Castell Brogyntyn

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Selattyn

In the civil parish of Selattyn And Gobowen. In the historic county of Shropshire (Modern Authority of Shropshire, 1974 county of Shropshire).

The monument includes Castell Brogyntyn ringwork castle, and the tunnel beneath it. The ringwork is situated in Brogyntyn Park (an area of landscaped parkland associated with Brogyntyn Hall). It is sited in a strategically strong position on the northern tip of a spur of high ground overlooking land falling to the north, west and east. The castle is traditionally thought to have been constructed by Brogyntyn, the son of the Welsh Prince Owen Madre. The site has exceptional defensive strength achieved through both its siting and through the scale of its artificial defences. It includes a well defined outer ditch 6m wide and averaging 2m deep which has been cut around the end of the spur to form a circular enclosure with an overall diameter of 80m. Around the south east side of the site there are traces of an outer bank up to 5m wide and 0.4m high flanking the outer edge of the ditch. The ditch is interrupted for approximately 5m in the north east quarter of its circuit by what is probably an entrance to the castle. At this point the outer edge of the ditch curves outwards on both sides of the gap towards the north, running for approximately 30m as a shallow sunken way. A lowering of the inner rampart corresponding with this feature suggests that it represents an approach to the interior of the ringwork. This entrance may be associated with the medieval occupation of the castle or with its modern period of use as a bowling green. Rising from the base of the ditch is a steep sided rampart up to 5.2m high on its outer face and 1.6m high on its inner face, enclosing a circular area 47m in diameter. The interior of the ringwork has been levelled and used as a bowling green. In the north west quarter of the interior, built partly into the inner face of the medieval rampart, are the remains of a small circular, or semicircular building with an internal diameter of 5m. The stone and brick walls stand to a height of 1.5m around the west side, where it is set into the rampart. Scattered broken slates in the immediate vicinity indicate that it originally had a slate roof. It is believed to relate to the period when the interior was used as a bowling green, and is included in the scheduling. A striking feature of the site is a rock cut tunnel which has been cut diagonally north west to south east through the natural strata beneath the ringwork. The tunnel entrances lie in the ringwork ditch, it is some 80m long, averages 2m high and 1.5m wide and curves slightly towards its centre so that it is not possible to see directly from one end to the other. It is however possible to walk its full length. At both ends of the tunnel the outer face of the ringwork ditch has gaps cut through it directly opposite the tunnel. The tunnel was either built as part of an elaborate landscape walk through the parkland or it was part of a water distribution system, perhaps associated with the ornamental lakes below the castle to the north west. The tunnel is included in the scheduling. (EH scheduling report 1995)

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SJ27333137

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 66109
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 00350 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• Books
  • Duckers, Peter and Anne, 2006, Castles of Shropshire (Stroud: Tempus) p37-8
    Salter, Mike, 2001 (2edn), The Castles and Moated Mansions of Shropshire (Malvern) p30
    Jackson, M.J.,1988, Castles of Shropshire (Shrewsbury: Shropshire Libraries) p10
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p429
    Wall [after Downham], 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Shropshire Vol1 p387-8
    Bulkeley-Owen, 1898, History of the Parish of Selattyn (Oswestry) [very slight]
    Clark, G.T., 1884, Medieval Military Architecture in England  (Wyman and Sons) Vol2 p525
• Journal Articles
  • King, D.J.C. and Alcock, L., 1969, 'Ringworks in England and Wales' Château Gaillard Vol3 p90-127
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1963, 'Early castles in Wales and the Marches: a preliminary list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol112 p77-124
    Clark, G.T., 1878, 'Oswestry and Whittington' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol33 p193-4
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p396
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • English Heritage, 1995, Scheduling Papers (Revision, 21/11/1995)
    Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission, 1983, Scheduled Monument Report on SAM 14318