Abergavenny Castle
Encyclopedia
Abergavenny Castle is a castle
in the market town
of Abergavenny
, Monmouthshire
in south east Wales.
overlooking the river valley and the confluence
of the rivers Gavenny
and Usk. The site would have been naturally defensible in earlier times and may well have been a fortified site in the Bronze
and Iron Age
s. Later it was also favoured by the Romans
who built their fort of Gobannium
on the same hilltop, just a little to the west of the site later developed into the castle. There were steep slopes down to the river on three sides, and the town developed on the remaining side of the castle, probably on the site of the Roman fort and settlement. The main castle gatehouse
faced the town, which was later walled
.
origins: the early motte
is recorded as having been built by Hamelin de Balun
on the order of William the Conqueror in 1075.
Castle was the scene of an infamous act: the Massacre of Abergavenny. Henry Fitzmiles
, the third son of Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford
had been killed by a Welsh leader, thought to be Seisill ap Dyfnwal of Castell Arnallt
, in 1165. As there were no other male heirs, his brothers all having died without issue, the castle together with lands in Brecknockshire
and Upper Gwent passed via his sister Bertha, a daughter of Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford, to Bertha's husband William de Braose, 3rd Lord of Bramber
.
William de Braose, now Lord of Abergavenny, decided to avenge the death of his wife's brother Henry. He summoned Seisill ap Dyfnwal, his eldest son Geoffrey, and a number of other leading local Welshmen, from Gwent to Abergavenny Castle to hear a royal proclamation. He then had them put to death when they expressed disapproval of the proclamation. William was "retired" from public life for this abuse of a royal safe-conduct and Abergavenny was taken over by his son and heir, another William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber
.
In 1182 Abergavenny Castle was attacked after William de Braose had been defeated in battle and Dingestow
castle towards Monmouth destroyed.
Control of the castle passed back and forth during the turbulent years as the Welsh Marches
changed hands in the 12th century between English and Welsh forces.
In 1233 the castle was sacked by Richard Marshal
, 3rd Earl of Pembroke during his alliance with the Welsh leader Llywelyn the Great
.
During the 13th and 14th centuries much building work was undertaken on the castle whilst it was in the hands of the Hastings
family. The most prominent features that remain from this period are the towers on the western side of the castle.
in the early 15th century the town of Abergavenny
was sacked and burned by Welsh
forces in 1402, as were other English held settlements in Monmouthshire
such as nearby Grosmont
and Crickhowell
. However Abergavenny Castle succeeded in defending itself against an infantry attack, and could have withstood a siege
if necessary. A small garrison of archers
and men-at-arms could defend a castle against an army and such an arrangement usually deterred any attack. Chepstow Castle
, although much larger than Abergavenny Castle, had a garrison at that time of only 20 men-at-arms and 60 archers, and was avoided by Glyndŵr's forces altogether although they successfully sacked Newport Castle
. The gatehouse
of Abergavenny, and the newest part of the castle, dates from 1400 and was probably a measure taken to fortify the castle further in the light of the rebellion.
, along with most of the other internal castle buildings, shell keep
and towers, was damaged badly in the English Civil War
when the castle suffered slighting
to prevent it becoming a stronghold. The ruins that can be seen today are largely the result of this deliberate damage http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/710252. Raglan Castle
was similarly damaged.
, was constructed on top of the motte
as a hunting lodge
for the Marquess of Abergavenny
. The grounds are laid to lawn and are used for events such as open air plays and historical re-enactments; for example the anniversary celebrations in 1990 of the castle's founding, marking 900 years of history.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in the market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
of Abergavenny
Abergavenny
Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
, Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
in south east Wales.
A naturally fortified site
The castle was sited above the River UskRiver Usk
The River Usk rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain of mid-Wales, in the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially it flows north into Usk Reservoir, then east by Sennybridge to Brecon before turning southeast to flow by Talybont-on-Usk, Crickhowell and...
overlooking the river valley and the confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of the rivers Gavenny
River Gavenny
The River Gavenny is a short river in Monmouthshire in south Wales. It rises 1 mile south-west of the village of Llanfihangel Crucorney from springs in Blaengavenny Wood and flows south for about 4 miles to its confluence with the River Usk at Abergavenny...
and Usk. The site would have been naturally defensible in earlier times and may well have been a fortified site in the Bronze
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
and Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
s. Later it was also favoured by the Romans
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
who built their fort of Gobannium
Gobannium
Gobannium was a Roman fort and civil settlement or Castra established by the Roman legions invading what was to become Roman Wales and lies today under the market town of Abergavenny, Monmouthshire in south east Wales.- Documentary evidence :...
on the same hilltop, just a little to the west of the site later developed into the castle. There were steep slopes down to the river on three sides, and the town developed on the remaining side of the castle, probably on the site of the Roman fort and settlement. The main castle gatehouse
Gatehouse
A gatehouse, in architectural terminology, is a building enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a castle, manor house, fort, town or similar buildings of importance.-History:...
faced the town, which was later walled
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
.
Norman origins
The castle has NormanNormans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
origins: the early motte
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
is recorded as having been built by Hamelin de Balun
Hamelin de Balun
Hamelin de Ballon was an early Norman Baron and the first Baron Abergavenny and Lord of Over Gwent and Abergavenny, titles granted shortly after the Norman Conquest of England and Wales by William the Conqueror; he also served William Rufus.- Origin :He was from France, from the ancient manor of...
on the order of William the Conqueror in 1075.
Abergavenny Massacre
In 1175 AbergavennyAbergavenny
Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
Castle was the scene of an infamous act: the Massacre of Abergavenny. Henry Fitzmiles
Henry FitzMiles
Henry FitzMiles , Baron Abergavenny was a Norman baron and a Marcher Lord in the Welsh Marches.- Birth :...
, the third son of Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford
Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford
Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford, Lord of Brecknock was the son of Walter de Gloucester, who served as hereditary sheriff of that county between 1104 and 1121....
had been killed by a Welsh leader, thought to be Seisill ap Dyfnwal of Castell Arnallt
Castell Arnallt
Castell Arnallt , located below Abergavenny and near modern-day Llanover in the Usk Valley of Monmouthshire, Wales, was a fortification believed to have been the site of the palace of the Kings of Over Gwent...
, in 1165. As there were no other male heirs, his brothers all having died without issue, the castle together with lands in Brecknockshire
Brecknockshire
Brecknockshire , also known as the County of Brecknock, Breconshire, or the County of Brecon is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, and a former administrative county.-Geography:...
and Upper Gwent passed via his sister Bertha, a daughter of Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford, to Bertha's husband William de Braose, 3rd Lord of Bramber
William de Braose, 3rd Lord of Bramber
William de Braose, 3rd Lord of Bramber was a 12th-century Marcher lord who secured a foundation for the dominant position later held by the Braose family in the Welsh Marches. In addition to the family's English holdings in Sussex and Devon, William had inherited Radnor and Builth, in Wales, from...
.
William de Braose, now Lord of Abergavenny, decided to avenge the death of his wife's brother Henry. He summoned Seisill ap Dyfnwal, his eldest son Geoffrey, and a number of other leading local Welshmen, from Gwent to Abergavenny Castle to hear a royal proclamation. He then had them put to death when they expressed disapproval of the proclamation. William was "retired" from public life for this abuse of a royal safe-conduct and Abergavenny was taken over by his son and heir, another William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber
William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber
William de Braose, , 4th Lord of Bramber , court favourite of King John of England, at the peak of his power, was also Lord of Gower, Abergavenny, Brecknock, Builth, Radnor, Kington, Limerick, Glamorgan, Skenfrith, Briouze in Normandy, Grosmont, and White Castle.-Lineage:William was the most...
.
In 1182 Abergavenny Castle was attacked after William de Braose had been defeated in battle and Dingestow
Dingestow
Dingestow is a village in Monmouthshire, Wales.-Location:Dingestow is located three miles south of Monmouth and approximately the same distance north east from Raglan in rural Monmouthshire.-History and amenities:...
castle towards Monmouth destroyed.
Control of the castle passed back and forth during the turbulent years as the Welsh Marches
Welsh Marches
The Welsh Marches is a term which, in modern usage, denotes an imprecisely defined area along and around the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods...
changed hands in the 12th century between English and Welsh forces.
In 1233 the castle was sacked by Richard Marshal
Richard Marshal, 3rd Earl of Pembroke
Richard Marshal, 3rd Earl of Pembroke was the brother of William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, whom he succeeded to the Earldom of Pembroke and Lord Marshal of England upon his brother's death on 6 April 1231....
, 3rd Earl of Pembroke during his alliance with the Welsh leader Llywelyn the Great
Llywelyn the Great
Llywelyn the Great , full name Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, was a Prince of Gwynedd in north Wales and eventually de facto ruler over most of Wales...
.
During the 13th and 14th centuries much building work was undertaken on the castle whilst it was in the hands of the Hastings
John Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings
John Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings was an English peer and soldier of the Middle Ages. Hastings was a competitor for the Scottish throne in 1290/92 in the Great Cause.- Baron :...
family. The most prominent features that remain from this period are the towers on the western side of the castle.
Owain Glyndŵr Rebellion
During the rebellion of Owain GlyndŵrOwain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower , was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales...
in the early 15th century the town of Abergavenny
Abergavenny
Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
was sacked and burned by Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
forces in 1402, as were other English held settlements in Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
such as nearby Grosmont
Grosmont, Monmouthshire
Grosmont is a village in Monmouthshire, Wales near Abergavenny.- History :Grosmont Castle is a major feature of the village and was the birthplace of Henry, 1st Duke of Lancaster. St...
and Crickhowell
Crickhowell
Crickhowell is a small town in Powys, Mid Wales.-Location:The name Crickhowell is taken from that of the nearby Iron Age hill fort of Crug Hywel above the town, the Welsh language name being anglicised by map-makers and local English-speaking people...
. However Abergavenny Castle succeeded in defending itself against an infantry attack, and could have withstood a siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
if necessary. A small garrison of archers
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
and men-at-arms could defend a castle against an army and such an arrangement usually deterred any attack. Chepstow Castle
Chepstow Castle
Chepstow Castle , located in Chepstow, Monmouthshire in Wales, on top of cliffs overlooking the River Wye, is the oldest surviving post-Roman stone fortification in Britain...
, although much larger than Abergavenny Castle, had a garrison at that time of only 20 men-at-arms and 60 archers, and was avoided by Glyndŵr's forces altogether although they successfully sacked Newport Castle
Newport Castle
Newport Castle is a castle ruin in the city of Newport, South Wales and is a Grade II* Listed building. It is the castle that gives Newport its original and real name in the Welsh language, Castell Newydd, shortened to Casnewydd...
. The gatehouse
Gatehouse
A gatehouse, in architectural terminology, is a building enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a castle, manor house, fort, town or similar buildings of importance.-History:...
of Abergavenny, and the newest part of the castle, dates from 1400 and was probably a measure taken to fortify the castle further in the light of the rebellion.
English Civil War
The stone keepKeep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
, along with most of the other internal castle buildings, shell keep
Shell keep
A shell keep is a style of medieval fortification, best described as a stone structure circling the top of a motte.In English castle morphology, shell keeps are perceived as the successors to motte-and-bailey castles, with the wooden fence around the top of the motte replaced by a stone wall...
and towers, was damaged badly in the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
when the castle suffered slighting
Slighting
A slighting is the deliberate destruction, partial or complete, of a fortification without opposition. During the English Civil War this was to render it unusable as a fort.-Middle Ages:...
to prevent it becoming a stronghold. The ruins that can be seen today are largely the result of this deliberate damage http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/710252. Raglan Castle
Raglan Castle
Raglan Castle is a late medieval castle located just north of the village of Raglan in the county of Monmouthshire in south east Wales. The modern castle dates from between the 15th and early 17th-centuries, when the successive ruling families of the Herberts and the Somersets created a luxurious,...
was similarly damaged.
Present day
In 1819 the present square "keep" building, now housing the Abergavenny MuseumAbergavenny Museum
Abergavenny Museum is a museum situated in the grounds of Abergavenny Castle, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, south east Wales.The museum is housed in the square 'keep' on the high point of the castle motte, in the hunting lodge built for the Marquess of Abergavenny in 1819 on the site...
, was constructed on top of the motte
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
as a hunting lodge
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
for the Marquess of Abergavenny
Marquess of Abergavenny
Marquess of Abergavenny , in the County of Monmouth, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom that was created on 14 January 1876, along with the title Earl of Lewes , in the County of Sussex, for the 5th Earl of Abergavenny, a member of the Nevill family.The 1st Marquess's ancestor, the de...
. The grounds are laid to lawn and are used for events such as open air plays and historical re-enactments; for example the anniversary celebrations in 1990 of the castle's founding, marking 900 years of history.