Llantrisant Castle

Description

Llantrisant castle is a magnificent towered medieval fortress now reduced to fragments. It forms a group with the church (NPRN 14034) and borough (NPRN 33133), all set in a saddle between two hills atop the escarpment marking the southern side of the Glamorgan uplands. A Norman earthwork and timber castle may have stood on this small steep-sided spur next to the grand twelfth century parish church, but the present castle was built in 1246 by the lords of Glamorgan following their annexation of upland Penychen. It was the administrative centre for the commotes or lordships of Meisgyn and Glynrhondda. The borough is first mentioned in 1262. The castle suffered capture and despoilment in the wars and riots of the closing years of the thirteenth century and earlier fourteenth century. It was repaired and continued to be maintained into the fifteenth century, but was ruinous by the early sixteenth century. The castle consists of a small roughly oval court about 30m north-south by 25m. This had a stout wall with great round towers at the north and south ends. A single 13m tall fragment survives of the 14.2m diameter north tower, probably the 'Gilguran tower' of the early sixteenth century. Mere traces remain of the 10-11m diameter south tower. It is possible that there was at least one other tower. The ground falls steeply away on all sides but the north where there was a curving outer court, presumably also walled. In this area is the Guildhall (NPRN 31911) which may originally have been a medieval court house. (Coflein–ref. RCAHMW, 2000)

The remains of the castle are very scanty and the site is now a public recreation ground. Built by Richard de Clare c.1246. (Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust HER)

A dark, ivy-covered ruined tower is all that is left of one of the more important 13th-century castles of Glamorgan. It was built in about 1250 by Richard de Clare, lord of Glamorgan, to hold this hill district of Meisgyn which he had just wrestled from its Welsh overlords. The castle's strategic and commanding position, guarding the important route from the upland to the lowland zone, is very apparent. The castle stands on a flat-topped blunt spur on the edge of a steep drop to the south. Parts of the spur's stone revetment are still visible, and ditches separate it from the rest of the ridgetop on the east and west sides. The north side of a circular tower, once called the Raven, is the main upstanding stonework of the castle. Details of a doorway half-way up it point to a mid-13th century date, and also give an idea of the height of the curtain wall, the wall-walk of which was originally reached from this doorway. The curtain wall would have skirted the spur, but very little of it survives. On the south-west flank there is a much-overgrown base of a half-round projecting tower. The open green to the north of the castle is the probable site of the bailey, but no traces of earthwork or masonry defences survive. The church to the west was originally an aisled Norman church before 19th-century rebuilding. (Whittle, 1992)

The monument consists of the remains of a castle. dating to the medieval period. It was built in about 1250 by Richard de Clare, Lord of Glamorgan, to hold this hill district of Meisgyn which he had just wrested from its Welsh overlords. The castle's strategic and commanding position, guarding and important route from the upland to the lowland zone, is very apparent. The castle stands on a flat-topped blunt spur on the edge of a steep drop to the south. Parts of th spur's stone revetment are still visible, and ditches separate it from the rest of teh ridge top on the east and west sides. The north side of a circular tower, once called the raven (or Gigvran in Welsh), is the main upstanding stonework of the castle. Details on a doorway halfway up it point to a mid 13th century date, and also give an idea of the height of the curtain wall, and the wall-walk of which was originally reached from this doorway. The curtain wall would have skirted the spur, but very little of it survives. On the south-west flank there is the base of a half round projecting tower. (Scheduling Report)