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The comprehensive gazetteer and bibliography of the medieval castles, fortifications and palaces of England, Wales, the Islands.
 
 
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Castell Coch, Welsh St Donats

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Castell y Marchog; Castell Sion Goodfellow; Knight's Castle

In the community of Welsh St Donats.
In the historic county of Glamorgan.
Modern authority of Vale of Glamorgan.
Preserved county of South Glamorgan.

OS Map Grid Reference: ST02717478
Latitude 51.46278° Longitude -3.40088°

Castell Coch, Welsh St Donats has been described as a Fortified Manor House although is doubtful that it was such.

There are uncertain remains.
Description

A sub-rectangular enclosure, c.86m E-W by 33-48m, which appears to have originally been defined by a bank and ditch, now mostly reduced to a scarp, subdivided by a similar feature. A later, drystone-walled enclosure overlies the NW of the site. (Coflein)

Probable Medieval homestead situated at 83m above O.D. on a low spur of land divided by two valleys. It consists of a rectangular enclosure about 85m by 54m overall. The south, north and east sides are defined by scarps and the west side by a ditch 5.6m wide and 1.5m deep. The interior is subdivided into two compartments by an eroded scarp. The north-east angle of the enclosure has been destroyed by a drystone sheep-pen of recent date. Against the north wall of the pen there is a millstone of conglomerate 1.2m in diameter. The site is mentioned in the Iolo MSS as 'Castell y Marchog' or 'Castell Sion Goodfellow'. The same source also mentions the existance of windmills in the vicinity which may account for the presence of the millstone. (RCAHMW Glam 3 Part 2 'Md Non-defensive Secular Mons' 1982 58-59 plan; OS record card). Castell-Coch is situated towards the western end of a low spur, in an uncommanding position with poor natural defences. it consists of three rectilinear enclosures. The principle one, in the north-east, is bounded by stone walls. These are now tubles, with no traces of mortar, and average 2.5m wide and 0.7m high. Four gaps occur in the walls, but which of these is original can not be determined. The interior is nettle covered, with no visible foundations or building platform. A ditch which separates the site from the end of the spur is not defensive and was, perhaps, constructed to prevent cattle straying. From its position and plan this is possibly the site of a medieval farmstead. (Quinnell, NV 1956; OS Record Card). Castell Coch, consists of three rectilinear enclosures The principal NE one, is bounded by stone walls, these are now tumbles, with no trace of mortar. (Edith Evans, GGAT 73 Early-Medieval Ecclesiastical Sites Project, 2003-04 (Yr4)). (Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust HER)
Comments

Strongly built medieval house. In David King (1983) rejects this as a fortified site as does Spurgeon (1999). Isolated from settlement. King separately list Castell y Marchog as 'Possible castle mentioned by the welsh scholar and forger Edward Williams (Iolo Morgannwg)' but this is the same site (Antiquaries was a pen name of Morgannwg)
Links to archaeological and architectural databases, mapping and other online resources

Data >
Coflein   County HER            
Maps >
Streetmap   NLS maps   Where's the path   Old-Maps      
Data/Maps > 
Magic   Historic Wales   V. O. B.   Geology   LIDAR  
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Sources of information, references and further reading
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This record last updated before 1 February 2016
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