GGAT00102s

The Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust
Historic Environment Record

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Cardiff Castle

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 00102s
Trust : Glamorgan Gwent
Community : Castle
Unitary authority : Cardiff
NGR : ST18037653
Site Type (preferred type first) : Medieval Motte
Status : Scheduled Monument

Summary :
Cardiff Castle was originally constructed in the 1080s, following upon William the Conqueror's visit to Wales in 1081. It utilised the remains of the Roman fortas the the inner bailey, and a large motte was raised in its NE corner. A shell keep in masonry was built on the motte in the 12th centurywith futher additions c1300. More buildings were added to the wall between the inner and outer wards in the 13th and 14th centuries, and there were also buildings in the inner ward, which no longer survive. Extensive refurbishment of many parts of the castle took place in the late 16th century. The 18th century saw the replacement of much of the Tudor work with a new block, and the grounds were extensively landscaped, resulting in the demolition of all internal buildings in the inner ward. Much of the castle as it now exists was extensively rebuilt in the 19th century by the third Marquess of Bute and his architect William Burges.

Description :
There is evidence to indicate that the castle was founded by William the Conqueror, probably around AD 1081 (RCAHMW 1991, 164). The study of the castle by RCAHMW divides the surviving buildings of the castle into seven periods, of which four are medieval and three post-medieval to modern; the results are summarised in brief here. Excavations in the outer ward have revealed two medieval buildings (Webster 1981, 208-10), the construction of which has been placed in RCAHMWs Period IV. It should be noted that there appears to have been less below-ground disturbance in the inner ward in the late 19th-early 20th century than in the outer ward. It should also be noted that techniques for the identification of the buried remains of timber buildings have only really developed during the course of the 20th century, and it is possible that such buildings may have been encountered but not recognised during the groundworks of the 1880s to 1920s.

Period I (11th century)
At the time of the castles original construction, its basic layout was established, with a motte in the northwest corner, an inner ward occupying the southwestern sector of the Roman fourth fort, and the remainder given over to the outer ward. The new castle had a single entrance, reusing the site of the Roman south gate. Prior to this time, it would appear that the defences survived around all four sides of the Roman fort and that they were restored to form the inner ward along the west half of the south wall and all the west wall apart from the northwest corner; the remainder of the Roman wall (including the gateway on the north side) was embedded in a massive earth bank to protect the outer ward. Facing-stones from the section of wall in the outer ward appear to have been used to repair the walls which were used for the inner ward, a larger portion of the wall face will have survived before the date (RCAHMW 1991, 190).

Besides the repair and embanking of the Roman walls, the Norman work consisted of the digging of a ditch around the Roman perimeter (apparently destroying all evidence for a late Roman ditch), the raising of the motte which was surrounded by another ditch, and almost certainly the construction of the wall which divided the inner ward from the outer ward; this wall, which was demolished in the late 18th century and is now marked by the modern dwarf wall built on its foundations, appears to have had no ditch. The re is no evidence for the form of the Norman south gate. The motte will have been crowned by timber buildings, which were probably linked to the inner ward walls by timber palisades and reached by a timber bridge over the motte ditch. No evidence has yet been recorded for these timber structures, apart from the piles of the bridge (RCAHMW 1991, 176, 189), or for any timber structures in either of the wards, though it is certain that both wards will have contained such structures; a number of pits containing rubbish were noted during excavations in the outer ward (Webster 1981, 208).

Period II (12th century)

The timber buildings on the motte were replaced by a polygonal keep in ashlar masonry. The exact date of this is not known, but RCAHMW (1991, 176) suggests a date in the 1130s which would fit with the military and political situation in Glamorgan. Again, there is no evidence for buildings in either of the wards, although they will have existed.

Period III (13th-14th century)

RCAHMW (199, 176-7, 191-203) attributes to this period a series of structures, not all of them contemporary, built along the line of the wall between the inner and outer wards probably by the de Clare earls. These consisted of: (1) the Black Tower in the southeast corner of the inner ward; (2) a square tower in the inner ward on the dividing wall and next to its gate; (3) a new hall in the interior of the shell keep and a gatehouse; (4) a forebuilding complex extending down the side of the motte to link the keep to the inner ward. It is not known whether there were further buildings of this period in the inner ward, or whether building work took place in the outer ward.

Period IV (14th-15th century)

This period saw the addition of significant buildings in both wards, but no construction work is known from the motte.

In the inner ward, the central core of the Western Apartments and the Beauchamp Tower were built. Stair turrets were added to the Black Tower and the other tower on the wall between the inner and outer wards, probably during this period, as is the turret enclosing the well against the west side of the Keep forebuilding. Other works probably of this date are the annexe to the Black Tower, the block of buildings against the wall between the inner and outer wards to the north of the original gate between the wards, and a building in the angle between the moat ditch and the bottom of the forebuilding (RCAHMW 1991, 177).

The buildings in the outer ward no longer survive above the surface of the ground, but are known from excavation and from drawings of the 16th-19th centuries. There still appears to have been a difference in ground level marked by the line of the Roman road, since the medieval ground level around the Shire Hall to the west of the road was some 0.6m lower than the present ground surface, whilst that around the other medieval building, to the east of the road, was probably higher than the present ground surface (Webster 1981, 210-11). The Shire Hall was a long narrow rectangular building with substantial corner buttresses and smaller buttresses along its sides, and was divided to two by a cross-wall. Only the foundations survived, but the demolition debris included sandstone slates and green-glazed ridge tiles from the roof, a roof corbel, and fragments of carved stone work from what appeared to be a moulded door and window mullions. The foundations cut through rubbish pits, which indicates a date of 14th-early 15th century for the buildings construction; it was probably not demolished until the late 18th century. This building was linked to the wall dividing the inner and outer wards by a length of walling which was not excavated but which appears as a parchmark on the grass in drought conditions. The second building, to the southeast of the Shire Hall, was of more complex plan and more than one phase of construction, and its structural history has still not been fully elucidated. The oldest part, probably dating to the 14th or 15th century, was raised over a cellar, accessible by stone steps, and an adjacent garderobe pit, with what seems to have been an enclosed yard to the north and further rooms to the west, whose foundations become shallower towards the west as they impinge upon the Roman road. Since this building survived into the 18th century, it may be identified with the single remaining house of the Knights of Glamorgan noted by Merrick in the second half of the 16th century ('one old house which Sir Edward Mansel, knight, holdeth, sometime the house of the Bassetts: Merrick (ed James) 1983, 89). Other associated walls are known from parchmarks and a plan of 1923 (reproduced as RCAHMW 1991 188, fig 128), but where these have not been excavated there is no information about their phasing (Webster and Webster 1978a, 50; Webster 198, 209-10).

Post-medieval

RCAHMW (1991, 185 and fig 135) notes the existence before 1922 of 'a simple and probably Tudor south gate. This is shown as a simple opening with a two-centred head piercing the wall to the east of the Black Tower. Presumably this is post-medieval in date, but there is no information as to its date of construction.

Period V (Late 16th century)

Extensive repairs and refurbishment is known to have taken place in the keep, the Black Tower, the South Gate and the Western Apartments of the surviving buildings, and also in the now demolished Exchequer, Shire Hall and Wardrobe. Considerable extensions took place to the Western Apartments, largely pulled down in the following period, though the Herbert Tower was retained. The inner ward was divided in two by an east-west wall which separated the 'Middle Court to the south from the 'Inner Court to the north; these areas were mainly laid out to gardens but there was a square walled wood-yard in the Middle Court (RCAHMW 1991, 177-80, 182). Apart from the Shire Hall and what appears to be Sir Thomas Mansels house (which seems to have been extended to the east and then gradually contracted over the post-medieval period: Webster 1981, 210), the outer ward was mainly laid to orchards and gardens, though Merrick (ed James, 1983, 89) mentions an enclosure wall, inside the wall of the outer ward wall which crowned the Norman bank.

Period VI (Late 18th century)

Most of the 16th century additions to the Western Apartments were pulled down and replaced by a new block (RCAHMW 1991, 180-85). Externally, extensive landscaping was undertaken by Capability Brown (Webster 1981, 210-1). He seems to have pulled down the forebuilding structures on the side of the motte and all the remaining internal structures in the wards, as well as walls which divided them. He also seems to have been responsible for at least some of the levelling of the area within the Roman walls, removing the medieval and part of the late Roman deposits at the east side and possibly dumping rubble at the west, though the latter has not been tested by excavation. The plan by Frame published by Clark (1880, facing 288) also shows a pair of ornamental mounds in the southwest corner of the inner ward, presumably part of the 18th century landscaping.

Period VII (Late 19th-early 20th century)

This period saw the imaginative recreation of the medieval castle and, to a lesser extent the late Roman fort. It also gave rise to the first period of archaeological investigation outlined above. The 18th century Western Apartments were partly demolished and extended in neo-Gothic. Dwarf walls were built on the foundations of the walls of the inner ward with associated towers and the motte forebuilding which had been demolished in the preceding period. The motte ditch was opened out. The Norman earthworks which covered the outer part of the Roman north, east and west walls were removed, but the inner part was retained. A gallery was made along the inside of the south wall east of the gate, in which the inner face of the Roman work can be seen; sections of the core can be seen elsewhere along the circuit
(RCAHMW 1991, 202).

Excavations in 2005-06, in advance of a new visitor centre at Cardiff Castle found that this part of the site was still used for industrial processes and the disposal of rubbish.
The medieval structures consisted of:
A small kiln with a solid, circular base of cobbles, and an associated oval-shaped charcoal-filled pit, 1.3m in depth, with a stone wall around one side, containing many medieval artefacts.
(a) A roughly square cesspit (1.8m across).
(b) Another small kiln with a stone base, in whose stoke hole there was a deposit that contained a high concentration of charcoal, assumed to have been formed by the raking out of the ashes or fuel from the structure. Also a hearth with a stone base that appeared to have been laid over an earlier open fire.
(c) A large, sub-square pit 2.2m x 1.6m and 1.95m in depth with steeply sloping sides that tapered to a flat base.
(d) A large pit 2.4m x 1.4m and 1.2m in depth with steeply sloping sides and a flat base.
(e) A series of stakeholes, post holes and small pits.
(f) A construction cut constructed of rounded, sub-rounded and angular limestone and did not appear to be bonded with any kind of mortar, although it is possible it may have degraded prior to the excavation.
(g) An oval-shaped pit at least 2.2m in diameterand 1.3m in depth, cut into the Roman bank material. Its fill contained lenses with a high charcoal concentration and numerous medieval artefacts, including decorated window glass, iron nails and pottery sherds.
(h) A small length (1.4m) of wall aligned northeast-southwest was recorded, constructed of dressed Lias limestone and bonded with silty clay.

Post-medieval

It was apparent that a large degree of truncation had occurred during the construction of the modern gallery wall and the 1920s bank, removing the majority of the post-medieval deposits. A levelling process had occurred prior to these modern landscaping works, destroying post-medieval contexts in the process.
The post-medieval features encountered were:
(a) What appeared to be the remains of a rectangular building (4m long x max 2.25m wide), with four separate chambers and solid cobble floors in all but the south chamber. All the walls, with the exception of the southern compartment, appeared to have been built on a mortar base. The three cobble-floored chambers contained large deposits of lime, which was likely used to make lime mortar. It is probable that this structure was utilised to store and mix lime for the creation of lime mortar.
(b) A rectangular cesspit (2.5m x 1.75m and 1.92m deep), built from rounded and sub-rounded stone and bonded with lime mortar. The pit contained at least eight fills with recovered artefacts indicating that it was probably in-filled during the 16th century.
(c) A stone built well with an internal diameter of 1.2m and a maximum depth of 4.55m. Three different building techniques were employed. The earliest visible technique was at a depth of 4.55m to 3.3m from the top of the well, built from large sandstone blocks. The interior facing of the blocks had been cut to create the circular curve of the well and were laid apparently without mortar almost no gaps between them. Above this, to a point 2.6m from the top of the well, the sides were constructed of rounded and sub-rounded stone, also apparently laid without mortar. The topmost 2.6m and was constructed using rounded and sub-rounded stones bonded with a soft, very light yellow-brown lime mortar, with repairs in a hard grey lime mortar. A layer of flat stones formed a surface to the top of the well walls. It had been capped by a substantial modern concrete slab.
(Dunning 2011)

Sources :
Dunning, R , 2011 , New Interpretation Centre, Cardiff Castle, Cardiff: Post-excavation analysis project design.
Glamorgan Gwent Archaeological Trust , Site Visit Record
Glamorgan Gwent Archaeological Trust , Site Visit Record
Lewis, R. , 2017 , Bradley Court, Cardiff Archaeological Desk-based Assessment
Merrick, R , Morganiae Archaiographia
O'Neil BH STJ. , 1954 , The Castles of Wales (A Hundred Years of Welsh Archeology). , Archeologia Cambrensis : 103 : 129-140
RCAHMW , 1991 , An inventory of the Ancient Monuments in Glamorgan Volume III Part 1a Medieval secular monuments: The early castles
Rees W. , 1930 , The Lordship of Cardiff , Transactions of Cardiff Naturalist Society : 63 : 18
Rees W. , 1957 , Records of the Lordship of Senghenydd with the Castle of Caerphilly (from the time of Edward I - Henry VIII) , South Wales & Monmouth Record Society : 4 : 33-49
Robinson G.E. , 1883 , Correspondence , Transactions of Cardiff Naturalist Society : XV : 132-151
Robinson G.E. , 1886 , The Chartered LIberties of Cardiff , Transactions of Cardiff Naturalist Society : XVIII : 17-26
Seward E. , 1906 , Some Churches and Castles in Glamorgan , Transactions of Cardiff Naturalist Society : XXXIX : 78-95
Smith E.G. , 1934 , Summer Excursion, 1934 - Cardiff Castle and Museums
Ward J. , 1908 , Roman Cardiff , Archaeology Cambrensis : 63 : 227-228
Ward J. , 1908 , Roman Cardiff , Archaeology Cambrensis : 63 : 29-64
Webster J. & Webster P. , 1975 , Archaeological Notes: Medieval Period. Cardiff Castle , Morgannwg : 19 : 75-76
Webster J. & Webster P. , 1975 , Archaeological Notes: Roman Period. Cardiff Castle , Morgannwg : 19 : 73-75
Webster J. & Webster P. , 1976 , Cardiff Castle , Morgannwg : XX : 71-74
Webster J. & Webster P. , 1977 , Cardiff Castle , Morgannwg : XXI : 90-92
Webster J. & Webster P. , 1977 , Cardiff Castle , Morgannwg : XXI : 97-98
Webster J. & Webster P. , 1978 , Cardiff Castle , Morgannwg : XXII : 84-85 & 88
Webster J. & Webster P. , 1979 , Cardiff Castle , Morgannwg : 23 : 84-85 & 88-89
Webster P. , 1981 , Archaeological Notes: Cardiff Castle Excavations, 1974-1981 , Morgannwg : XXV : 201-211
Webster P. , 1983 , Early Christian and Medieval: Glamorganshire , Archaeology in Wales : 23 : 58
Webster P. , 1983 , Industrial and Recent: Glamorganshire , Archaeology in Wales : 23 : 69
Webster, J and Webster PV , 1978 , Cardiff Castle , Archaeology in Wales : 18 : 50
02/PM Desc Text/Grant JP/1923/Cardiff Castle/pp23-37
01/PM Desc Text/RCAHM/1991/Glam Invent volIII pt1b/MM1
09/PM Note/Webster J & P/1974/Arch in Wales no43 pp23-4
05/PM Desc Text/Williams JJ/1933/Archaeol Cambrensis/Vol88 pp371-2
07/PM Desc Text/Paterson DR/1933/Archaeol Cambrensis/Vol88 p370
06/PM Desc Text/Armitage ES/1912/Early Norman Castles/p295
08/PH Desc Text/Clark GT/1944/Medieval Military Architecture/Vol1 p388
03/PH Desc Text/Clark GT/1862/Archaeol Cambrensis/Vol8 pp249-271
04/PM Desc Text/Hamilton-Thompson A/1912/Medieval Military Architecture in England pp190-4
11/PM Mention/Savory HN/1975/Arch in Wales no55 p35
10/PM List/Cadw/1995/Application for Scheduled Monument Consent
012/Desc Text/Cadw/Application for Scheduled Monument Consent/2007 Copy in further information file.
13/Desc Text/Cadw/2009/Application for Scheduled Monument Consent/copy in further information file
041/Desc Text/Cadw/Application for Scheduled Monument Consent/2008/Copy in further information file.

Events :
E000203 : Cardiff Castle and Roman Fort (year : 1978)
E001651 : Ladies Walk, Cardiff Castle Building Survey (year : 2008)
E000781 : Disabled access at Cardiff Castle (year : 2009)
E003113 : Lift Installation Western Apartments (year : 2009)
E003401 : Platform Lift, Western Apartments, Cardiff Castle (year : 2011)
E003402 : Platform Lift, Western Apartments, Cardiff Castle (year : 2011)
E003526 : Cardiff Castle (year : 2008)
E002251 : Visitor centre site, Cardiff Castle (year : 2005-06)
E002433 : North Gate, Cardiff Castle (year : 1999)
E004691 : Cardiff Castle (year : 2003)
E004936 : Welcome Facilities Site at Cardiff Castle (year : 2004)
E004937 : Cardiff Castle (year : 2002)
E004938 : Cardiff Castle Welcome Facility (year : )
E006000 : Bradley Court, Cardiff (year : )
E007992 : Hallinan’s House, 22 Newport Road, Cardiff (year : 2016)
E008488 : Clwb Ifor Bach, 9 and 11 Womanby Street, Cardiff (year : 2022)
E007411 : Cardiff Castle and Roman Fort, Cardiff (year : 2023)

Related records
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 00101s
National Monuments Record NPRN 33 http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/33/details/cardiff-castle
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 08275s

Compiled date : 01-06-1977

Images :

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