Penmark Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Penmarc

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

Remains of C13 wall 1m thick around a court 65m long by 47m wide with a more thinly walled C16 outer court to the west. The moat has been filled in but there are extensive footings on the east side of the court and on the west side are overgrown ruins of a tower 7m in diameter with a rectangular latrine turret to the south and various other structures. Gilbert de Umfraville had a timber castle on this site in C12. In the time of Edward II Oliver de St John obtained the castle when he married Elizabeth Umfraville, the young heiress.

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

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST05896890

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; 300309

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 00522s

• Web site links
  • http://www.castlewales.com/penmark.html
• Books
  • Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p104
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p118
    Salter, Mike, 1991, The Castles of Gwent, Glamorgan and Gower (Malvern) p61
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1
    Davis, Paul R., 1983, Castles of Glamorgan (Alun Books) p40
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p373
    Hague, D.B., 1971, in Pugh, T.B. (ed), Glamorgan County History Vol3 The Middle Ages (Cardiff) p445
    Clark, G.T., 1884, Medieval military architecture in England (Wyman and Sons) Vol2 p351-3 [reprint of 1861 article]
    Homfray, Jeston, 1828, The Castles of the Lordship of Glamorgan (Cardiff) p31 and plate
• Journal Articles
  • Spurgeon, C.J., 1983, ‘Penmark Castle’, 130th annual meeting, Vale of Glamorgan, 1983: programme, CAA p16–17
    Spurgeon, C.J. and Thomas, H.J.,1980, 'Penmark Castle', Archaeology in Wales Vol20 p77
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    King, D.J.C. and Alcock, L., 1969, 'Ringworks in England and Wales' Chateau Gaillard Vol3 p90-127
    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
    Clark, 1861, Archaeologia Cambrensis [ser3] Vol7 p9-11