Grosmont Castle

Abergavenny, United Kingdom

Grosmont Castle is a ruined castle in the village of Grosmont. The fortification was established by the Normans in the wake of the invasion of England in 1066, to protect the route from Wales to Hereford. Possibly commissioned by William fitz Osbern, the Earl of Hereford, it was originally an earthwork design with timber defences. In 1135, a major Welsh revolt took place, and in response King Stephen brought together Grosmont Castle and its sister fortifications of Skenfrith and White Castle to form a lordship known as the 'Three Castles', which continued to play a role in defending the region from Welsh attack for several centuries.

King John gave the castle to a powerful royal official, Hubert de Burgh, in 1201. During the course of the next few decades it passed back and forth between several owners, including Hubert, the rival de Braose family, and the Crown. Hubert rebuilt the castle in stone, beginning with a new hall and then, on regaining the property in 1219, adding a curtain wall, gatehouse and mural towers. In 1233, a royal army camped outside the castle was attacked by rebel forces under the command of Richard Marshall. Edmund, the Earl of Lancaster, gained possession of the castle in 1267, and it remained in the hands of the earldom and later duchy of Lancaster until 1825.

Edward I's conquest of Wales in 1282 removed much of Grosmont Castle's military utility, although it was besieged in 1405 during the Glyndŵr Rising. By the 16th century it had fallen into disuse and ruin. The castle was placed into the care of the state in 1922, and is now managed by the Cadw Welsh heritage agency.

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Details

Founded: 1219
Category: Castles and fortifications in United Kingdom

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

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4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Richard (10 months ago)
Nice area, free to enter. We parked outside the village pub.
A (10 months ago)
Nice bit of history. There are actually 3 castles all nearby each other but unfortunately we only had time to see this one. It's in an open space where you can freely explore the castle ruins and see the rooms. It can get quite muddy there so wear boots if you go on a rainy day!
Ron Lightfoot (10 months ago)
Wow! I am so happy that I visited here this morning. This castle is amazing! I thoroughly enjoyed exploring it and the views of the beautiful Welsh countryside are jaw dropping!
Rebecca Millman (11 months ago)
Really lovely Castle. It is free to enter so great in that regard too. I think could maybe do with just one or two more signs internally so can understand what we are looking at otherwise pretty perfect.
Tash Horton (16 months ago)
So gorgeous, we arrived after 4pm and were still able to access the gorgeous site. There is a black gate leading to a lovely bridge taking you to the castle. We had 1 dog and 2 children (5yrs & 10) They is a set of stairs taking you up, these has rail bars and our 5 Yr old was able to do it herself. Definitely worth a stop on your journey! The gate was not locked to get into the castle, we parked on the nearby road next to the church and walked the short distance up.
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