Pembroke Castle is a structure.
A castle ( from castellum ) is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility . These nobles built castles to control the area immediately surrounding them , and were both offensive and defensive structures ; they provided a base from which raids could be launched as well as protection from enemies . Although their military origins are often emphasised in castle studies , the structures also served as centres of administration and symbols of power . Pembroke Castle ( Castell Penfro ) is a medieval castle in Pembroke , West Wales .