The Gatehouse website record for Kenfig Town Defences

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

Hogg and King suggest that "The outer enclosure of 8 acres, with a substantial earthen rampart and ditch, should perhaps be regarded as a small town rather than a bailey". Otherwise it has been described as a bailey. Salter writes the town had a bank and ditch but does not identify it with the 8 acre bailey. Bond writes town C12 earthworks have vanished. Spurgeon, however, gives a full description and history of the town and is defenses both of which are buried under sand dunes (and have been since Leland described it as 'almost shokid [chocked] and devourid with the sands that the Severn Sea there castith up.' Soulsby's, notes the archaeological potential of this site, since the sands protect the remains of the town. His plan puts the town and parish church outside the castle bailey, whilst noting some houses were within the bailey, and do not show a line of town defences but he writes 'it is clear that a town had been established by that date [1135-54] and had already been surrounded by an earth and timber palisade (ref Richards 163)
the borough was enclosed with walls which are mentioned in 1147, but we know nothing of their course. They were initially of earth and timber and were rebuilt with the same materials after the Welsh attack of 1183 when one Hywel of Caerleon was charged with despatching stakes from Chepstow 'in order to enclose the town and castle'. The 'Town Walls and Gates' are further mentioned in the 1330 Ordinances, but there is nothing to suggest they were ever reconstructed in stone. (Soulsby ref Clark 244)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SS80098257

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's National Monument Record (Coflein) number is 15335
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 02250m '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.

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The information on this web page may be derived from information compiled by and/or copyright of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Wales, the four welsh archaeological trusts and other individuals and organisations. All the sources given should be consulted to identify the original copyright holder and permission obtained from them before use of the information on this site for commercial purposes. I do not receive any income from this site and I fund it myself.
The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.
Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.

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