Gwynedd Archaeological
Trust Regional Historic Environment Record
Gatehouse, Harlech Castle
Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 103674 Trust : Gwynedd Community : Harlech Unitary authority : Gwynedd NGR : SH5811531245 Site Type (preferred type first) : MEDIEVAL GATEHOUSE Status : Snowdonia National Park
Summary : The gatehouse at Harlech Castle, concieved as an independent defensible unit.
Description : Please see PRN2908 for Harlech Castle and wider reading.
In 1846 an antiquarian compiled a list of the records which was published in Archaeologica Cambrensis. Of particular relevance to this project is a survey of Harlech Castle dated 23rd September 1564 and held in the Porkington collection. This survey details the entire castle and the section detailing the gatehouse is reproduced in full below. The original spelling and punctuation has been retained:
"The Bridge – Consisteth of an Arche of Stone, rising from the bottom of the diche, battlemented on both sides, in the midds between the Grene and the Castle ye distaunces now fulfilled with tymber and plank, in greate Decaye, where have bene two Drawn Bridges – in bredth iiij yerdes.
The Gate House – Theare is a stetely stayre, leading from the inner Courte, in ye said buildings, of – Grises xxx vy bredth ij yards, dimidium. 5.0.15 The rounde towre, on the righte hande, consisting of two loftes, with ij chimneys; the roof leaded, greatly decayed, containing in – compasse xx yards.
The lodging called the porter’s lodge, adioyning to the same, having ij loftes, with iij Chymneys, and a staire in one of the said turrets, to the leades of the Same, greatlie in Decay – containing in length vij yerdes. Bredth vj yerdes. 5.0.16 The towre on the left hande, answerable to the foresaide rounde towre beinge leaded, but greatlie Decayed – containing in compasse xx yerdes.
The Chambre next the porter’s Lodge, now vsed for a hall, having ij loftes, ij chymneys, and a staire in thither rounde turret, to ye leades thereof, being greatlie in decay – containing in bredth vj yerdes dimidium” (W.W.E.W 1849: 249 – 251)."
A watching brief was undertaken on the gatehouse passage in 2018. None of the excavation areas uncovered what could be conclusively proven to be intact Medieval (or earlier) deposits. The small section of wall uncovered in the electric connection box is presumed to be Medieval, but this cannot conclusively be proven due to the small size of the excavated area. Medieval artefactual material was recovered from the site but was residual rather than being found insitu.
It would seem likely that the cobbled surfaces exposed (contexts 03 & 06) were laid as part of the late 1860’s work around the gatehouse, with later disturbances associated with the use of the area as a tourist venue during the mid-twentieth century when visitor toilets were installed. This cobbled surface corresponds with the stone layer uncovered during previous archaeological works at the site (Morgan 2013).
Despite a Medieval date for the human remains recovered during the works, these remains were not uncovered insitu and they are believed to have been discovered during the works in the mid-twentieth century and reburied within the passageway (Rees & Jones 2018).
An archaeological watching brief on the removal of a set of stone steps, just inside the gatehouse at Harlech Castle was carried out between 27/03/2023 and 25/05/2023. This revealed the remains of a possible wall below the steps. A trail trench was also excavated between the gatehouse and a wall crossing the inner ward which suggested that some stratified deposits survive in this area.
The demolition of the steps in Harlech Castle, surprisingly, revealed the remains of a wall which probably is an extension of the wall which crosses the inner ward from the junction between Ystumgwern Hall and the Granary to a point in front of the gatehouse. These walls are, however, are at an angle of approximately 110 ° to each other. The position of the wall crossing the inner ward and the angle between two wall sections may suggest that neither were structural in nature and may represent an internal division within the inner ward.
Unfortunately, the relationship between these two walls has been destroyed by the construction of the steps and the reconstruction of the wall crossing the inner ward.
The trail trench has shown that at least some in situ, stratified deposits survive within the inner ward and that the conservation works undertaken in the early twentieth century has not removed all of the internal stratigraphy. At least five phases of activity are suggested by the excavation. The earliest of which is the possible gulley (Context 14) crossing the trench which is cut into the underlying natural clay (Phase 1). This was sealed by a dump of gravel with some domestic waste (Context 13), presumably to level the area (Phase 2).
Above this is a possible hearth (Context 10) surrounded by a trampled surface (Context 11) which had also been affected by the heat of the possible hearth (Phase 3). The location of the hearth is curious being so close to the stair turret and the wall crossing the inner ward. It would seem probable that the burning took place before the wall across the inner ward was constructed as it is only 0.5 m away from the edge of the possible hearth.
Phase 4 is another phase of levelling up (Context 5). Which was cut by the construction of a concrete based (Context 16) and slate sided (Context 3) drain alongside both the wall across the inner ward and the steps (Phase 5). Given the relatively moder construction of the steps this phase is also late twentieth century in date. It also contains the lime mortar pad with an iron pin (Context 8) which probably originally supported a sign of some sort. Care must be taken with the interpretation of this trench because of its small size, but it does suggest that there may be at least some surviving stratigraphy, at least between the gatehouse and the wall running across the inner ward (Brooks 2023).
