Grosmont Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Grismond; Grossemont

In the community of Grosmont.
In the historic county of Monmouthshire (Modern authority of Monmouthshire, preserved county of Gwent).

Substantial remains of C13 castle of Hubert de Burgh, raised on an earlier motte. It was later remodelled by the house of Lancaster. A castle in existence by 1154, with main periods of construction from early C13 through to C14, thought to have become derelict by C16. The castle consists of an inner enclosure, c.40m by 36m, enclosed by stone curtains, with towers and appartments, with a c.20m wide moat, the whole placed within a second enclosure, c.130m by 140m, defined by scarps and ditches, but obscured to the W.

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 SO40522445

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; 93388

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 01664g

• Web site links
  • http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/default.asp?id=6&PlaceID=76
    http://www.castlewales.com/grosmnt.html
    http://www.castles99.ukprint.com/Essays/trilateral.html
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_wales/161/grosmontcastle.htm
• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p624
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p130-1
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p84-5
    Remfry, Paul, 1995, Grosmont Castle, 1066 to 1538 (SCS Publishing: Worcestershire)
    Salter, Mike, 1991, The Castles of Gwent, Glamorgan and Gower (Malvern) p19-20
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p283
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p355
    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) p657-8
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p159-163
    Bradney, J.A., 1906, History of Monmouthshire Vol1 p70-2
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol2 p82-3
    Bagnall-Oakley, M.E., 1896, Papers on Monmouth Castle etc. (Mon. and Caerleon Ant. Ass) p81-5, 89
    Clark, G.T., 1884, Medieval military architecture in England (Wyman and Sons) Vol2 p51-3 {reprint of 1867 article]
    Coxe, W., 1801, Historical Tour in Monmouthshire (London) Vol2 p326-7, 334-5
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol1 p186
• Journal Articles
  • Knight, J.K.., 1978, 'Grosmont Castle' 125th Annual Meeting in Gwent and the Forest of Dean 1978 CAA p22-3
    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
    Bagnall-Oakley, M.E., 1909, Archaeologia Cambrensis [ser6] Vol9 p103-5
    Bagnall-Oakley, M.E., 1895-97, 'Grosmont Castle, Skenfrith Castle and Church, Pembroke Castle' Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol20 p88-99
    Banks, 1876, Archaeologia Cambrensis [ser4] Vol7 p304-6
    Clark, 1867, The Builder Vol25 p274
• Guidebooks
  • Knight, Jeremy K., 2000 (2edn), The Three Castles: Grosmont, Skenfrith and White Castle (CADW)
    Knight, Jeremy K., 1987, The Three castles: Grosmont, Skenfrith and White Castle (CADW)
    Knight, Jeremy K., 1980, Grosmont Castle, Gwent/ Castell y Grysmwnt (HMSO)
    Radford, C.A.R., 1946, Grosmont Castle (HMSO)
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/hertseng.html#mons3]
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol2 p71
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p225