Montgomery Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Trefaldwyn; Baldwins Castle; Balwy

In the community of Montgomery. In the historic county of Montgomeryshire (Modern authority of Powys, preserved county of Powys).

Masonry castle standing on a rocky promontory. Precipitous slopes to the north and east make this an excellent defensive site. The castle was built by Henry III to counter the growing power of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd in this area of the Marches. It was probably originally built in timber in 1223 but was almost immediately rebuilt in stone and completed by 1234. The castle of Montgomery replaced the old timber castle at Hen Domen (qv). Montgomery castle is approached from the south. The surviving defences comprise a barbican, a wide outer ditch, the middle ward, a narrower inner ditch and the inner ward. The inner ward, protected by a curtain wall and a twin-towered gatehouse, originally contained the royal suite and apartments as well as the kitchen and brewhouse. On the western side, a large D-shaped tower contained the well. The middle ward originally had only timber defences, but was walled in stone at a later date and manorial buildings erected within it.

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 SO22159679

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 92482
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 169 '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=96
    http://www.castlewales.com/montgom.html
    http://www.cpat.org.uk/educate/guides/montcas/montcas.htm
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_wales/137/montgomerycastle.htm
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/montgomery.html
• Books
  • Morgan, Gerald, 2008, Castles in Wales: A Handbook (Talybont: Y Lolfa Cyf.) p192-5
    Gravett, Christopher, 2007, The Castles of Edward I in Wales 1277-1307 (Osprey Fortress series 64)
    Remfry, Paul, 2005 rev edn, Montgomery Castle, a royal fortress of Henry III (Worcester: SCS Publishing)
    Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of Mid Wales (Malvern) p44-6
    Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge)
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p148-50
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p106, 108
    Remfry, Paul, 1998, Bloody Montgomery, 1224 to 1295 (Worcester: SCS Publishing)
    Burnham, H., 1995, A Guide to Ancient and Historic Wales: Clwyd and Powys (Cadw, London)
    Thompson, W.M., 1987, The Decline of the Castle (Cambridge University Press) p105, 144, 145, 147, 148, 149, 186-93
    Taylor, A.J., 1986, ‘An incident at Montgomery Castle on New Year’s day, 1288’, in Taylor, A.J., Studies in castles and castle-building, (London: Hambledon Press) p179-84
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p299
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p365-7
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p739-42
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p221-3
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p264, 395 [Assume this was site of the early castle - which was actually Hen Domen]
    RCAHMW, 1911, An Inventory of Ancient Monuments in Montgomeryshire (HMSO) p158-9 No805
    Clark, G.T., 1884, Medieval military architecture in England (Wyman and Sons) Vol2 p303-12 [reprint of Mont. Coll. article]
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol3 (London) p448-9
    Eyton, R.W., 1854-60, The Antiquities of Shropshire Vol11 p117-172
    Lewis, Samual, 1849, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=47870#s1
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p413
    Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol7 p95-9
    Tomley, J.E., The Castle of Montgomery
• Journal Articles
  • Stephenson, D., 2005 [published 2008], 'Llywelyn the Great, the Shropshire March and the building of Montgomery Castle' Shropshire History and Archaeology Vol80 p522-58
    Knight, J.K., 1994, ‘Excavations at Montgomery Castle Part II: The Finds’. Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol143 p139-203
    Knight, J.K., 1993, ‘Excavations at Montgomery Castle Part II: The Finds (Metalwork)’ Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol142 p182-242
    Knight, J.K., 1992, ‘Excavations At Montgomery Castle - Part I’ Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol141 p97-180.
    Knight, J.K., 1983, ‘Montgomery: a castle of the Welsh March, 1223-1649’ Château Gaillard Vol11 p169-82
    Knight, J.K., 1981, ‘Montgomery Castle’ Archaeological Journal Vol138 p18-20
    Lloyd, J.D.K., 1980, ‘The Well-Tower at Montgomery Castle’ Montgomeryshire Collections Vol68 p129
    [Knight], 1969, Medieval Archaeology Vol13 p263 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    [Knight], 1968, Medieval Archaeology Vol12 p182-3 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Lewis, J.M., 1968, ‘The Excavation of the 'New Building' at Montgomery Castle’ Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol117p127-155
    [Lewis], 1967, Medieval Archaeology Vol11 p290 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    Lloyd, J.D.K., 1965-6, Montgomeryshire Collections Vol59 p141-4 [survey of 1592-3]
    Spurgeon. C J., 1966, ‘The castles of Montgomeryshire’ Montgomeryshire Collections Vol58 p42-4
    Lloyd, J.D.K., 1965, ‘The "new building" at Montgomery Castle’ Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol114 p60-68
    Lloyd, J.D.K., 1955, ‘Montgomery Castle and the Herberts’ Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol104 p52-64
    Chitty, Lily, 1949, 'Subsidiary Castle Sites West of Shrewsbury' Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological Society Vol53 p83-90
    O'Neil, B.H.St J., 1942, 'Excavations at Ffridd Faldwyn Camp, Montgomery, 1937-9' Archaeologia Cambrensis p4-5
    O'Neil, B.H.St J., 1940, 'Montgomery town wall' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol95 p217
    O'Neil, B.H.St J., 1932, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol87 p441-2
    1929-30, Offa Field Club p12-22
    Tomley, 1923, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol78 p346-66 [history]
    Drinkwater, C.H., 1906, ‘Deed relating to Montgomery Castle’ Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Natural History Society Vol6 pviii-x
    Armitage, E., 1904 April, 'The Early Norman Castles of England' The English Historical Review Vol19 p209-245, 417-455 http://www.archive.org/stream/englishhistorica19londuoft
    Anon, 1888, ‘Montgomery: various documents relating to the castle and borough’ Montgomeryshire Collections Vol22 p179-210
    Sandford, G., 1883, ‘Montgomery Castle: Supplementary details’ Montgomeryshire Collections Vol16 p93-116 [history]
    Clark, G.T., 1880. 'The Castle of Montgomery: notes upon its structure and history' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol35 p114-28 [reprint of Montgomeryshire Collections article]
    Clark, G.T., 1877, ‘The castle of Montgomery; notes upon its structure and history’ Montgomeryshire Collections Vol10 p316-326
    Sandford, G., 1877, ‘Montgomery Castle’ Montgomeryshire Collections Vol10 p61-124, 313-328
• Guidebooks
  • Butler, L. and Knight, J.K., 2004, Dolforwyn Castle, Montgomery Castle (CADW)
    Lloyd, J.D.K. and Knight, J.K., 1981 2 edn, Montgomery Castle, Powys/Castell Trefaldwyn (HMSO)
    Lloyd, J.D.K. and Knight, J.K., 1973. Montgomery 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] p321-4
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/glameng.html#mont2]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p396
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1906, Leland's Itinerary in Wales (Bell and Sons; London) p11 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryinwales00lelauoft
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such.)
  • Silvester, R.J., 1992, Montgomeryshire Historic Settlements (CPAT report)