Castell Tal y Fan

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Talavan; Tallaunt; Talyfan Castle

In the community of Welsh St Donats. In the historic county of Glamorgan (Modern authority of Vale of Glamorgan, preserved county of South Glamorgan).

Ringwork with traces of 2m thick wall. Mentioned 1248. A E-W ditch cuts off the N end of a blunt spur, to form a shield-shaped enclosure, c.54m E-W by 50m,defined by traces of a faceted curtain wall. Within the enclosure are remains of a farmhouse of c.1700, abandoned by 1906, and traces of a 15m diameter round tower. The surviving fabric of the castle is thought to be C13, possibly raised on an earlier, C12 enclosure. A park was recorded in 1349. Castle ruinous by 1530's.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST02097718

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 National Monument Record (Coflein) number is 300315
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 00315s '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/talyfan.html
• Books
  • Morgan, Gerald, 2008, Castles in Wales: A Handbook (Talybont: Y Lolfa Cyf.) p241 [listed]
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p92
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p55
    Salter, Mike, 1991, The Castles of Gwent, Glamorgan and Gower (Malvern) p46
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p170
    Hague, D.B., 1971, in Pugh, T.B. (ed), Glamorgan County History Vol3 The Middle Ages (Cardiff) p447
    Randall, Henry John, 1961, The Vale of Glamorgan, Studies in Landscape and History (Newport: R.H.Johns Ltd) p77
    Lewis, Samual, 1849, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=47892#s25
    Homfray, Jeston, 1828, The Castles of the Lordship of Glamorgan (Cardiff) p23 and plate
• Journal Articles
  • Spurgeon, C.J. and Thomas, H.J.,1980, 'Talyfan Castle', Archaeology in Wales Vol20 p77
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    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
• 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] p215
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1906, Leland's Itinerary in Wales (Bell and Sons; London) p33 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryinwales00lelauoft