Bronllys Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Brunless; Brynllys

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

Late C11/early C12 motte with C13 round stone keep. Three floors, with fine views. To the north are two baileys each with a bank and ditch. The sites of bastion towers may be detected where there are breaks in the bank and ditch of the outer bailey. A cylindrical tower, possibly as late asC14 stands, its base draped in a low mound, at the apex of an irregularily pentagonal enclosure, c.156m by 136m, defined by lengths of banks and ditches. Remains of castle buildings, possibly C16, incorporated in stables of later house , whose gardens have obscured the castle remains. The present tower, probably early- mid-C13, is a second stone rebuild of an earlier C12 structure. Circular plan of 3-storeys plus basement, built of sandstone with no roof. The walls stand to almost full height. The windows are rebated internally for shutters. Vaulted basement.

This site has been described as a;
Masonry Castle
Timber 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 Grade 1 listed building protected by law*.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SO14933463

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; 96535

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 72134, 539

• Web site links
  • http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/default.asp?id=6&PlaceID=30
    http://www.castlewales.com/bronllys.html
    http://www.cpat.org.uk/educate/guides/brecast/brecast.htm
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of Mid Wales (Malvern)p14-
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p9-10
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p33
    Remfry, Paul, 1998. Castles of Breconshire (Logaston Press) p135--9 [plans]
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus)
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p327
    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) p582
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p169-70
    Clark, G.T., 1884, Medieval Military Architecture in England  (Wyman and Sons) Vol1 p283-5 [Reprint of 1866 Arch. Camb. article]
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol3 (London) p485-7
    King, Edward, 1799-1805, Munimenta Antiqua Vol3 p31-8
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p353
• Journal Articles
  • Knight, J.K., 1974, ‘Bronllys 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
    Renn, D.F., 1961, 'The round keeps of the Brecon region' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol110 p138 and plan
    King, D.J.C., 1961, ‘The castles of Breconshire’ Brycheiniog Vol7 p76
    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
    Jones, 1910, Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists’ Field Club p154-7
    Clark, G.T., 1904, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol4 p158-60
    Clark, G.T., 1866, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol12 p441-5
    (Banks), 1862, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol8 p81-92
• Guidebooks
  • Smith, J.B. and Knight, J.K., 1981, Bronllys Castle/Castell Bronllys, Powys (HMSO)
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol3 p111