Brecon Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Aberhonddu; Aberhodeny; Brecknock

In the community of Brecon.
In the historic county of Brecknockshire (Modern authority of Powys, preserved county of Powys).

A motte and bailey castle was built in C11. The 3-storey Great Hall was built late C13 early C14. The S wall of the hall survives, pierced by four Early English style, and four lancet windows; crenellations and arrow loops also survive. The lines of the E curtain wall of the castle and the opposite wall of the Great Hall have been uncovered during excavation work. The piers of the hall have been found in the domestic quarters of the hotel which surrounds the courtyard.

This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle
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 Listed but grading unknown listed building protected by law*.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SO04342879

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; 92021, 309157

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 601

• Web site links
  • http://www.castlewales.com/brecon.html
    http://www.breconcastle.co.uk/history.htm
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of Mid Wales (Malvern) p12-13 [plan]
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p8-9
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p31-2
    Remfry, Paul, 1998. Castles of Breconshire (Logaston Press) p91-8 [plan]
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p16
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p326-7
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p575
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p170-1
    Armitage, Ella S., 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London) p290
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol3 (London) p482-3
    Grose, Francis, 1787, The Antiquities of England (London) Vol7 p9-10
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p351
• Journal Articles
  • Parry, E.G., 1993. ‘The Castle of Brecon Hotel’. Brycheiniog 25. 97-105
    Silvester, R.J., 1989. ‘Castle Of Brecon Hotel. Brecon’. Archaeology in Wales 29. 58
    Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p311
    Knight, J.K., 1974, ‘Brecon Castle’, The 121st Annual Meeting in South Brecknock, 1974, CAA p12-14
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1963, 'Early castles in Wales and the Marches: a preliminary list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol112 p77-124
    King, D.J.C., 1961, ‘The castles of Breconshire’ Brycheiniog Vol7 p75-6
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press)] pp90-121
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/hertseng.html#breck3]
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol3 p105