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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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Mountyborough, Old Penrice Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Mounty Bank; Mounty Brough

In the community of Penrice.
In the historic county of Glamorgan.
Modern authority of Swansea.
Preserved county of West Glamorgan.

OS Map Grid Reference: SS49228785
Latitude 51.56931° Longitude -4.17701°

Mountyborough, Old Penrice Castle has been described as a certain Timber Castle.

There are earthwork remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
Description

The Penrice Castle Ring is an embanked oval enclosure, c.40m by 28m, close to the westen end of the village green inn Penrice. The defining ditch remains only to the west but elsewhere its line may be perpetuated by hedgelines. It is thought to be the castle founded by Henry de Beaumont in 1099, the predecessor to Penrice Castle (Nprn94534). Wooden stakes were found in, or under the bank in around 1927. (Coflein)

An early castle ringwork situated beside the parish church of Penrice. It was replaced as the caput of the knight's fee of Penrice in the 13th century by the stone built Penrice Castle (PRN 170w). The site of the new castle was chosen for its impressive natural defences, 850m to the south-west. (Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust HER)

The ringwork at Penrice is the third largest on Gower, after North Hill Tor and Norton, and the most massively constructed; a correlation has been noted between large size and early foundation. Penrice is one of the twelve 'ancient knights' fees' held by military service before 1135, which are listed in a charter of 1306 (RCAHMW 1991, 29-30, 113-115; Draisey 2002, 19; Nicholl 1936,168-169). The ringwork appears to have had a relatively short life, as it is thought to have been abandoned during the twelfth century, when they moved to the site of the larger stone-built castle to the northeast. (Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust Historic Landscape Characterisation)

The monument comprises the remains of a castle-ringwork which dates to the medieval period (c. AD 1066 - 1485). It is located approximately 90m south-west of the parish church of St Andrew. The ringwork forms a banked oval enclosure and measures approximately 40m by 30m. Excavation in 1927 found the remains of wooden stakes under the bank. (Scheduling Report)
Links to archaeological and architectural databases, mapping and other online resources

Data >
Coflein   County HER   Scheduling        
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Sources of information, references and further reading
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This record last updated 06/07/2016 17:48:16
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