Raglan Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Ragland; Yellow Tower of Gwent; Twyn y Ceirios

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

The present castle dates principally from the fifteenth century and a manorial complex at Raglan during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. It is quite possible that it is built on the site of an earlier motte-and-bailey castle that may have been established when the Normans conquered Gwent in the late eleventh century. The castle, as seen today was began by Sir William ap Thomas, a veteran of the French wars and at about 1435, Sir William started to build the Great Tower, a massive, moated keep-like structure that could only be approached from within the castle itself. In 1461, after the death of Sir William, his son, William Herbert became Baron Herbert of Raglan and subsequently embarked on a lavish and ambitious building programme to reflect his new status. He developed suites of accommodation around the Fountain Court, built the Pitched Stone Court, and constructed the gatehouse to both impress and intimidate visitors to the castle. However, by his execution in 1469, the work was unfinished and was not until the castle past to the Somersets, earls of Worcester that Raglan underwent its final transformation. William Somerset, the third Earl of Worcester, remodelled the hall range, built a long gallery and extended the Pitched Stone Court. He also created a garden with long walled terraces and a lake, and after his death, his son continued to enhance the garden with a water parterre and bedecked the moat walk with statues of Roman emperors. Unfortunately, the castle experienced deliberate destruction during the Civil War as the castle was besieged for ten weeks in 1646 by parliamentarian troops. (Coflein ref. Kenyon, 2003)
The plan of the site suggests it was built on the site of an earlier motte and bailey (Dated c. 1070 by Prior).
Bradney wrote that the earliest mention of Raglan is in C12 when the de Clares erected a castle there, on a tump called Twyn y Ceirios (the cherry tree tump) (1895-97. 76); unfortunately Bradney does not name his source. (Quoted in Phillips, 2005)

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 SO41440830

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 93387
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 00814g '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.thislandwales.com/raglancastle.htm
    http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/default.asp?id=6&PlaceID=113
    http://www.castlewales.com/raglan.html
    http://www.castlewales.com/rag_tour.html
    http://www.borderdisc.com/mag/raglan.htm
    http://www.greatcastlesofwales.co.uk/raglan.htm
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_wales/161/raglancastle.htm
    http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/C/castle/rag_main.html
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/raglan.html
• Books
  • Morgan, Gerald, 2008, Castles in Wales: A Handbook (Talybont: Y Lolfa Cyf.) p176-9
    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] p305-6 [slight]
    Tribe, A., 2002, Raglan Castle and the Civil War (Raglan: the author)
    Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p197-9, 631-5
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p136-40
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p124-6
    Salter, Mike, 1991, The Castles of Gwent, Glamorgan and Gower (Malvern) p28-31
    Kenyon, John R., 1987, ‘The gunloops at Raglan Castle, Gwent’, in Kenyon, John R. and R Avent (eds), Castles in Wales and the Marches: essays in honour of D J Cathcart King, (Cardiff: University of Wales Press) p161-72
    Lewis, J.M., 1987, ‘The chapel at Raglan Castle and its paving-tiles’, in Kenyon, John R. and R Avent (eds), Castles in Wales and the Marches: essays in honour of D J Cathcart King, (Cardiff: University of Wales Press) p143-60
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus)
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p374-6
    Clark, A., 1953, Raglan Castle and the Civil war in Monmouthshire (Newport and Monmouthshire Branch of the Historical Association and Chepstow Society)
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p163-7
    Bradney, J.A., 1904-33, History of Monmouthshire Vol2 p1-31
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol2 p86-90
    Bradley, J.A., 1896, Papers on Monmouth Castle etc (Mon and Caerleon Ant. Ass.)
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol2 (London) p479-83
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p373-6
    Coxe, W., 1801, Historical Tour in Monmouthshire (London) Vol1 p136-49
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol1 p190
    Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol3 p159-63
• Journal Articles
  • Guy, Neil et al, 2008/9, 'Raglan Castle' Castle Studies Group Journal Vol22 p52-61 [photo and plan only]
    Smith, C.E., 2007 [published 2009], 'Excavations at Raglan Castle, Monmouthshire' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol156 p123-39
    Whittle, E., 2003, 'Raglan - a palace with gardens' Heritage in Wales Vol25 p7-9
    Coplestone-Crow, B., 2000, 'Strongbow's grant of Raglan to Walter Bluet' Gwent Local History Vol89 p3-27
    Kenyon, John R., 1996, 'Raglan Castle: a Reconsideration of an Aspect of the Herbert Period, c. 1460-1469' Monmouthshire Antiquarian Vol12 p52-3
    Haslam, R., 1989 'Raglan and after the 17th century Welsh houses of the Beauforts' Country Life Vol183.45 p96-101
    Kenyon, J.R., 1981 'Early Artillery Fortifications in England and Wales: a Preliminary Survey and Re-appraisal' Archaeological Journal Vol138 p216
    Emery, A., 1976, 'The development of Raglan Castle and keeps in late medieval England' Archaeological Journal Vol132 p151-86
    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
    Gardner, I., 1915, 'Raglan Castle' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol70 p40-46 [weak]
    Bradney, J.A., 1896, 'Raglan Castle' Monmouthshire and Caerleon Antiquarian Association.
    Bradney, J.A., 1895-97, 'Raglan Castle' Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol20 p76-87 http://www2.glos.ac.uk/bgas/tbgas/v020/bg020076.pdf
    Beattie, W., 1855, Journal British Archaeological Association Vol10 p317-31
• Guidebooks
  • Kenyon, John R., 2003 (Revised edn), Raglan Castle (CADW)
    Kenyon, John R., 1988, Raglan Castle (CADW)
    anon, 1987, Raglan Castle (CADW)
    Durant H., 1980 2edn, Raglan Castle (Starling)
    Durant H., 1966, Raglan Castle (Pontypool)
    Taylor, A.J., 1950, Raglan Castle (HMSO)
    Somerset, 1917, Raglan Castle (Abergavenny)
    Heath, 1823, History and Descriptive Account of Raglan Castle (Monmouth)
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/hertseng.html#mons8]
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1906, Leland's Itinerary in Wales (Bell and Sons; London) p45 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryinwales00lelauoft