Cilgerran Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Emlyn; Cenarth Bychan; Cenarth Fechan; Kilgarren

In the community of Cilgerran.
In the historic county of Pembrokeshire (Modern authority of Pembrokeshire, preserved county of Dyfed).

Picturesque remains include a pair of highly defensible round towers dating to the third decade of C13. Earlier Norman origins. Possible the same as Cenarth Bychan (Cenarth Fechan) mentioned a built in 1108.

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 SN19494313

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; 95037

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 1176

• Web site links
  • http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/default.asp?id=6&PlaceID=53
    http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/scripts/nthandbook.dll?ACTION=PROPERTY&PROPERTYID=215
    http://www.castlewales.com/cliger.html
    http://www.greatcastlesofwales.co.uk/cilgerran.htm
• Books
  • Hull, Lise, 2005, Castles and Bishops Palaces of Pembrokeshire (Logaston Press) p77-83
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p158-60
    Davis, Paul, 2000, A Company of Forts. A Guide to the Medieval Castles of West Wales (Gomer Press) p44, 71-3 [plan and reconstruction]
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p63-4
    Salter, Mike, 1996, The Castles of South West Wales (Malvern) p54-6 [plan]
    Miles, Dillwyn, 1979 (Revised 1988), Castles of Pembrokeshire (Pembrokeshire Coast National Park) p13-5
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p392, 398
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p341
    Stickings, T.G., 1973, Castles and Strongholds of Pembrokeshire (Tenby) p27-31
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p213-4
    RCAHMW, 1925, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Pembrokeshire (HMSO) p67-9
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p281
    Edwards, Emily Hewlett, 1909, Castles and Strongholds of Pembrokeshire (Tenby) p13-15
    Phillips, J.R., 1867, History of Cilgerran (London) p73-95
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p420
    Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol7 p104-6
• Journal Articles
  • Lane, L. and Crane, P., 1987, ‘Cilgerran Castle’, Archaeology in Wales Vol27 p64–5
    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
    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, 1859, Archaeologia Cambrensis [ser3] Vol5 p340-2
• Guidebooks
  • Hiling, John B., 2000 (2edn), Cilgerran Castle - St Dogmaels Abbey (CADW)
    Hiling, John B., 1992, Cilgerran Castle - St Dogmaels Abbey (CADW)
    Craster, O.E., 1957, Cilgerran Castle (HMSO)
    Jones, O.L., [c 1953]. Cilgerran Castle, north Pembrokeshire: descriptive and historical sketch. (Cardigan: printed by E L Jones)
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/glameng.html#pemb10]