Rhayader Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Tower Mount; Rhaedr Gwy; Rhaidr Gwy; Rhys Castle

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

Exploits a strong natural crag overlooking the Wye, and is defended on the north and east by rock-cut ditches with a causeway on the north-east. The castle was built by the Lord Rhys of Deheubarth, in 1177 at the fringes of his kingdom, and was rebuilt by him in 1194. This later work may have been reinforcement in the face of a threat, since shortly afterwards the castle fell to Maelgwn and Hywel, sons of Cadwallon ap Madog of Maelienydd, the adjoining kingdom to the east. They almost immediately lost it to English Mortimer forces, but it was soon regained by the Lord Rhys. "The castle of Gwrtheyrnion" (the Rhayader area) was again regained by the Welsh in 1202, although it is not clear how they had lost it. The site was probably disused by the early C14. Paul Remfry writes (pers. corr.) "A charter of the 1180's proves that Rhys' castle was on the west bank of the Wye in Commote Dewdr and not actually in Gwrtheyrnion where current-day Rhayadr is. From this one piece of evidence it appears clear that Rhys' castle was the motte to the west of the Wye and the Norman castle the ringwork? with deep rock-cut ditch next to the church on the east bank."

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 SN96836803

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; 94001

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 257

• Web site links
  • http://www.castlewales.com/rhayader.html
    http://history.powys.org.uk/history/rhaeadr/castle.html
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of Mid Wales (Malvern) p69
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p181
    Remfry, P., 1996, Castles of Radnorshire (Logaston Press)
    Davis, Paul R., 1988, Castles of the Welsh Princes (Swansea) p122
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p411
    1982, ‘The structure of an early castle’, Review of Projects, (Clwyd-Powys, Archaeological Trust) p11
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p377
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    RCAHMW, 1913, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Radnorshire (HMSO) p137-8
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p301
    Davies, Edwin (ed), William, Jonathan, 1905, A General History of the County of Radnor [reprinted from 1858, Archaeologia Cambrensis [ser3] Vol4] p134
• Journal Articles
  • Spurgeon, C.J., 1978, ‘Rhayader’ Archaeology in Wales Vol18 p59
    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
    Williams, 1898, Montgomery Collections Vol30 p216-29
    Sandford, 1882, Montgomery Collections Vol15 p82-3
• 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]