Montgomery Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Trefaldwyn; Baldwins Castle; Balwy

In the community of Montgomery.
In the historic county of Montgomeryshire (Modern authority of Powys, preserved county of Powys).

Masonry castle standing on a rocky promontory. Precipitous slopes to the north and east make this an excellent defensive site. The castle was built by Henry III to counter the growing power of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd in this area of the Marches. It was probably originally built in timber in 1223 but was almost immediately rebuilt in stone and completed by 1234. The castle of Montgomery replaced the old timber castle at Hen Domen (qv). Montgomery castle is approached from the south. The surviving defences comprise a barbican, a wide outer ditch, the middle ward, a narrower inner ditch and the inner ward. The inner ward, protected by a curtain wall and a twin-towered gatehouse, originally contained the royal suite and apartments as well as the kitchen and brewhouse. On the western side, a large D-shaped tower contained the well. The middle ward originally had only timber defences, but was walled in stone at a later date and manorial buildings erected within it.

This site has been described as a;
Masonry 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.
This site is a Not known if listed listed building protected by law*.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SO22159679

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; 92482

• Web site links
  • http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/default.asp?id=6&PlaceID=96
    http://www.castlewales.com/montgom.html
    http://www.cpat.org.uk/educate/guides/montcas/montcas.htm
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_wales/137/montgomerycastle.htm
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of Mid Wales (Malvern) p44-6
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p148-50
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p106, 108
    Remfry, Paul, 1998, Bloody Montgomery, 1224 to 1295 (Worcester: SCS)
    Thompson, W.M., 1987, The Decline of the Castle (Cambridge University Press) p105, 144, 145, 147, 148, 149, 186-93
    Taylor, A.J., 1986, ‘An incident at Montgomery Castle on New Year’s day, 1288’, in Taylor, A.J., Studies in castles and castle-building, (London: Hambledon Press) p179-84
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p299
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p365-7
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p739-42
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p221-3
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p264, 395 [Assume this was site of the early castle - which was actually Hen Domen]
    RCAHMW, 1911, An Inventory of Ancient Monuments in Montgomeryshire (HMSO) p158-9 No805
    Clark, G.T., 1884, Medieval military architecture in England (Wyman and Sons) Vol2 p303-12 [reprint of Mont. Coll. article]
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol3 (London) p448-9
    Eyton, R.W., 1854-60, The Antiquities of Shropshire Vol11 p117-172
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p413
    Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol7 p95-9
    Tomley, J.E., The Castle of Montgomery
• Journal Articles
  • Knight, J.K., 1994, ‘Excavations at Montgomery Castle Part II: The Finds’. Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol143 p139-203
    Knight, J.K., 1993, ‘Excavations at Montgomery Castle Part II: The Finds (Metalwork)’ Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol142 p182-242
    Knight, J.K., 1992, ‘Excavations At Montgomery Castle - Part I’ Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol141 p97-180.
    Knight, J.K., 1983, ‘Montgomery: a castle of the Welsh March, 1223-1649’ Château Gaillard Vol11 p169-82
    Knight, J.K., 1981, ‘Montgomery Castle’ Archaeological Journal Vol138 p18-20
    Lloyd, J.D.K., 1980, ‘The Well-Tower at Montgomery Castle’ Montgomeryshire Collections Vol68 p129
    [Knight], 1969, Medieval Archaeology Vol13 p263
    [Knight], 1968, Medieval Archaeology Vol12 p182-3
    Lewis, J.M., 1968, ‘The Excavation of the 'New Building' at Montgomery Castle’ Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol117p127-155
    [Lewis], 1967, Medieval Archaeology Vol11 p290
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    Lloyd, J.D.K., 1965-6, Montgomeryshire Collections Vol59 p141-4 [survey of 1592-3]
    Spurgeon. C J., 1966, ‘The castles of Montgomeryshire’ Montgomeryshire Collections Vol58 p42-4
    Lloyd, J.D.K., 1965, ‘The "new building" at Montgomery Castle’ Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol114 p60-68
    Lloyd, J.D.K., 1955, ‘Montgomery Castle and the Herberts’ Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol104 p52-64
    Chitty, Lily, 1949, 'Subsidiary Castle Sites West of Shrewsbury' Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological Society Vol53 p83-90
    1942, Archaeologia Cambrensis p4-5
    O'Neil, 1940, Archaeologia Cambrensis p217
    O'Neil, 1932, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol87 p441-2
    1929-30, Offa Field Club p12-22
    Tomley, 1923, Archaeologia Cambrensis [ser7] Vol3 p346-66 [history]
    Drinkwater, C.H., 1906, ‘Deed relating to Montgomery Castle’ Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Natural History Society Vol6 pviii-x
    Armitage, E., 1904 April, 'The Early Norman Castles of England' The English Historical Review Vol74 p239-40 [assumes this is site of Old Montgomery castle]
    Anon, 1888, ‘Montgomery: various documents relating to the castle and borough’ Montgomeryshire Collections Vol22 p179-210
    Sandford, G., 1883, ‘Montgomery Castle: Supplementary details’ Montgomeryshire Collections Vol16 p93-116 [history]
    Clark, G.T., 1880. Archaeologia Cambrensis [ser4] Vol11 p114-28 [reprint of Montgomeryshire Collections article]
    Clark, G.T., 1877, ‘The castle of Montgomery; notes upon its structure and history’ Montgomeryshire Collections Vol10 p316-326
    Sandford, G., 1877, ‘Montgomery Castle’ Montgomeryshire Collections Vol10 p61-124, 313-328
• Guidebooks
  • Butler, L. and Knight, J.K., 2004, Dolforwyn Castle, Montgomery Castle (CADW)
    Lloyd, J.D.K. and Knight, J.K., 1981 2 edn, Montgomery Castle, Powys/Castell Trefaldwyn (HMSO)
    Lloyd, J.D.K. and Knight, J.K., 1973. Montgomery Castle (HMSO)
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/glameng.html#mont2]
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol3 p11
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p396