New Radnor Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Maes Hyfaidd; Maes Hyvaidd

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

The castle today, although much damaged over the years, consists of a motte topped by a banked oval enclosure containing the foundations of buildings including a keep. An oval, embanked enclosure, 50m by 30m, formed from a natural hillock, is divided by double ditches from a second enclosure to the NW, 154m by 60m, defined by banks and ditches. Both enclosures contain footings of masonry structures and are integrated into the town walls of New Radnor. Part of the keep survived as late as 1815 and a length of curtain wall still stood in the mid C19. To the north-west of the motte is a rectangular bailey known as Bailigas (Beili Glas). Traces of a rectangular structure can be seen against the north-west defences of the bailey. The bailey is cut by later earthworks, including the remains of ridge and furrow, showing the area was cultivated during medieval or later periods.

This site has been described as a;
Masonry Castle
Timber 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 SO21126102

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; 306379

• Web site links
  • http://www.castlewales.com/radnor.html
    http://www.cpat.org.uk/educate/guides/radcast/radcast.htm
    http://www.castles99.ukprint.com/Essays/radnor.html
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of Mid Wales (Malvern) p67-8 [plan]
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p180
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p111-2
    Remfry, P., 1996, Castles of Radnorshire (Logaston Press) p65-71 [plan]
    Remfry, P., 1995, Ten Castles of the Radnor Lordship (SCS Publishing, Worcester)
    Remfry, P., 1994, Radnor Castle, 1066 to 1282 (SCS Publishing, Worcester)
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p410
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p374
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Howse, W.H., 1949, Radnorshire (Hereford) p270-2
    Howse, W.H., 1944, Radnor Old and New (Hereford) p9-16
    RCAHMW, 1913, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Radnorshire (HMSO) p129-30, xviii
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p292
    Davies, Edwin (ed), William, Jonathan, 1905, A General History of the County of Radnor [reprinted from 1858, Archaeologia Cambrensis [ser3] Vol4] p179-80
• 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
    [Cole], 1963, Transactions of the Radnorshire Society Vol33 p36-42 [accounts]
    Howse, W.H., 1958, Transactions of the Radnorshire Society Vol28 p24-6
    Sandford, 1882, Montgomery Collections Vol15 p79-81
• Guidebooks
  • Remfry. P., 1994. Radnor Castle 1066 to 1282 (SCS Publishing. Worcester)
    
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/hertseng.html#rad2]
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol3 p10