Grosmont Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Grismond; Grossemont

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

Substantial remains of C13 castle of Hubert de Burgh. It was later remodelled by the house of Lancaster. A castle in existence by 1154, with main periods of construction from early C13 through to C14, thought to have become derelict by C16. The castle consists of an inner enclosure, c.40m by 36m, enclosed by stone curtains, with towers and appartments, with a c.20m wide moat, the whole placed within a second enclosure, c.130m by 140m, defined by scarps and ditches, but obscured to the W. The castle has been said to be raised on an earlier motte but Phillips states this supposed 'motte' was collapsed masonry and the castle was a new build masonry castle of the late C12/early C13 although the documentary evidence suggests some sort of manorial centre here before that time.

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 SO40522445

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 93388
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 01664g '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.cadw.wales.gov.uk/default.asp?id=6&PlaceID=76
    http://www.castlewales.com/grosmnt.html
    http://www.castles99.ukprint.com/Essays/trilateral.html
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_wales/161/grosmontcastle.htm
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/grosmont.html
• Books
  • Remfry, P.M., 2008 [rev. edn.], Grosmont Castle and the families of Fitz Osbern, Ballon, Fitz Count, Burgh, Braose and Plantagenet of Grosmont (Castle Studies Research & Publishing)
    Morgan, Gerald, 2008, Castles in Wales: A Handbook (Talybont: Y Lolfa Cyf.) p180-6
    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] p203-5
    Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p624
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p130-1
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p84-5
    Remfry, Paul, 1995, Grosmont Castle, 1066 to 1538 (SCS Publishing: Worcestershire)
    Salter, Mike, 1991, The Castles of Gwent, Glamorgan and Gower (Malvern) p19-20
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p283
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p355
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p657-8
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p159-163
    Bradney, J.A., 1906, History of Monmouthshire Vol1 p70-2
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol2 p82-3
    Bagnall-Oakley, M.E., 1896, Papers on Monmouth Castle etc. (Mon. and Caerleon Ant. Ass) p81-5, 89
    Clark, G.T., 1884, Medieval military architecture in England (Wyman and Sons) Vol2 p51-3 [reprint of 1867 article]
    Coxe, W., 1801, Historical Tour in Monmouthshire (London) Vol2 p326-7, 334-5
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol1 p186
• Journal Articles
  • Guy, Neil et al, 2008/9, 'Grosmont Castle' Castle Studies Group Journal Vol22 p26-30 [slight]
    Knight, J.K.., 1978, 'Grosmont Castle' 125th Annual Meeting in Gwent and the Forest of Dean 1978 CAA p22-3
    Craster, O.E. [and Talbot], 1967, 'Skenfrith Castle: When was it built?' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p134
    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
    Benn, C.A., 1941, 'Castles Mentioned in the Pipe Rolls Under Herefordshire', Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club p130
    Bagnall-Oakley, M.E., 1909, Archaeologia CambrensisVol63 p103-5
    Bagnall-Oakley, M.E., 1895-97, 'Grosmont Castle, Skenfrith Castle and Church, Pembroke Castle' Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol20 p88-99 http://www2.glos.ac.uk/bgas/tbgas/v020/bg020088.pdf
    Banks, R.W., 1876, 'The castles of Grosmont, Skenfrith and Whitecastle' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol31 p304-6
    Clark, 1867, The Builder Vol25 p274
• Guidebooks
  • Knight, Jeremy K., 2009 (Rev.edn), The Three Castles: Grosmont Castle, Skenfrith Castle, White Castle and Hen Gwrt medieval moated site (CADW)
    Knight, Jeremy K., 2000 (2edn), The Three Castles: Grosmont, Skenfrith and White Castle (CADW)
    Knight, Jeremy K., 1987, The Three castles: Grosmont, Skenfrith and White Castle (CADW)
    Knight, Jeremy K., 1980, Grosmont Castle, Gwent/ Castell y Grysmwnt (HMSO)
    Radford, C.A.R., 1946, Grosmont Castle (HMSO)
• 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] p312-3
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/hertseng.html#mons3]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p225
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol2 p71 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryofjohnl02lelauoft