Aberystwyth Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Llanbadarn Fawr; Lampadervaur

In the community of Aberystwyth. In the historic county of Cardiganshire (Modern authority of Ceredigion, preserved county of Dyfed).

Much ruined castle ordered to be built in 1277 by Edward I. One of the first concentric castles. Concentric walled lozenge plan castle of coursed rubble masonry. Dry moat to W; round towers to inner and outer wards. Inner gate tower to W with outer gate beyond; twin aspidal tower gateway with pointed entrance, portcullis chase, crenellated parapet and splayed stair turret to N. Dungeon to SW and mural tower to S side of inner ward.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SN57988153

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

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's National Monument Record (Coflein) number is 86
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 559 '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.

• Web site links
  • http://www.castlewales.com/aberystw.html
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/aberystwyth.html
• Books
  • Morgan, Gerald, 2008, Castles in Wales: A Handbook (Talybont: Y Lolfa Cyf.) p74-7
    Gravett, Christopher, 2007, The Castles of Edward I in Wales 1277-1307 (Osprey Fortress series 64)
    Browne, D., 2001, 'The security of Aberystwyth Castle' in I. Manning (ed), Aberystwyth (Stroud: Ottackar's) p68-79
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p37-9
    Davis, Paul, 2000, A Company of Forts. A Guide to the Medieval Castles of West Wales (Gomer Press) p57-9 [plan and reconstrustion]
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p27-8
    Salter, Mike, 1996, The Castles of South West Wales (Malvern) p12-16 [plan]
    Taylor, A.J., 1986, The Welsh Castles of Edward I (Hambledon Press) p7-16
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p44
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p323-4
    Spurgeon, C.J., 1977, ‘Aberystwyth Castle and borough to 1649’, in Jones. I.G. (ed), Aberystwyth 1277-1977: Eight Lectures to Celebrate the Seventh Centenary of the Foundation of the Borough (Llandysul:Gomer Press) p28-45
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works, vol1: the Middle Ages (London) p299-308
    Edwards, J. Goronwy, 1944, 'Edward I's Castle-Building in Wales' Proceedings of the British Academy Vol32 esp p30-1, 67
    Owen, Henry (ed), 1936, The Description of Pembrokeshire (London) Vol4 p437-8
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p220
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p281-2
    Evans, 1902, Aberystwyth and its Court Leet (Aberystwyth)
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol3 (London) p472-4
    Morgan, 1849 and 1872, History of Castle of Aberystwyth (Aberystwyth)
    Lewis, Samual, 1849, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=47796#s12
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p376
• Journal Articles
  • 1995, Ceredigion
    Stewart, D.S., Browne, D.M. and Spurgeon, C.J., 1988, ‘Aberystwyth Castle’, Archaeology in Wales, Vol28 p69
    Stewart, D.S., 1987, ‘Aberystwyth Castle’, Archaeology in Wales, Vol27 p56
    Davis, A., 1986, ‘Aberystwyth Castle’, Archaeology in Wales, Vol26 p51–2
    Davis, A., 1985, ‘Aberystwyth Castle’, Archaeology in Wales, Vol25 p35–6
    Davis, A., 1984, ‘Aberystwyth Castle’, Archaeology in Wales, Vol24 p61–2
    Thorburn, J., 1983, ‘Aberystwyth Castle’, Archaeology in Wales, Vol23 p51–2
    Thorburn, J., 1982, ‘Aberystwyth Castle’, Archaeology in Wales, Vol22 p30
    Browne, D.M., 1978, ‘Aberystwyth Castle’, Archaeology in Wales, Vol18 p54
    Spurgeon, C.J., 1977, ‘Aberystwyth Castle’, 124th Annual Meeting in Abeystwyth, South Montgomery and North Radnor, CAA, 1977 p10-11
    Griffiths, R.A., 1977, ‘The three castles at Aberystwyth’, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol126 p74-87
    Webster, L.E. and Cherry, J., 1977, ‘Medieval Britain in 1976’, Medieval Archaeology Vol21 p240 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Spurgeon, C.J. and Browne, D.M., 1976, ‘Aberystwyth Castle’, Archaeology in Wales, Vol16 p38
    Spurgeon, C.J. and Whatmore, 1976, ‘Aberystwyth Castle’, Archaeology in Wales, Vol15 p54-5
    Webster, L.E. and Cherry, J., 1976, ‘Medieval Britain in 1975’, Medieval Archaeology Vol20 p186 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    Lloyd and O'Neil, 1946-7, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol99 p137-9
    Edwards, J. Goronwy, 1944, 'Edward I's Castle-Building in Wales' Proceedings of the British Academy Vol32 p30-1
    Hughes, H., 1931, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol86 p398-402
    Hughes, H., 1904, 'Aberystwyth Castle' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol59 p317-23
    Hughes, H., 1903, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol58 p272-8
• Guidebooks
  • Spurgeon, C.J., 1975, [2nd edition]. The castle and borough of Aberystwyth. (Aberystwyth: Ceredigion District Council)
    Morgan, 1908, Short History of the Castle of Aberystwyth (Aberystwyth)
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) [lists sources for 1272-1422] p120-1