MOTTE-CASTLES IN SOUTH WALES
It is not possible to fix certain dates for all the Norman conquests of
the several provinces of South Wales. These conquests proceeded from
various points, under different leaders. We might have expected that
the earliest advances would have been on the Herefordshire border,
the earldom of Hereford having been given by William I. to William
FitzOsbern, one of his most trusted and energetic servants. Ordericus
tells us that FitzOsbern and Walter de Lacy first invaded the district
of Brecknock, and defeated three kings of the Welsh.[896] This looks
as though the conquest of Brecknock was then begun. But it was not
completed till the reign of Rufus; in 1093 Bernard of Neufmarché
defeated and slew Rhys ap Tudor, King of South Wales, in a battle
which the Welsh chronicler speaks of as the fall of the kingdom of the
Britons.[897] William FitzOsbern died in 1071, and he had scarcely time
to accomplish more than the building of the border castles of Wigmore,
Clifford, Ewias, and Monmouth, and the incastellation of Gwent, that
is the country between the Wye and the Usk, which had already been
conquered by Harold.
It seems probable that Pembrokeshire was one of the earliest Norman
conquests in South Wales, as in 1073 and 1074 the _Brut_ tells of
two expeditions of "the French" into Dyfed, a region which included
not only what we now call Pembrokeshire, but also Strath Towy, which
comprised an extensive district on both sides of the valley of the
Towy.[898] The _Annales Cambriæ_ name Hugh de Montgomeri, Earl Roger's
eldest son, in connection with the second of these expeditions, seven
years before the expedition of King William into Wales in 1081.[899]
The House of Montgomeri certainly took the most conspicuous part in
the conquest of Dyfed and Cardigan, which was completed, according
to the _Brut_, in 1093.[900] Arnulf of Montgomeri, fifth son of Earl
Roger, was the leader of this conquest. But his father must at the same
time have been operating in Cardigan, as the building of the castle of
Cilgerran, which is on the very borders of Pembroke and Cardigan, is
attributed to him.
How far Earl Roger made himself master of Ceredigion it is impossible
to say. Later writers say that he built the castle of Cardigan, but
we have not been able to find any early authority for this statement,
which in itself is not improbable. Powell's _History_ makes him do
homage to William Rufus for the lordship of Cardigan, but here again
the authority is doubtful.[901] The fact that a castle in or near
Aberystwyth was not built until 1109 may indicate that the conquest
of Northern Cardigan was not completed till it became the portion
of the De Clares. This took place in 1109, when Henry I. deposed
Cadwgan, a Welsh prince whom he had made Lord of Cardigan, and gave
the lordship to Gilbert de Clare, who immediately proceeded to build
the above-mentioned castle, and to restore Earl Roger's castle at
Cilgerran (Dingeraint).[902] From this time the castle and district of
Cardigan continued to be an appanage of the House of Clare (of course
with frequent interruptions from Welsh invasions), and of the family
of William Marshall, to whom the Clare lands came by marriage. The
authority of these earls was suspended during the reign of Henry II.,
when he made Rhys ap Griffith, who had possessed himself of Ceredigion
by conquest, Justiciar of South Wales, but in the reigns of John and
Henry III., the _Close Rolls_ show that Cardigan Castle and county were
generally in the hands of the Marshalls.
The conquest of Pembrokeshire must have been closely followed by that
of what is now Carmarthenshire, which was then reckoned as part of
Dyfed.[903] We first hear of the castle of Rhyd y Gors in 1094,[904]
but it evidently existed earlier. This castle we believe to have been
the important castle of Carmarthen (see _post_). It was founded by
William, son of Baldwin, sheriff of Devon, and cousin of the Gilbert
de Clare who at a later period was made Lord of Cardigan by Henry
I. We thus see at what an early date this important family made its
appearance in Welsh history.
The conquest of Brecknock (Brecheiniog) we have already briefly
referred to. It must have begun as early as 1088, for in that year
Bernard de Neufmarché gave to St Peter's Abbey at Gloucester the church
and manor of Glasbury. The inheritance of Bernard passed by marriage
to the De Braoses, and from them to the Mortimers. It is convenient
to mention in this connection the Norman conquest of Radnor, of which
the De Braoses and Mortimers were the heroes. A charter of Philip
de Braose, not later than 1096, is dated at "Raddenoam."[905] Even
during the anarchy of Stephen's reign, the Mortimers were able to
maintain their hold on this district, for the _Brut_ relates that in
1145, Hugh, son of Ralph Mortimer, conquered Malienydd and Elvael the
second time.[906] These two districts properly belong to Powys, though
geographically in South Wales.
We leave to the last the conquest of Glamorgan, which may possibly have
been one of the earliest, but whose date is still a matter of dispute,
owing to the legendary nature of the Aberpergwm version of the _Brut_,
the only one which even alludes to this conquest. We have, however, an
initial date given us in the year 1082, when the _Brut y Tywysogion_
tell us of the building of Cardiff Castle.[907] The conquest of
"Morgannwg," that is the country between the Usk and the Neath, was the
most permanent of any of those accomplished by the Normans in Wales,
but its details are the most obscure of any. The earlier version of
the _Brut_ takes no notice of the conquest of Glamorgan; the later
version which goes by the name of the _Gwentian Chronicle_[908] tells
us that the Norman Robert Fitz Hamon, being called in to the help of
one Welsh prince against another, conquered Glamorgan for himself,
and divided it amongst his followers, who built castles in all parts
of the country. The date given is 1088. It seems to be agreed by
historians that while the facts of Robert Fitz Hamon's existence and
of his conquest of Glamorgan are certain, the details and the list of
followers given in this chronicle are quite untrustworthy.[909]
The district called Gower did not then form part of Glamorgan, as it
does now, though it is still ecclesiastically separate. If we are to
believe the Aberpergwm _Brut_, it must have been conquered in 1094,
when William de Londres, one of the "knights" of Robert Fitz Hamon,
built a strong castle in Cydweli (Kidwelly).[910]
We will now briefly notice such of the castles of these various
districts as are mentioned in the sources to which we have already
referred in our last chapter, taking them in the order of the modern
counties in which they are found.
CASTLES OF PEMBROKESHIRE.
PEMBROKE.--Giraldus says that Arnulf de Montgomeri first built this
castle of sods and wattles, a scanty and slender construction, in the
reign of Henry I.[911] This date, however, must certainly be wrong,
for the castle sustained a siege from the Welsh in 1094, and in 1098
Arnulf gave the chapel of St Nicholas in his castle of Pembroke to the
abbey of St Martin at Sées.[912] There is no motte at Pembroke Castle;
the magnificent keep (clearly of the 13th century or later) stands
in a small ward at the edge of a cliff,[913] separated by a former
ditch from the immense encircling bailey whose walls and towers are
clearly of Edwardian date. The words of Giraldus "a castle of wattles
and turf" might lead us to think that the first castle was a motte of
the usual type, but the use which he makes of the same expression in
his work on Ireland leads one to think that he means a less defensible
fort, a mere bank and fence.[914] There is some reason, moreover, to
doubt whether the present castle of Pembroke stands on the same site
as Arnulf's, as after the banishment of the latter, Gerald, the royal
Seneschal of Pembroke "built the castle anew in the place called Little
Cengarth."[915]
But however this may be, the castle of Pembroke was certainly strong
enough in 1094 to resist a great insurrection of the Welsh, when all
the castles of south-west Wales were destroyed, except Pembroke and
Rhyd y Gors. And it continued to be one of the chief strongholds of
English power in South Wales until Edward I. completed the conquest of
the country. Its splendid situation on a high cliff at the mouth of an
excellent harbour, to which supplies could be brought by sea, was one
of the secrets of its strength. A passage cut in the rock led from the
castle to a cave below opening on to the water.
*NEWPORT, or Trefdaeth, was the head of the Barony of Keymes, an
independent lordship founded at the time of the first Norman advance,
by Martin of Tours.[916] There is no mention of it before 1215. The
present ruined castle of Newport is not earlier than the 13th century,
but about 1-1/2 miles higher up the river, at Llanhyfer, is a fine
motte and bailey, which probably mark the site of the first castle of
Martin of Tours.[917]
WISTON, _alias_ Gwys or Wiz.--First mentioned in 1148, when it was
taken by the Welsh.[918] At a later period we find it one of the
castles of the Earl of Pembroke. There is a motte still remaining,
with a shell wall on top, 6 feet thick, having a plain round arched
entrance. This masonry is probably the work of William Marshall, Earl
of Pembroke, as he restored the castle in 1220 after it had been razed
to the ground by Llywelyn ap Jorwerth.[919] The bailey is large and
bean-shaped.
LAWHADEN, or Llanyhadein, or Lauwadein.--First mention in 1192.[920]
It afterwards became a palace of the bishops of St David's. There is no
motte, though the circular outline of the platform on which the fine
ruins of the castle stand, very much suggests a lowered motte.
HAVERFORDWEST.--First mentioned in the _Pipe Roll_ of 1214-1215, when
it was in the custody of the Earl of Pembroke. Although this castle is
now a gaol, and the whole site masked with gaol buildings, the motte
can still be seen distinctly from one side, though the keep which
stands upon it is blocked by buildings. The ditch which went round the
motte can also be traced. [H. W.]
NARBERTH.--This castle is first mentioned in 1115, when it was burnt
by the Welsh. Said to have been the castle of Stephen Perrot.[921] The
present ruins are entirely of the 13th century, and there is no motte;
but Lewis states that the first castle was in another site, between the
present town and Templeton; about which we have no information.
TENBY.--First mention in 1152. An important coast station. The small
and curious round keep is placed on the highest point of a small
island; it is a miniature copy of the keep of Pembroke, and was
probably built by one of the earls Marshall, not earlier than the 13th
century. There is no motte, nor was one needed in such a situation.
CASTLES OF CARDIGAN.
CARDIGAN Castle, or Aberteifi, has been so much transformed by the
incorporation of the keep into a modern house that nothing decisive can
be said about its original plan, but there is nothing to foreclose
the idea of a previous motte, and Speed's plan of 1611 seems to show
that the keep and the small ward attached to it were on a higher
elevation than the bailey. That the first castle was a wooden one is
rendered almost certain by the fact that Rhys ap Griffith, after having
demolished the previous castle, rebuilt it _with stone and mortar_,
in the reign of Henry II.[922] The Welsh chronicler speaks of this
castle as the key of all Wales, an exaggeration certainly, but it was
undoubtedly the most important stronghold of South Ceredigion. [H. W.]
CILGERRAN, or Dingeraint (Fig. 41).--This castle was certainly built
by Earl Roger;[923] a castle of great importance, in a magnificent
situation. Like nearly all the castles in our Welsh list, it was
repeatedly taken by the Welsh and retaken from them. The present
masonry is of the 13th century, but the original motte-and-bailey plan
is quite discernible. [H. W.] It was a connecting link between the
castles of Pembrokeshire and those of Cardigan, and stands near a road
leading directly from Tenby and Narberth to Cardigan.
ABERYSTWYTH, also Lampadarn Vaur, also Aberrheiddiol.[924] In 1109
Henry I. deposed Cadwgan, a Welsh prince who had purchased from the
king the government of Cardigan, and gave that country to Gilbert, son
of Richard, Earl of Clare, who took possession, and built a castle
"opposite to Llanbadarn, near the mouth of the river Ystwyth."[925]
This was undoubtedly the precursor of the modern castle of Aberystwyth,
but it is doubtful whether it was on the same site; the present ruins
are not opposite Llanbadarn. The castle was as important for the
defence of N. Cardigan as Cardigan Castle for the south. It was taken
at least seven times by the Welsh, and burnt at least five times. The
present ruins are not earlier than the time of Edward I., and there is
no motte or keep. [H. W.]
*BLAENPORTH, or Castell Gwythan (Fig. 41).--Also built by Gilbert de
Clare, and evidently placed to defend the main road from Cardigan to
Aberystwyth. The motte and bailey are still remarkably perfect, as
shown by the 25-inch Ordnance Map.
YSTRAD PEITHYLL.--Another of Gilbert de Clare's castles, as it was
inhabited by his steward. It was burnt by the Welsh in 1115,[926] and
is never mentioned again, but its motte and ditch still survive, with
some signs of a bailey, close to the little stream of the Peithyll,
near Aberystwyth. [H. W.]
CHASTELL GWALTER, or Llanfihangel, in Pengwern (Fig. 41).--Castle of
Walter de Bec, probably one of the barons of Gilbert de Clare. First
mentioned in 1137, when it was burned by the Welsh.[927] There is a
small but well-made motte and part of an adjoining bailey standing in a
most commanding position on a high plateau. The ditch of the motte is
excavated in the rock. [D. H. M.]
[Illustration: FIG. 41.--MOTTE-CASTLES OF SOUTH WALES. Cilgerran.
Blaenporth. Chastell Gwalter.]
*DINERTH.--Also burnt in 1137; restored by Roger, Earl of Clare,
in 1159, after which it underwent many vicissitudes.[928] Probably
originally a castle of the Clares. "In the grounds of Mynachty, in
the parish of Llanbadarn Tref Eglwys, is a small hill called Hero
Castell, probably the site of the keep of Dinerth Castle."[929] The
O.M. shows a small motte and bailey placed between two streams.
*CAERWEDROS, or Castell Llwyndafydd, also burned by the Welsh in
1137,[930] after which it is not mentioned again. "A very large moated
tumulus, with foundations of walls on the top."[931] Probably a Clare
castle.
*HUMPHREY'S CASTLE, now Castle Howel, from one of its Welsh conquerors.
The original name shows that it was built by a Norman, and it was
restored by Roger, Earl of Clare, in 1159.[932] A moated tumulus near
the river Clettwr marks the site of Humphrey's Castle.[933]
YSTRAD MEURUG, or Meyric, at the head of the valley of the Teifi,
and commanding the pass leading over into Radnorshire.--Built by
Gilbert de Clare when he reconquered Cardigan, and one of his most
important castles.[934] Its importance is shown by the fact that it
had a small stone keep, the date of which cannot now be determined,
as only the foundations remain, buried under sods. There is no motte,
and the bailey can only be guessed at by a portion of the ditch which
still remains on the N. side, and by two platforms which appear to be
artificially levelled. The castle is about three miles from the Sarn
Helen or Roman road through Cardigan.
*PONT Y STUFFAN, or Stephen's Bridge, near Lampeter.--Burnt by the
Welsh in 1138, and not again mentioned.[935] In the outskirts of
the town of Lampeter is--or was--a lofty moated tumulus (not shown
on O.M.), and traces of a quadrangular court.[936] As it is also
called Castell Ystuffan, it was probably built by Stephen, the Norman
constable of Cardigan. There appears to be another castle mound at
Lampeter itself, near the church. Lampeter was an important post on the
Roman road up the valley of the Teifi.
*NANT YR ARIAN.--This castle is only mentioned once, in the partition
of Cardigan and Pembroke which took place in 1216, during the most
disastrous part of John's reign.[937] There are two "castellau" marked
at Nant yr Arian in the N. of Cardiganshire in the O.M.; neither of
them look like mottes. This castle, as well as that of Ystrad Peithyll,
seems to have been placed to defend the road from Aberystwyth to
Llanidloes, which would be the chief highway between Shropshire and
Ceredigion.
CASTLES OF CARMARTHENSHIRE.
RHYD Y GORS, or Rhyd Cors.--We have no hesitation in adopting the
opinion of the late Mr Floyd, that this is another name for the castle
of Carmarthen.[938] As it and Pembroke were the only castles which
held out during the great Welsh revolt of 1096,[939] it is evident
that they were the two strongest and best defended places, therefore
the most important. Carmarthen also was a Roman city, and its walls
were still standing in Giraldus' time;[940] it was therefore the place
where one would expect to find a Norman castle. Now Carmarthen, along
with Cardiff and Pembroke, continued up till the final conquest of all
Wales to be the most important seat of English power in South Wales.
Moreover, Rhyd y Gors was a royal castle; we are expressly told that
it was built by William Fitz Baldwin, by the command of the king of
England.[941] Carmarthen also was a royal castle, and the only one in
South Wales at that date which belonged directly to the king. It was
temporarily abandoned after William Fitz Baldwin's death in 1096, and
afterwards Henry I. gave it into the custody of a Welshman, who also
had charge of Strath Towy; a passage which proves that Rhyd y Gors was
in that district. It was restored by Richard Fitz Baldwin in 1104,[942]
and is mentioned for the last time in 1105. After that the castle of
Carmarthen, which has not been mentioned before, begins to appear, and
its importance is clear from the continual references to it. Placed
as it is on a navigable river, at the entrance of the narrower part
of the vale of Towy, and on the Roman road from Brecon to St David's,
its natural position must have marked it as a fit site for a royal
castle. The castle is now converted into a gaol, and disfigured in the
usual way; yet the ancient motte of William Fitz Baldwin still remains,
partly inside and partly outside the walls. It is crowned with a stone
revetment which Colonel Morgan believes to have been erected at the
time of the Civil War, to form a platform for guns.[943] The bailey is
rectangular and covers about 2 acres. The motte is placed at one corner
of it, on the line of the walls. On the outside it is now built over
with poor cottages; but the site of the ditch can still be traced.
*LLANDOVERY, or Llanymdyfri, or the castle of Cantrebohhan.--It is
referred to in the _Pipe Rolls_ of 1159-1160 by the latter name, which
is only a Norman way of spelling Cantref Bychan, the little cantref
or hundred, of which this castle was the head.[944] It was then in
royal custody, and Henry II. spent nearly £60 on its works. But it had
originally belonged to Richard Fitz Pons, one of the barons of Bernard
de Neufmarché, and the fact that he held the key of this cantref goes
to prove that it was from Brecknock that the Normans advanced into
northern Carmarthenshire. The castle is first mentioned in the _Brut_
in 1115, when Griffith ap Rhys burnt the bailey, but could not take
the keep on the motte.[945] It does not appear to have been long in
English hands after 1159, but its alternations were many. The 25-inch
O.M. shows an oval motte, carrying some fragments of masonry, to which
is attached a roughly quadrangular bailey. This was one of the many
castles by which the Normans held Strath Towy.
LLANSTEPHAN.[946]--This castle stands in a splendid situation at
the mouth of the Towy, and was doubtless built to secure a maritime
base for Carmarthen. The motte is of unusual size, semicircular in
shape, one side being on the edge of the cliff; it measures 300 feet
by 200 in the centre of the arc.[947] Such a size allowed all the
important parts of the castle to be built on the motte; but there was
a rectangular bailey attached, which is only imperfectly shown on the
O.M.; the scarp is in reality well marked on all sides, and the ditch
separating it from the motte is a very deep one. [H. W.] The towers
that now crown the motte are not earlier than the year 1256, when the
castle was destroyed by Llywelyn.[948]
DINEVOR, or Dinweiler.--Most Welsh writers associate Dinevor with the
ancient residence of the kings of South Wales, but there appears to
be some doubt about this, as the place is not mentioned before the
12th century.[949] Anyhow the castle was certainly the work of Earl
Gilbert, as the _Brut_ itself tells us so.[950] In 1162 it was taken
by Rhys ap Griffith, the able prince who attempted the consolidation
of South Wales, and who was made Justiciar of that province by Henry
II. It continued in Welsh hands, sometimes hostile, sometimes allied,
till it was finally taken by the English in 1277. The existing ruins
are entirely of the 13th century, but the plan certainly suggests a
previous motte and bailey, the motte having probably been lowered to
form the present smaller ward, whose walls and towers appear to be of
Edward I.'s reign. The small bailey attached to this ward is separated
from it by a ditch cut through the headland on which the castle stands.
KIDWELLY (Cydweli).--This castle, though in Carmarthen, was not founded
by the conquerors from Brecknock, but by Normans from Glamorgan or
Gower. Kidwelly was first built by William de Londres, in 1094.[951]
The present castle shows no trace of this early origin, but is a fine
specimen of the keepless pattern introduced into England in the 13th
century.[952] There is no motte.
LAUGHARNE, or Talycharne.--Also called Abercorran, being at the point
where the little river Corran flows into the estuary of the Taff. In
1113 this castle belonged to a Norman named Robert Courtmain.[953] The
ancient features of the plan have been obliterated by transformation
first into an Edwardian castle, then into a modern house. There is of
course no motte. [H. W.]
*YSTRAD CYNGEN.--This must, we think, be the same as ST CLEARS, which
stands in the Cynen valley, near its junction with the Taff. Welsh
writers identify St Clears with the castle of Mabudrud, the name of the
_commot_ in which it stands. First mentioned in 1154.[954] There is no
notice of its origin, but the fact that a Cluniac priory existed in the
village, which was a cell of St Martin des Champs at Paris, points to
a Norman founder, and renders an 11th century date probable. It was a
motte-and-bailey castle, of which the earthworks remain.[955]
*NEWCASTLE EMLYN.--This castle does not appear to have received the
name of "the new castle of Emlyn" till after Edward I.'s conquest.[956]
The new castle, which is quite Edwardian, was probably built on a
different site to the old, as "on the other side of the bridge is a
considerable mount, of a military character, which must have commanded
the river. It may have been the original strong post occupied by the
Normans."[957] In the 12th century _Pipe Rolls_ compensation is paid
to William FitzGerald for many years "as long as Rhys ap Griffith
holds the castle of Emlyn," which points to Gerald, the Seneschal of
Pembroke, or his family, as its founders. It is on the very border
of Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire, defending the main road from
Carmarthen to Cardigan.
LLANEGWAD.--This castle is only once mentioned, in the _Brut_, under
the year 1203, when it was taken by the Welsh. A small motte, called
locally Pen y Knap, with an earthen breastwork round the top, is still
standing about a mile from the church of Llanegwad, and is all that is
left of this castle. The position commands a fine view over the Towy
valley, and it is noteworthy that it stands very near the supposed
Roman road from Brecon to Carmarthen. [H. W.]
*LLANGADOG.--This castle also does not appear till 1203; it was razed
or burnt at least thrice in five years.[958] A mound of earth on the
banks of the Sawddwy River, near where the Roman road from Brecon is
supposed to have reached the Towy valley, is all that remains of
it.[959] Lewis says that it stands in a large oval entrenchment, and
that the motte is of natural rock, scarped conically, and deeply moated.
CASTLES IN BRECKNOCKSHIRE.
BRECON, or Aberhonddu, the seat of Bernard de Neufmarché himself.--A
charter of Bernard's mentions the castle.[960] It seems to have been a
particularly strong place, as we do not hear of its having been burnt
more than once. The newer castle of Brecon is evidently of the time
of Edward I., but across the road the old motte of Bernard is still
standing, and carries the ruins of a shell wall, with a gatehouse
tower.[961] A portion of the bank and ditch of the bailey remains;
the whole is now in a private garden. The situation is a strong one,
between the Usk and the Honddu. Brecon of course was a burgus, and part
of the bank which fortified it remains.
[Illustration: FIG. 42.--MOTTE-CASTLES OF SOUTH WALES. Builth. Gemaron.
Payn's Castle.]
BUILTH, on the upper Wye, _alias_ Buallt (Fig. 42).--A remarkably
fine motte and bailey, presenting some peculiarities of plan. It
is not mentioned till 1210,[962] but it has been conjectured with
great probability that it was one of the castles built by Bernard de
Neufmarché when he conquered Brecknock.[963] It was refortified by
John Mortimer in 1242,[964] probably in stone, as in the account of its
destruction by Llywelyn in 1260 it is said that "not one stone was left
on another."[965] Nevertheless when Edward I. rebuilt it the towers on
the outer wall appear to have been of wood.[966] Mr Clark states that
there are traces of masonry foundations and small portions of a wing
wall. The bailey of this castle consists of a rather narrow platform,
divided into two unequal portions by a cross ditch which connects the
ditch of the motte with that of the bailey. The ditch round the motte
is of unusual breadth, being 120 feet broad in the widest part. The
whole work is encircled by an outer ditch of varying breadth, being 100
feet wide on the weakest side of the work, and by a counterscarp bank
which appears to be still perfect. The entrance is defended by four
small mounds which probably cover the remains of towers.[967] The area
of the two baileys together is only 1 acre. [D. H. M.]
*HAY, or Tregelli.--The earliest mention of this castle is in a charter
of Henry I.[968] The present castle of Hay is of late date, but Leland
tells us that "not far from the Paroche Chirch is a great round Hille
of Yerth cast up by Men's Hondes."[969] It is shown on the 25-inch
O.M., and so is the line of the borough walls.
*TALGARTH.--Mentioned in a charter of Roger, Earl of Hereford, not
later than 1156.[970] A 13th-century tower on a small motte is still
standing, and can be seen from the railway between Brecon and Hereford.
CASTLES OF RADNORSHIRE.
*RADNOR, or Maes Hyvaidd.--Though this castle is not mentioned in
the _Brut_ till 1196, when it was burnt by Rhys ap Griffith, it must
have been built by the Normans at a very early period. The English
had penetrated into the Radnor district even before the Norman
Conquest,[971] and the Normans were not slow to follow them. A charter
of Philip de Braose is granted at "Raddenoam" not later than 1096.[972]
There are mottes both at Old and New Radnor, towns three miles distant
from each other, so that it is impossible to say which was the Maes
Hyvaidd of the _Brut_. Both may have been originally De Braose castles,
but New Radnor evidently became the more important place, and has
massive remains in masonry. The town was a _burgus_.
*GEMARON, or Cwm Aron (Fig. 42).--Near Llandewi-Ystrad-denny. The
_Brut_ mentions its repair by Hugh Mortimer in 1145.[973] The 6-inch
O.M. shows a square central bailey of 1 acre, containing some remains
of masonry, lying between an oblong motte in the S. and an outer
enclosure on the N., the whole being further defended by a high
counterscarp bank on the W. It commands a ford over the river Aran.
There is no village attached to it.
*MAUD'S CASTLE, otherwise Colwyn or Clun.[974]--A ditched motte with
square bailey on the left bank of the river Edwy, near the village of
Forest Colwyn. The statement that this castle was _repaired_ in 1145
shows that it must have been older than the time of Maude de Braose,
from whom it is generally supposed to have taken its name. It was
rebuilt by Henry III. in 1231.[975]
*PAYN'S CASTLE, otherwise "the castle of Elvael."--First mentioned
in 1196, when it was taken by Rhys ap Griffith. This is also a
motte-castle (and an exceptionally fine one), placed on a road leading
from Kington in Hereford to Builth. Rebuilt _in stone_ by Henry III. in
1231.[976] (Fig. 42.)
*KNIGHTON, in Welsh Trefclawdd.--First mentioned in the _Pipe Roll_ of
1181. The motte still remains, near the church. There is another motte
just outside the village, called Bryn y Castell. It may be a siege
castle.
*NORTON.--First mentioned in the _Pipe Roll_ of 1191. A motte remains
close to the church, and two sides of a bailey which ran down to the
Norton brook.
*BLEDDFA, the Bledewach of the _Pipe Roll_ of 1195-1196, when £5 was
given to Hugh de Saye _ad firmandum castellum_, an expression which
may mean either building or repairing. An oval motte, and traces of a
bailey, are marked in the 6-inch O.M.
TYNBOETH, _alias_ Dyneneboth, Tinbech,[977] and Llananno.--First
mentioned in _Pipe Roll_ of 1196-1197. There is a fine large motte
in a commanding situation, and a crescent-shaped bailey, now marked
only by a scarp. There are some remains of masonry, and the castle was
evidently an important one. It is first mentioned in the _Pipe Roll_
of 1196, and it occurs in lists of the Mortimer castles in the 14th
century.[978] It is not far from two fords of the river Ithon. [H. W.]
These four castles are not mentioned in the _Brut y Tywysogion_, though
the _Annales Cambriæ_ mentions the capture of Bleddfa, Knighton, and
Norton by the Welsh in 1262. They all command important roads. Knighton
and Norton were boroughs.
[Illustration: FIG. 43.--MOTTE-CASTLES OF SOUTH WALES. Cardiff.
Loughor.]
CASTLES OF GLAMORGANSHIRE.
_Cardiff_ (Fig. 43).--The first castle of Cardiff was certainly a
wooden one; its lofty mound still remains. It is placed inside a
Roman station, and the south and west walls of the castle bailey
rest on Roman foundations, "but do not entirely coincide with those
foundations."[979] The Roman fort was probably ruinous when Robert Fitz
Hamon placed his first castle there, as on the N. and E. sides the
bailey is defended by an earthbank, in which the remains of a Roman
wall have been found buried. The area of the Roman Castrum was about
8-1/4 acres, and evidently the Normans found this too large, as they
divided it by a cross wall, which reduces the inner fort to about 2
acres. The motte has its own ditch. The position of Cardiff was a very
important base, not only as a port near Bristol, but as a point on
the probably Roman road which connected Gloucester with Carmarthen and
beyond.[980]
The lands of Robert Fitz Hamon, in the next generation, passed into the
hands of Robert, the great Earl of Gloucester, Henry I.'s illegitimate
son. He was a great castle-builder, and it is probable that the first
masonry of Cardiff Castle was his work.[981]
NEWCASTLE BRIDGEND.--This castle and the three which follow are all
situated on or near the "Roman" road from Cardiff to St David's, of
which we have already spoken. There were two castles at Bridgend, the
Old Castle and the New Castle, from which the town takes its name. The
site of the former is now too much cut up for any definite conclusions
about it; the site of the latter has been converted into market
gardens, but a motte is still standing in one corner with the ruins
of a tower upon it. [H. W.] This castle is not noticed either by the
_Brut_ or the Aberpergwm version; the earliest mention known to us is
in the _Pipe Roll_ of 1184, at a time when the castles of the Earl of
Gloucester were in royal custody, and this appears to have been one of
them.
KENFIG.--This castle is close to the "Roman" road. The Aberpergwm
_Brut_ says that it was one of the castles of Robert Fitz Hamon, and
states that in 1092 it was rebuilt "stronger than ever before, for
castles prior to that were built of wood." This is a good specimen
of the mixture of truth and error to be found in this 16th century
MS. There is little doubt that all the first castles of the Normans
in Wales were built of wood; but it is extremely unlikely that any
wooden keep was replaced by a stone one as early as 1092. The town and
castle of Kenfig are now almost entirely buried in sand-drifts, but
the top of the motte, with some fragments of masonry upon it, is still
visible. [H. W.][982] The note in the _Pipe Rolls_ of the repair of the
_palicium_ of this castle shows that the bailey wall at any rate was
still of wood in 1183. Even as late as 1232 the keep was only defended
by a ditch and hedge; yet it withstood an assault from Llywelyn ap
Jorwerth.[983] The bailey is said to contain 11 acres, a most unusual
size. Kenfig was a borough in Norman times, and it is possible that
this large bailey was the original borough, afterwards enlarged in
mediæval times. There is evidence that there were burgage tenements
within the bailey.[984]
ABERAVON.--The Aberpergwm MS. says that Fitz Hamon gave Aberavon to the
son of the Welsh traitor who had called him into Glamorgan. At a later
period, however, we find it in Norman hands. The site of the castle
has been entirely cleared away, but it had a motte, which is still
remembered by the older inhabitants. [H. W.][985] It is not mentioned
in the _Brut_ before 1152, when it was attacked and burnt by Rhys ap
Griffith.
*NEATH.--The site of the first castle of Neath was given by Richard de
Granville, its owner, to the abbey of Neath, which he had founded.[986]
About the year 1111, according to the Aberpergwm _Brut_, Richard
returned from the Holy Land, bringing with him a Syrian architect, well
skilled in the building of monasteries, churches, and castles, and by
him we may presume, a new castle was built on the other side of the
river, though the present castle on that site is clearly of much later
date. The monks of course destroyed all vestiges of the first (probably
wooden) castle.
*REMMI, or Remni.--Of this castle there is only one solitary mention,
in the _Pipe Roll_ of 1184. The name seems to indicate the river
Rhymney, which is the boundary between Glamorgan and Monmouth. We
are unable to find any castle site so near the Rhymney as Ruperra,
where Clark mentions a fine motte.[987] But we do not venture on this
identification without further information.[988]
CASTLES OF GOWER.
*SWANSEA, or Abertawy.--This was the castle of Henry Beaumont, the
conqueror of Gower. The present castle is comparatively modern. It is
inside the town; but there used to be a moated mound outside the town,
which was only removed in 1804. It seems probable to us that this was
the original castle of Beaumont.[989] That this first castle had a
motte is suggested by the narrative in the _Brut_ which tells how
Griffith ap Rhys burnt the outworks in 1115, but was unable to get at
the tower.[990]
*LOUGHOR, or Aberllychor (Fig. 43).--Also built by Henry Beaumont.
The mound of the castle still remains, with a small square keep on
top. There was formerly a shell wall also. The place of a bailey
was supplied by a terrace 15 feet wide.[991] The four castles last
mentioned are all at the mouths of rivers, as well as on an ancient (if
not Roman) coast road.
*LLANDEILO TALYBONT, or Castell Hu.--Only mentioned once in the _Brut_,
under 1215, as the castle of Hugh de Miles. A moated mound with a
square bailey and no masonry still remains.[992] It commands the river
Loughor, which is still navigable up to that point at high tides.[993]
On the opposite side of the river is another motte and bailey, called
Ystum Enlle. Possibly there was a ford or ferry at this point, which
these castles were placed to defend.[994]
OYSTERMOUTH, a corruption of Ystum Llwynarth.--First mentioned in the
older _Brut_ in 1215, when it was burnt by Rhys Grug. The later version
says it was built by Beaumont in 1099. The castle stands on a natural
height, fortified artificially by a motte, which is of great size.
There is a small bailey below to the N.E., and a curious small oval
embankment thrown out in the rear of the castle towards the N.W. The
architecture of this magnificent castle is all of the Edwardian style,
and as the castle was burnt down by Rhys ap Meredith in 1287, it is
probable that only wooden structures stood on this site until after
that date. The castle is in a fine situation overlooking the Bay of
Swansea. [H. W.]
* * * * *
We have now completed our list of the Norman castles built in Wales
which are known to history. It must not be supposed, however, that we
imagine this to be a complete list of all the Norman castles which
were ever erected in Wales. The fact that several in our catalogue are
only once mentioned in the records makes it probable that there were
many others which have never been mentioned at all. In this way we may
account for the many mottes which remain in Wales about which history
is entirely silent. As there was scarcely a corner in Wales into
which the Normans did not penetrate at some time or other, it is not
surprising if we find them in districts which are generally reckoned
to be entirely Welsh. But there is another way of accounting for them;
some of them may have been built by the Welsh themselves, in imitation
of the Normans. As the feudal system and feudal ideas penetrated more
and more into Wales, and the Welsh princes themselves became feudal
homagers of the kings of England, it was natural that the feudal castle
should also become a Welsh institution, especially as it was soon
found to be a great addition to the chieftain's personal strength. The
following castles are stated in the _Brut_ to have been built by the
Welsh.[995]
1113. *CYMMER, in Merioneth.--Built by Uchtred ap Edwin, whose name,
as we have already remarked, suggests an English descent. Near Cymmer
Abbey the motte or _tomen_ remains.
*CYNFAEL, in Merioneth, near Towyn.--Built by Cadwalader, son of
Griffith ap Cynan, on whose behalf Henry II. undertook his first
expedition into Wales, and who was at that time a protégé of the
Anglo-Normans. Clark gives a plan of this motte-castle in _Arch.
Camb._, 4th ser., vi., 66.
1148. *YALE, in Denbigh = Llanarmon.--Said to have been built by Owen
Gwynedd, but here, as we have said, an earlier Norman foundation seems
probable (see p. 272).
1148. LLANRHYSTYD, in Cardigan.--Also built by Cadwalader, who was then
establishing himself in Cardigan. Probably the motte and bailey called
Penrhos, or Castell Rhos, to the east of Llanrhystyd village. [H. W.]
1155. ABERDOVEY.--Built by Rhys ap Griffith to defend Cardigan against
Owen, Prince of Gwynedd. It must therefore have been on the Cardigan
shore of the Dovey, and not at the present town of Aberdovey, which
is on the Merioneth shore. And in fact, on the Cardigan shore of the
estuary, about two miles west of Glandovey Castle, there is a tumulus
called Domenlas (the green tump), which was very likely the site of
this castle of Rhys.[996]
1155. CAEREINION.--Built by Madoc of Powys, who was then a homager of
Henry II. Remains of a motte near the church; the churchyard itself
appears to be the former bailey. About a mile off is a British camp
called Pen y Voel, which _may_ have been the seat of the son of
Cunedda, who is said to have settled here. [H. W.]
*WALWERN, or Tafolwern, near Llanbrynmair, in Montgomery, may have been
a Welsh castle. It is first mentioned in 1163, when Howel ap Jeuav
took it from Owen Gwynedd, who may have been its builder. The motte is
marked in the O.M. on a narrow peninsula at the junction of two streams.
1169. *ABEREINON, in Cardigan.--Built by Rhys ap Griffith, Henry II.'s
Justiciar of South Wales. "A circular moated tumulus, now called Cil y
Craig."[997] (It is marked on the 25-inch O.M.)
1177. *RHAIDR GWY.--Also built by Rhys ap Griffith, no doubt as a
menace to Powys, as this castle was afterwards sorely contested. It is
a motte-and-bailey castle, the motte being known as Tower Mount.[998]
* * * * *
All these castles are of the motte-and-bailey type, and prove the
adoption by the Welsh of Norman customs.[999] It will be noticed that
in the first instances they were built by men who were specially under
Norman influences. But probably the fashion was soon more widely
followed, although these are the only recorded cases.
The contribution made by the castles of Wales to the general theory
of the origin of mottes in these islands is very important. Leaving
out the seven castles attributed to the Welsh, we find that out of
seventy-one castles built by the Normans, fifty-three, or very nearly
three-fourths, still have mottes; while in the remaining eighteen,
either the sites have been so altered as to destroy the original plan,
or there is a probability that a motte has formerly existed.