Penhow Castle

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

The small C12 (King write mid to late C13) keep tower dominates an ensemble which includes C15 hall block and the late C17 domestic section which is visible from the old Chepstow Road. A small an intimate castle that was carefully restored in the 1970's and opened to the public but which has now been sold and is no longer open. A collection of walls and buildings define an irregular polygon, c.28m N-S by 23m, set at the N end of a N-S ridge and ditched about the S. The earliest structure is a much altered C12/C13 tower, whilst a three storey house/hall block is thought to be early C17 structure, remodelled c.1700. An outer enclosure, c.70m E-W and 55m N-S, has been partly traced on the S, apparently enclosing the church. Garden features SW of the castle are thought to be C17-C18 and later.

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

This site is a Listed but grading unknown listed building protected by law*.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST42369086

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; 221292

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 00989g

• Web site links
  • http://www.castlewales.com/penhow.html
• Books
  • Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p135-6
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p118
    Salter, Mike, 1991, The Castles of Gwent, Glamorgan and Gower (Malvern) p26-7
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p286
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p372
    Bradney, J.A., 1904-33, History of Monmouthshire Vol4 p191-6 [mostly manorial history]
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol2 p86
    Morgan, O. and Wakeman, J., 1867, Notes on Penhow Castle (Monmouth and Caerleon Antiquarian Association)
    Coxe, W., 1801, Historical Tour in Monmouthshire (London) Vol1 p30-2
• Journal Articles
  • Wrathmel, S., 1990, 'Penhow Castle, Gwent: Survey and excavation, 1976-9: part 1’ Monmouthshire Antiquarian Vol6 p17-45
    Weeks, S., 1979, 'Penhow Castle' Gwent Local History Vol46 p20-6
    Haslam, R., 1979, ‘Penhow Castle, Gwent’, Countty Life, 166 p1050-3
    Webster, L.E. and Cherry, J., 1979, ‘Medieval Britain in 1978’ Medieval Archaeology Vol23 p263-4
    Knight, J.K. and Wrathmell, S., 1978, 'Penhow Castle' 125th Annual Meeting in Gwent and the Forest of Dean, 1978 CAA p39-40
    Wrathmel, S., 1978, 'Penhow Castle' Archaeology in Wales Vol18, 57-8
    Wrathmel, S., 1977, 'Penhow Castle' Archaeology in Wales Vol17, 44
    Knight, J.K.., 1970, 'Penhow Castle' The 107th Annual Meeting in the Vale of Usk, 1970 CAA p8-10
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    Clark, A., 1953, 'Penhow Castle' Programme of the 100th Annual meeting at Chepstow, 1953 CAA p12
• Guidebooks
  • [S Weeks], 1987, Penhow Castle, Gwent, Wales (Penhow: Penhow Castle)
    
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/hertseng.html#mons5]