Cowbridge Town Walls

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Y Bont-faen

In the community of Cowbridge With Llanblethian.
In the historic county of Glamorgan (Modern authority of Vale of Glamorgan, preserved county of South Glamorgan).

Remains of a stone curtain, describing a pentagonal figure about the central part of the borough of Cowbridge, established c.1254. There are extensive remains of the S part of the circuit, including the South Gate and two angle towers.

This site has been described as a;
Urban Defence.
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 2* listed building protected by law*.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SS99397469

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; 307612

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 00248s

• Web site links
  • http://www.walledtowns.com/wtfc/towninfo/wales/cowbridge.html
• Books
  • Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p27, 74, 75, 170, 271
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p94
    Salter, Mike, 1991, The Castles of Gwent, Glamorgan and Gower (Malvern) p49
    Bond, C.J., 1987, 'Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Defences', in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds) Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report) p92-116 [plan]
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p174
    Robinson, D.M., 1980, Cowbridge: the Archaeology and Topography of a Small Market Town in the Vale of Glamorgan (Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust)
    Barley M.W., 1975, 'Town Defences in England and Wales after 1066' in Barley (ed) Medieval Towns in England and Wales (CBA research reports) pp57-71
    Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p213
    Hague, D.B., 1971, in Pugh, T.B. (ed), Glamorgan County History Vol3 The Middle Ages (Cardiff) p439
    Hopkin-James, 1922, History of Old Cowbridge (Cardiff) p69-75
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co) p246
• Journal Articles
  • Spurgeon, C.J., 2001, 'The Medieval Town Defences of Glamorgan' Studia Celtica Vol35 p161-212 esp p177-187
    1999, 'The Town Walls, Cowbridge' Marches Archaeology
    Youngs, S.M., Clark, J. and Barry, T.B., 1983, ‘Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1982’, Medieval Archaeology Vol27 p227
    Parkhouse, J., 1982, 'Archaeological notes: Cowbridge', Morgannwg Vol26 p76-9
    Youngs, S.M. and Clark, J., 1982, ‘Medieval Britain in 1981’, Medieval Archaeology Vol26 p224
    Parkhouse, J., 1982, ‘Excavations in Cowbridge’, Annual Report 1981–82, (Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust) p7–21
    Parkhouse, J., 1982, ‘Cowbridge’, Archaeology in Wales Vol22 p35
    Parkhouse, J., 1981, ‘Cowbridge’, Archaeology in Wales Vol21 p62-4
    Davidson A., 1979, 'Bear Hotel, Cowbridge: some evidence for the medieval town defences and Romano-British occupation' Annual Report 1977-78 (Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust) p27 -8
    Davidson, A., 1979, 'Bear Hotel, Cowbridge' Archaeology in Wales Vol19 p40
    Davidson, A., 1979, 'Archaeological notes: Bear Hotel, Cowbridge', Morgannwg Vol23 p90
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132