Bovehill Castle, Landimore

Description

Landimor Castle (Bovehill Castle) was built in the late-15th century by Sir Hugh Johnys within the manor granted to him in the ancient but defunct Gower fee of Landimor. Mansion, thought to have been constructed after 1451, neglected from 1500 & derelict by 1666. Ruinous remains of mansion, 57m N-S by 28m, resting on steep slopes to the E; a relatively substantial wall, with at least one turret at its N angle, defines a court on the W side of the mansion, the whole being 57m E-W by 50m. There is a tradition of water being piped into the castle from Leaden Pipe Well, 1km to the SW (RCAHMW 2000, SH1 444-8) OS County series (1879) depicts a 29m stretch of NE-SW wall, c.45m NW of the castle, with features that appear to represent the NW end of a NW-SE range, 7.3m across; possibly anciliary buildings associated with the mansion. (Coflein)

A ruined 15th or 16th century stone built fortified manor house, the eastern wall of which forms the boundary of National Trust property. The house itself is set at the top of a steep slope overlooking Landimore and the marsh. The surviving walls are approximately 5m high and 1m thick. The surviving masonry forms part of a large rectangular enclosure with the remains of various buildings ranged against the inner walls. A great wall crosses the enclosure dividing it into two. The site had a lofty central hall with storeyed rooms at either end. Flanking turrets on the Southeast corner contained guarderobes. A renovated and occupied 19th century cottage (GGAT SMR no. 01727w) currently occupies the site of the gatehouse at the northern end. The foundations of an outer enclosure with corner turrets can apparently be traced in the field to the west. The boundary wall is built of mortared dressed stone with a rubble core and is partly covered in ivy and hidden by trees, much of the facing stone has been removed and is held together in places by the ivy. The interior of the house lies outside Trust property and was not examined. The site is first mentioned in the possession of Llewellyn ap Iorwerth, Prince of North Wales, 1195-1240, who gave it to a chieftain named Morgan Gam. The actual house appears to have been built by Sir Hugh Johnnys, granted the land in 1451, who rebuilt and enlarged the site in the 15th century. Sir Hugh also supposedly fed the house with water brought in via a lead pipe from a spring on Ryer's Down (NT89278), traces of which could still be seen by Davies in the late 19th century. (Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust HER)

Sir Hugh Jonys, who was knighted at Jerusalem in 1440, became the Knight Marshall of England. He was granted the manor by John, Duke of Norfolk, Lord of Gower, is said to have had a fortified manor house here, but the thinly walled ruined domestic ranges set on a shelf above the Landimore marshes are of the time of Sir Rhys ap Thomas or a still later owner. The ruins, much overgrown and difficult to find are located on what today is called "Bovehill Farm." (www.castlewales.com)

Comments

King lists as vanished castle and writes mentioned 1396, dismissing existing ruins as completely non-military in nature.