Knighton Town Defences

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Cnicteton; Cnichton; Knytheton; Trefylco

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

Hatfield quotes a document (apparently of C15, but no reference is given) which states Knighton has a strong wall in 1402. Salter writes burgesses received grant of murage in 1260. In fact the grant of Murage was to Roger de Mortuo Mari of murage for his town of Knytheton for seven years from Whitsunday (Dated 8th May 1260). King writes if wall existed it probably was not of masonry. Bond is happy to list it as a vanished C13 stone wall.

This site has been described as a;
Urban Defence.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Possible.
Nothing visible remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SO284722

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

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 4182

Books

Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p128, 266, 273
Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of Mid Wales (Malvern)
Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p96
Remfry, P., 1996, Castles of Radnorshire (Logaston Press) p113
Bond, C.J., 1987, 'Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Defences', in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds) Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report) p92-116
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p413
Barley M.W., 1975, 'Town Defences in England and Wales after 1066' in Barley (ed) Medieval Towns in England and Wales (CBA research reports) pp57-71
Hatfield, W., 1947, Knighton p14-15

Journal Articles

Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132

Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents. This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)

Calendar of Patent Rolls (1258-1266) p67

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This record last updated on Saturday, January 20, 2007

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