Aberystwyth Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Llanbadarn Fawr; Lampadervaur

In the community of Aberystwyth.
In the historic county of Cardiganshire (Modern authority of Ceredigion, preserved county of Dyfed).

Much ruined castle ordered to be built in 1277 by Edward I. One of the first concentric castles. Concentric walled lozenge plan castle of coursed rubble masonry. Dry moat to W; round towers to inner and outer wards. Inner gate tower to W with outer gate beyond; twin aspidal tower gateway with pointed entrance, portcullis chase, crenellated parapet and splayed stair turret to N. Dungeon to SW and mural tower to S side of inner ward.

This site has been described as a;
Masonry Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Major remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Not known if listed listed building protected by law*.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SN57988153

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

National Monuments Record number; 86

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 559

• Web site links
  • http://www.castlewales.com/aberystw.html
• Books
  • Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p37-9
    Davis, Paul, 2000, A Company of Forts. A Guide to the Medieval Castles of West Wales (Gomer Press) p57-9 [plan and reconstrustion]
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p27-8
    Salter, Mike, 1996, The Castles of South West Wales (Malvern) p12-16 [plan]
    Taylor, A.J., 1986, The Welsh Castles of Edward I (Hambledon Press) p7-16
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p44
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p323-4
    Spurgeon, C.J., 1977, ‘Aberystwyth Castle and borough to 1649’, in Jones. I.G. (ed), Aberystwyth 1277-1977: Eight Lectures to Celebrate the Seventh Centenary of the Foundation of the Borough (Llandysul:Gomer Press) p28-45
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works, vol1: the Middle Ages (London) p299-308
    Edwards, J. Goronwy, 1944, 'Edward I's Castle-Building in Wales' Proceedings of the British Academy Vol32 esp p30-1, 67
    Owen, Henry (ed), 1936, The Description of Pembrokeshire (London) Vol4 p437-8
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p220
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p281-2
    Evans, 1902, Aberystwyth and its Court Leet (Aberystwyth)
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol3 (London) p472-4
    Morgan, 1849 and 1872, History of Castle of Aberystwyth (Aberystwyth)
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p376
• Journal Articles
  • 1995, Ceredigion
    Stewart, D.S., Browne, D.M. and Spurgeon, C.J., 1988, ‘Aberystwyth Castle’, Archaeology in Wales, Vol28 p69
    Stewart, D.S., 1987, ‘Aberystwyth Castle’, Archaeology in Wales, Vol27 p56
    Davis, A., 1986, ‘Aberystwyth Castle’, Archaeology in Wales, Vol26 p51–2
    Davis, A., 1985, ‘Aberystwyth Castle’, Archaeology in Wales, Vol25 p35–6
    Davis, A., 1984, ‘Aberystwyth Castle’, Archaeology in Wales, Vol24 p61–2
    Youngs, S.M., Clark, J. and Barry, T.B., 1984, 'Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1983’, Medieval Archaeology Vol28 p
    Thorburn, J., 1983, ‘Aberystwyth Castle’, Archaeology in Wales, Vol23 p51–2
    Thorburn, J., 1982, ‘Aberystwyth Castle’, Archaeology in Wales, Vol22 p30
    Browne, D.M., 1978, ‘Aberystwyth Castle’, Archaeology in Wales, Vol18 p54
    Spurgeon, C.J., 1977, ‘Aberystwyth Castle’, 124th Annual Meeting in Abeystwyth, South Montgomery and North Radnor, CAA, 1977 p10-11
    Griffiths, R.A., 1977, ‘The three castles at Aberystwyth’, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol126 p74-87
    Webster, L.E. and Cherry, J., 1977, ‘Medieval Britain in 1976’, Medieval Archaeology Vol21 p240
    Spurgeon, C.J. and Browne, D.M., 1976, ‘Aberystwyth Castle’, Archaeology in Wales, Vol16 p38
    Spurgeon, C.J. and Whatmore, 1976, ‘Aberystwyth Castle’, Archaeology in Wales, Vol15 p54-5
    Webster, L.E. and Cherry, J., 1976, ‘Medieval Britain in 1975’, Medieval Archaeology Vol20 p186
    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 and O'Neil, 1946-7, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol99 p137-9
    Edwards, J. Goronwy, 1944, 'Edward I's Castle-Building in Wales' Proceedings of the British Academy Vol32 p30-1
    Hughes, 1931, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol86 p398-402
    Hughes, 1904, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol4 p317-23
    Hughes, 1903, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol3 p272-8
• Guidebooks
  • Spurgeon, C.J., 1975, [2nd edition]. The castle and borough of Aberystwyth. (Aberystwyth: Ceredigion District Council)
    Morgan, 1908, Short History of the Castle of Aberystwyth (Aberystwyth)