Painscastle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Pain's Castle; Payn's Castle; Castle Paine; Mauds Castle; Castrum Matildis; Elfael; Elvael; Castle Matilda; Garde Doloureuse

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

Consist of a great motte which was once crowned by a keep. Beneath this is a rectangular bailey all of which is still deeply ditched. The remains of two barbicans can still be made out that approached the entrances to motte and bailey. The earthworks suggest at least two round towers stood in the bailey enceinte as well as a hall block. 164m by 106m overall, set within a larger, possibly subrectangular enclosure, c.210m by 185m. Reconstructed 1231, possibly invoving traces of stone tower upon motte. A tessilated, "fairy" pavement was uncovered here in C19.

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

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SO16644615

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; 96534

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 50297

• Web site links
  • http://www.castlewales.com/pains.html
    http://www.castles99.ukprint.com/Essays/painscastle.html
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of Mid Wales (Malvern) p65
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p180-1
    Remfry, Paul, 1999, Painscastle, 1066 to 1405 (SCS Publishing Worcester)
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p115
    Remfry, P., 1996, Castles of Radnorshire (Logaston Press) p132-4 [plan]
    Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford) p216
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p411
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p370
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p775-6
    Howse, W.H., 1949, Radnorshire (Hereford) p272-3
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p132
    RCAHMW, 1913, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Radnorshire (HMSO) p64
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p293
• 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
    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
    1959, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol108 p159-60
    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
    Cole, 1954, Transactions of the Radnorshire Society Vol24 p30-2 [slight]
    Morgan, 1927, Woolhope Naturalists Field Club p29-32
    Dawson, M.L., 1923, ‘Painscastle and its story’ Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol78 p28-52 [poor history]
    Sandfort, 1882, Montgomery Collections Vol15 p81-2
    Cheese, 1879, Woolhope Naturalists Field Club p181-7
• 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]