry Pembridge and others to defend the Marches, and soon afterwards Henry Pembridge in particular was ordered to defend 'his castle in the Marches'. Whether this castle was one at Pembridge, Pembridge Castle at Welsh Newton, Boughrood or Trewern is unknown, but one would suspect that Boughrood is meant, although all these regions were then directly threatened by Llywelyn.

That Henry Pembridge was ordered to defend one of his castles suggests that he had already taken the baronial side in the brewing conflict that was to be called the Barons' War. This impression is strengthened on 6 March 1264 when Henry Pembridge and other Marchers were ordered to stop Llywelyn, who was attacking the king's men in the Marches. Those actually being attacked at the time were none other than Roger Mortimer and his supporters and it would appear that Henry was not supporting his overlord, if not directly moving against him at this time. Whatever the case, Henry Pembridge survived the battle of Evesham on 4 August 1265 and was at the council of Westminster in September. Here he insulted Prince Edmund and, enraged, set fire to Warwick before being captured by the royalists. Henry was then given into the charge of Roger Mortimer, who had his own grudges to settle. Henry and his family were incarcerated at Wigmore castle and his estates forfeited to his overlord of Radnor. Roger then forced him to make a formal conveyance of Pembridge to him and ratify this before the court of the county at Hereford. Then, holding his sons hostage, Roger took him to Clarendon where he acknowledged his quit-claim before the king. Four instruments recording this are still preserved in the Mortimer cartulary, and well show Roger's determination to gain the rich land of Pembridge. On 16 November 1265 the king ordered the restoration to Henry of all the lands he had lost to the king's enemies. As Roger Mortimer had never been the king's enemy this did not include Pembridge and Henry Pembridge Junior failed in his 1267 attempt to regain the vill, and with this the Pembridge family appear to have accepted the loss, with Pembridge from now on being a demesne land of the lordship of Radnor. They remained however, lords of Pembridge castle by Welsh Newton until the death of Richard Pembridge in 1346.

The current ruins of Pembridge castle were founded before 1208 by Matilda St Valery, the Amazonian wife of William Braose (d.1211). The western front of the castle consists of a fine three storey round keep standing in a corner between a great hall and solar block and a much rebuilt twin-towered gatehouse. Although the towers here are unequal there are other gatehouses like this throughout the British Isles. Various English examples survive at Beeston, Bungay, Clifford, Dover, Longtown, St Briavels, the Tower of London and Whittington. In Wales they exist at Caerphilly, Carmarthen, Chepstow, Criccieth, Degannwy, Dinas Bran, Llanstephan, Llawhaden, Oystermouth, Powis, Rhuddlan, Tinboeth and White Castle. In Scotland they can be found at Kildrummy and Urquhart and finally elsewhere in Ireland at Carrickfergus, Castle Roche, Limerick and Roscommon.

The eastern front boasts the castle chapel and two unique turrets. Much of the castle still stands to battlement height, although much Victorian rebuilding has taken place. The castle is now a private house, rarely open to the public.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pembridge_Castle

View and discuss this location in more detail on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 51.8698, -2.744954 • what3words: ///biggest.compiler.observer

The originator declared that this location was not inside a Flight Restriction Zone at the time of being flown on 22/10/2023. It remains the responsibility of any pilot to check for any changes before flying at the same location. Landowner permission may be required before taking off.

Where to fly your drone

Filter ()
Ardvreck Castle, Sutherland North and West (By AlbionDrones)

Romantic Ruins... Ardvreck Castle, Assynt, NC500

Another iconic and photogenic location in the far Northwest of the NC500 is the ruins of Ardvreck Castle, which, despite the wind and rain showers, was a popular spot for folks to stop and take in the atmosphere.

There is a free car park and some layby to stop in, the walk over is flat, but fro the layby includes fording a stream. The Castle is in a very ruinous condition, but seems to be a magnet for folks to visit, so was pretty busy on a cold, windy and wet Sunday...

I flew the AIR3, as it handles the wind better than anything else, and had about 9 minutes flight before the rain approached and we retreated to the car for some lunch...

Please note, this is sited within EGR610 MoD Military Low Flying Zone, so you need to check whether the zone is active - on the website - or ring the RAF Low Flyng Hotline to check before flying your drone here.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 58.1664, -4.993975 • what3words: ///removals.enlighten.blinks

Pioneer Meadows, Erewash (By 360_FPV)

Nice location
Flew on a Saturday and really quiet
Lakes Woods and Meadows
Good Parking

Maybe a good place for a meet

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 52.9526, -1.325183 • what3words: ///stealing.encoder.majors

Blaenavon Ironworks , Torfaen (By gasbag43)

Blaenavon Ironworks is a former industrial site which is now a museum in Blaenavon, Wales. The ironworks was of crucial importance in the development of the ability to use cheap, low quality, high sulphur iron ores worldwide. It was the site of the experiments that led to "the basic steel process" or "Gilchrist–Thomas process".

The ironworks is on the outskirts of Blaenavon, in the borough of Torfaen, within the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, a World Heritage Site. The site is under the care of Cadw, the Welsh Government's historic environment service.

It is approximately 1 mile from the Big Pit national coal museum and adjacent steam railway so all 3 can be wrapped up in one visit to the area

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 51.77683, -3.089347 • what3words: ///steps.this.opened

Big Pit National Coal Museum, Torfaen (By gasbag43)

Big Pit National Coal Museum is an industrial heritage museum in Blaenavon, Torfaen, Wales. A working coal mine from 1880 to 1980, it was opened to the public in 1983 as a charitable trust.

The site is dedicated to operational preservation of the Welsh heritage of coal mining, which took place during the Industrial Revolution.

Located adjacent to the preserved Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway, Big Pit is part of the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, and a World Heritage Site,

The preserved steam railway is also worth a drone visit but wasn’t running the day I visited

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 51.77218, -3.10544 • what3words: ///declining.comedians.cools

Llangynidr Bridge , Powys (By gasbag43)

Llangynidr Bridge is an early 18th-century bridge that crosses the River Usk to the north of Llangynidr, Powys, Wales and is thought by some to be the oldest bridge on the River Usk

It is similar in style to the Crickhowell Bridge over the Usk, which dates from 1706. It has six arches, is 69 m (230 ft) long and the road is 2.4 m (8 ft) wide so a very tight squeeze to drive over…

The bridge became a Grade II listed structure in 1952; it was upgraded to Grade I in 2003 as one of the best early road bridges in Wales, ranked equally with Crickhowell Bridge.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 51.87466, -3.233017 • what3words: ///hiker.found.locals

Nantgwyllt Church, Powys (By gasbag43)

In 1893 the City of Birmingham launched an ambitious scheme to supply fresh drinking water for its growing population. The plan entailed the creation of a reservoir system 75 miles away in the Elan Valley of northern Wales, just west of Rhayader, flooding some 18 dwellings, scattered farms, a church, chapel, and schoolhouse at Nantgwyllt.
The old church, along with the manor house and nearby cottages, were swallowed up by the waters and lost forever when Caban Coch dam was built, but in 1898 a new church was begun on high ground overlooking the Garreg-ddu viaduct.

The church was more than a practical replacement for the lost medieval church - it was carefully sited to achieve maximum aesthetic impact, aligning with the viaduct and the Foel valve tower at the north end of the viaduct to create a picturesque scene.

It’s a nice site to visit, with great views from the ground and from a drone

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 52.26181, -3.599428 • what3words: ///confident.repeated.roof

Duke's Drive viaduct, High Peak (By Tch0rt)

This railway viaduct is built of gritstone and is 176 yards long. It has 13 arches, with 36 ft span, and is 94 ft 6 ins high. It was built in 1892 as part of the Buxton and High Peak Junction Railway.

No restrictions on flight in the area

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 53.24904, -1.903043 • what3words: ///rejoins.cares.minute

Killantringan Lighthouse , Rhins North (By Toby999)

Killantringan Lighthouse and surrounding areas.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 54.86181, -5.146907 • what3words: ///hops.buyers.washroom

St Ives, Cornwall, Penwith (By TMVideos)

Multiple places to take off, I parked up in one of the car parks that I have marked and took a small walk up on to the grassed area. Not too many seagulls as they are probably all robbing ice creams off people in the high street, but beware.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 50.21762, -5.477073 • what3words: ///manicured.hobbyists.setting

Cruden Bay (By Toby999)

Lovely beach and surrounding area.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 57.40941, -1.855391 • what3words: ///typed.collides.tree


Show All Locations

Service provided by