Cefnllys Castle(s)

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Keventleres; Kenflyc; Kenflic; Kevenles; Castell Glyn Ieithon; Castle Bank; Maelienydd

In the community of Penybont.
In the historic county of Radnorshire (Modern authority of Powys, preserved county of Powys).

Possible Iron Age hill fort. Stone castle built between 1240-1245 by Roger Mortimer at northern end of narrow triangular hilltop and a further strong keep with rockcut ditch built on southern end of hilltop in 1273. Cause of much dispute between Mortimer and Llewelyn ap Gruffydd. Possibly small town of 25 burgesses which was granted market in 1282 in space between these two buildings. Rebuilt and repaired regularly and had garrisson of 12 spearmen and 30 archers at time of Owain Glyndwr rebellion in 1403. Abandoned in 1493 and rapidly fell to ruin. Remfry considers that this site should be regarded as two seperate castles (The dispute between Mortimer and Llewelyn appears to be based on Llewelyn's opinion that Mortimer had built a 'new' castle rather than rebuilding the old castle as allowed by the treaty of Montgomery.)

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

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SO08936146

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; 96530

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 50040

• Web site links
  • http://www.castlewales.com/cefnllys.html
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of Mid Wales (Malvern) p58-9
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p179
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p57
    Remfry, P., 1996, Castles of Radnorshire (Logaston Press) p95-8 [plans]
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p406-7
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p338
    Howse, W.H., 1949, Radnorshire (Hereford) p266-7
    RCAHMW, 1913, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Radnorshire (HMSO) p29-31
• Journal Articles
  • Browne, D.M. and Pearson, A.W.,1985, ‘Castle Bank, Cefnllys’, Archaeology in Wales Vol25 p44
    Brown, A.E., 1972, 'The castle, borough and park of Cefnllys' Transactions of the Radnorshire Society Vol42 p11-22
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    [Cole], 1964, Transactions of the Radnorshire Society Vol34 p31-8 [accounts for 1356, slight]
    [Davies], 1939, Transactions of the Radnorshire Society Vol9 p23-4 [history only]
    Samdford, 1882, Montgomery Collections Vol15 p76-9
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/hertseng.html#rad3]
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol3 p11