Photo: Tyssil / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
About this place
Raglan Castle stands on a ridge in Monmouthshire, its hexagonal Great Tower rising above a wide moat.
Sir William ap Thomas began building it in 1435, and his son later added a gatehouse with distinctive machicolations that let defenders drop missiles on anyone below.
It came late in the age of castle building, so as much thought went into grandeur as into defence.
During the English Civil War it was held for the Royalist cause and endured a lengthy siege before being deliberately slighted.
Cadw looks after the site today, and the ruins still give a clear sense of a fortress designed to double as a palace.
Read more on WikipediaHistory
Sir William ap Thomas, known as the 'blue knight of Gwent', began the moated Great Tower in 1435, and his son Sir William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, extended the castle with its distinctive machicolated gatehouse. The castle later passed to the earls of Worcester, who continued to develop it as a grand residence. During the English Civil War it was held for the Royalist cause and endured a lengthy siege before being deliberately slighted, leaving the ruins seen today.
Architecture
The hexagonal Great Tower and the flared machicolations of the gatehouse are the castle's defining features, combining genuine defensive engineering with the visual display expected of a late medieval residence built for a powerful noble family.
Facilities
Plan your visit
Nearest station: Abergavenny Rail Station (7.6 miles)
Open year-round; check official Cadw website for specific opening hours and seasonal variations.
Nearby properties
Treowen
View Treowen on heritage mapHen Gwrt Medieval Moated Site
View Hen Gwrt Medieval Moated Site on heritage mapWhite Castle Ruins
View White Castle Ruins on heritage mapMonmouth Castle
View Monmouth Castle on heritage mapSt John the Baptist's Church, Llanrothal
View St John the Baptist's Church, Llanrothal on heritage mapHistoric places nearby
Within 5 miles of Raglan Castle (NP15) there are 2 historic properties, including 1 historic building and 1 historic house, across Cadw and Historic Houses sites.
Within 10 miles of Raglan Castle (NP15) there are 9 historic properties, including 3 historic buildings and 3 Defences, across Cadw, Churches Conservation Trust and English Heritage sites.
Within 20 miles of Raglan Castle (NP15) there are 34 historic properties, including 12 historic buildings, 5 Defences and 5 castles, across Cadw, National Trust and Churches Conservation Trust sites.
Facts
The last and grandest medieval castle built in Wales, made to impress a court as much as repel an army.
- Type
- castle
- Location
- Monmouthshire, Wales
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