Newcastle Bridgend Castle

In the community of Bridgend.
In the historic county of Glamorgan (Modern authority of Bridgend, preserved county of Mid Glamorgan).

Initially a Norman castle, the site appears to have been refortified by Henry II in the 1180s, as indicated by the exceptional quality of the masonry. The castle's most outstanding feature is its complete Norman doorway, which greets the visitor approaching the castle from the south. It is late C12, contemporary with the curtain wall. On the inside it is quite plain, but the outside is given fine decorative treatment. A courtyard castle, roughly circular in plan, with two mural towers built into the curtain wall on the south and west sides. The curtain wall, which was built in straight sections, is impressive and stands to its full height on the west side.

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 Not known if listed listed building protected by law*.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SS90228007

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; 93036

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 00376m

• Web site links
  • http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/default.asp?id=6&PlaceID=98
    http://www.castlewales.com/newcas1.html
• Books
  • Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p101
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p110
    RCAHMW, 1991, An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments in Glamorgan Vol3 pt1a: The Early Castles (London: HMSO) EM3 p326-36
    Salter, Mike, 1991, The Castles of Gwent, Glamorgan and Gower (Malvern) p58
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p161
    Davis, Paul R., 1983, Castles of Glamorgan (Alun Books) p34-5
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p367-8
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Butler, L.A.S.,1971, in Pugh, T.B. (ed), Glamorgan County History Vol3 The Middle Ages (Cardiff) p385, Plate XX
    Hague, D.B., 1971, in Pugh, T.B. (ed), Glamorgan County History Vol3 The Middle Ages (Cardiff) p432
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p650-1
    Randall, Henry John, 1961, The Vale of Glamorgan, Studies in Landscape and History (Newport: R.H.Johns Ltd) p78
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p295
• Journal Articles
  • Spurgeon, Jack, 1987, 'The Castles of Glamorgan' Chateau Gaillard Vol13 p211-2
    Knight, J.K., 1983, ‘Newcastle Bridgend’, 130th annual meeting, Vale of Glamorgan, 1983: programme, CAA, p19
    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
    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
    Clark, G.T., 1867, 'Mediaeval military architecture in England' Archaeological Journal Vol24 p335
• Guidebooks
  • Kenyon, John R. and Spurgeon, Jack, 2001, COITY CASTLE — OGMORE CASTLE — NEWCASTLE (CADW)
    O'Neil, B.H.St J. and Randall, 1949, Newcastle Castle (HMSO)