The Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust
Historic Environment Record
 

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Abergavenny Castle

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 01759g
Trust : Glamorgan Gwent
Community : Abergavenny
Unitary authority : Monmouthshire
NGR : SO2994413962
Site Type (preferred type first) : Medieval Castle
Status : Scheduled Monument , listed building I

Summary :
Key features of Abergavenny Castle include a mixture of masonry ruins (12-19th century) which are situated on top of a previous earth and timber castle with a motte and bailey. It is suggested that the site was chosen as a location due to its natural defences, relation to remains of the Roman Fort of Gobannium, and road links. A great deal of documentary evidence is available, and Phillips interprets the site as being an early motte and bailey most likely built in the late 11th century with its size indicating that it was a large occupation centre.

Description :
Most of the walls are fallen and the principal remains consist of a round and pentagonal tower. The windows and doorways are built in the pointed style. From the site the castle appears to consist of two courts: one is converted into a kitchen garden; the gateway to the other, which formed the principal entrance, and some parts of the walls are still standing. To the south east of the pentagonal tower is a tumulus, which was formerly surrounded by a fosse (White 1845)

Phillips notes that key features of Abergavenny Castle include a mixture of masonry ruins (12-19th century) which are situated on top of a previous earth and timber castle with a motte and bailey. It is suggested that the site was chosen as a location due to its natural defences, relation to remains of the Roman Fort of Gobannium, and road links. A great deal of documentary evidence is available, and Phillips interprets the site as being an early motte and bailey most likely built in the late 11th century with its size indicating that it was a large occupation centre (Phillips 2004).

An evaluation undertaken in 1998 on the retaining wall below the north wall of the tower indicated that the retaining wall concealed an early bank which had subsequently been used as the foundation for the North East tower (Sell 1998).

Evaluation of the north wall:
The north wall has been reduced in height and is covered partly by later landscaping or garden wall and is possibly the oldest surviving Norman wall in the castle grounds c1240-50. Appears to be built on the the old bailey rampart of the original castle of c1087. The initial wall had been built on a boulder foundation on which the mortared rubble rampart or bank had been laid and the coursed wall built up, bonded into a mortar-rubbled core. The outer facing wall had a battered block foundation. Inside the bailey, the corner of a building was located; the only known building in this part of the bailey. Not dated. (Makepeace 1999)

Sources :
Cadw , Application for Scheduled Monument Consent
Connors, O. J. , 2013 , The Effects of Anglo-Norman Lordship upon the Landscape of Post-Conquest Monmouthshire
Glamorgan Gwent Archaeological Trust , Site Visit Record
Makepeace G A , 1999 , Abergavenny Castle , Archaeology in Wales : 39 : 109-110
Maylan C , 1990 , Excavations at the South East Tower of Abergavenny Castle ( © GGAT)
O'Neil BH STJ. , 1954 , The Castles of Wales (A Hundred Years of Welsh Archeology). , Archeologia Cambrensis : 103 : 129-140
Phillips, N. , 2004 , Thesis: Earthwork Castles of Gwent and Ergyng AD 1050 - 1250
Sell, S , 1998 , Abergavenny Castle, Gwent: North East Tower Heritage Recording ( © GGAT)
The Handley Partnership , HAAbase built heritage assessment system: Buildings at Risk database
Wright A. , 1937 , The Church Bells of Monmouthshire. I. , Archaeologia Cambrensis : 92 : 294-310
01/MM List/Cadw/1995/Scheduled Monument Consent (withdrawn)
02/PM Letter/C Hill/1995/Comment on Application for Scheduled Monument Consent
03/GGAT watching brief abergavenny castle 1990
04/Desc Text/Cadw/Application for Scheduled Monument Consent/2007 Copy in further information file.
05/Desc Text/Cadw/2009/Application for Scheduled Monument Consent/copy in further information file
06/Desc Text/Cadw/2009/Application for Scheduled Monument Consent/copy in further information file

Events :
E000306 : Abergavenny Castle (year : 1990)
E004063 : Earthwork Castles of Gwent and Ergyng AD 1050 - 1250 (year : 2004)
E004427 : Abergavenny Castle (year : 1998)
E006700 : Southwest Solar Tower, Abergavenny Castle, Abergavenny (year : 2021)
E007594 : Llanfoist to Abergavenny Footbridge (year : 2016-18)
E007595 : Llanfoist to Abergavenny Footbridge (year : 2016)
E008461 : Abergavenny 3 - 19 School (year : 2021)

Related records

Compiled date : 02-12-1988


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