Kenfig Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Kengfig; Kinefeage

In the community of Cynffig. In the historic county of Glamorgan (Modern authority of Bridgend, preserved county of Mid Glamorgan).

Castle thought to have been established c.1120-25, consisting of a ramparted and pallisaded enclosure, c.37m in diameter, with a 14m square, masonry tower within, the whole much altered and added to from C13-C14. The castle was abandoned by the early C16. Excavations, 1924-32, substantial ruins which remain largely uncovered.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SS80098269

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 300455
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 00148m '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/kenfig.html
• Books
  • Morgan, Gerald, 2008, Castles in Wales: A Handbook (Talybont: Y Lolfa Cyf.) p239 [listed]
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p96
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p94
    RCAHMW, 1991, An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments in Glamorgan Vol3 pt1a: The Early Castles (London: HMSO) EM2 p314-26
    Salter, Mike, 1991, The Castles of Gwent, Glamorgan and Gower (Malvern) p51
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p164
    Davis, Paul R., 1983, Castles of Glamorgan (Alun Books) p15
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p359
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Hague, D.B., 1971, in Pugh, T.B. (ed), Glamorgan County History Vol3 The Middle Ages (Cardiff) p441
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p650-1
    Randall, Henry John, 1961, The Vale of Glamorgan, Studies in Landscape and History (Newport: R.H.Johns Ltd) p77
    Evans, A.L., 1960, The Story of Neath
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p295-6
    Gray, T., 1909, The buried City of Kenfig
    Lewis, Samual, 1849, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=47838#s7
• Journal Articles
  • Spurgeon, Jack, 1987, 'The Castles of Glamorgan' Chateau Gaillard Vol13 p209-10
    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
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 p249-280 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p90-121] http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28195904%2974%3A291%3C249%3AALOC1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P
    Brown, R. Allen, 1955, 'Royal Castle-building in England 1154-1216' English Historical Review Vol70 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press)] pp19-64
    Richard, A.J., 1928, 'Kenfig Castle' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol83 p377-8
    Richard, A.J., 1927, 'Kenfig Castle' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol82 p161-82
    Clark, 1871, 'Kenfig Charters' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol26 p172-190, 243-256, 313-319 http://www.archive.org/details/archaeologiacam22assogoog
• 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] p206-7
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/glameng.html#glam6]
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1906, Leland's Itinerary in Wales (Bell and Sons; London) p29 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryinwales00lelauoft