Caldicot Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Caldecot; Conscuit

In the community of Caldicot. In the historic county of Monmouthshire (Modern authority of Monmouthshire, preserved county of Gwent).

The strategic location of Caldicot has been occupied since the Bronze Age. By the time of the 1086 Domesday Book a small village was established. In C13 a stone building was constructed by landowner Walter Fitzroger. He built the highly defensive round keep, on the existing motte, with walls nine feet thick. At the time, with the River Nedern navigable and the River Severn nearby, the keep was an important stronghold. The land passed to the DeBohun family at the end of C13. The politically powerful dynasty lived at the castle for more than two hundred years. The structure was expanded to include a curtain wall, towers and an unusual (for western Europe, although common in the levant) flank opening gatehouse.
Geophysical survey has indicated the presence of complex building remains within the main castle enclosure.(Daintith et al. 2002)
Phillips suggests the 'motte' is an earthwork built around the C13 tower, as at Skenfrith, which seems probably, but this does not exclude an earlier timber castle at this site.

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 ST48688851

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 93411
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 00513g '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/caldicot.html
    http://www.caldicotcastle.co.uk/
    http://www.castles99.ukprint.com/Essays/caldicot.html
    http://www.greatcastlesofwales.co.uk/caldicot.htm
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/caldicot.html
• Books
  • Morgan, Gerald, 2008, Castles in Wales: A Handbook (Talybont: Y Lolfa Cyf.) p169-72
    Prior, Stuart, 2006, A Few Well-Positioned Castles: The Norman Art of War (Tempus) p110-164
    Phillips, Neil, 2005, Earthwork Castles of Gwent and Ergyng AD 1050-1250 (University of Wales) [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?phillips_phd_2005] p141-3
    Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p624-5
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p123-5
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p42
    Salter, Mike, 1991, The Castles of Gwent, Glamorgan and Gower (Malvern) p12-13
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p281
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p333-4
    Birbeck, T.T.. 1973, Sword and ploughshare: the story of the de Bohuns and Caldicot. (Chepstow: Chepstow Society)
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p156-7
    Tipping, 1921, English Homes period 1 Vol1 p67-82
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co) p114-21
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol2 p76-9
    Morgan and Wakeman, 1854, Notes on Caldicot Castle (Monmouth and Caerleon Antiquarian Association)
    Coxe, W., 1801, Historical Tour in Monmouthshire (London) Vol1 p18-22
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol1 p184
• Journal Articles
  • Guy, Neil et al, 2008/9, 'Caldicot Castle' Castle Studies Group Journal Vol22 p81-107 [mainly, photos, prints and a plan]
    Daintith, I. [et al], 2002, 'Caldicot Castle' Archaeology in Wales Vol42 p125-7
    Walker, D., 1991, 'Gloucestershire Castles' Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol109 p5-23 http://www2.glos.ac.uk/bgas/tbgas/v109/bg109005.pdf
    King, D.J.C., 1978, ‘Caldicot Castle’, 125th Annual Meeting in Gwent and the Forest of Dean, 1978, CAA p13-14
    Birbeck, T.T., 1970-2, ‘Medieval Caldicot’, Severn and Wye Review Vol1 p11-16
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    Birbeck, T.T., 1965, ‘Caldicot Castle’, Presenting Monmouthshire Vol20 p27-30
    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
    Renn, D.F., 1961, 'The round keeps of the Brecon region' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol110 p142
    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
    Rees, W., 1953, ‘Caldicot Castle’, Programme of the 100th Annual Meeting at Chepstow, 1953, CAA p11-12
    Cobb, 1919, Proc. Monmouthshire and Caerleon Antiquarian Association p7-11
    Tipping, 1918, Country Life Vol94 p238-44, 260-6
    Cobb, J.R., 1895, Clifton Antiquarian Club Vol3 p35-40
    Bellows, J., 1877, Cotteswold Field Club Vol6 p263-7
• Guidebooks
  • Anon, n.d. (c.2005), Caldicot Castle, Where History and Tranquility Meet (Monmouthshire County Council)
    Birbeck, T.T., 1965, Caldicot Castle (Pontypool; Chepstow Rural District Council)
    Cobb, 1931, Story of Caldicot Castle (Privately published)
• 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] p310
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/hertseng.html#mons5]