Hay Castle, Hay-on-Wye, United Kingdom

Hay Castle is a medieval fortification and 17th-century mansion house in the small town of Hay-on-Wye, Wales. Originally constructed as part of the Norman invasion of Wales, the castle was designed as a ringwork overlooking the town in either the late-11th or early-12th centuries. It was rebuilt in stone around 1200 by the de Braose family and then had a turbulent history, being attacked and burnt several times during the First and Second Barons' Wars, the wars with the Welsh princes, the rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr and the Wars of the Roses.

In the 17th century a Jacobean mansion house was built alongside the medieval keep and the property became a private home. Serious fires in 1939 and 1977 gutted the castle and, despite repairs in the 1980s, by the 21st century much of the building was derelict and unstable. Since 2011 it has been owned by the Hay Castle Trust who plan to renovate the property to form an arts and education centre.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Ryan Owen (2 years ago)
We love the quirkiness and character of this castle. Looking forward to seeing the renovation work finally finished.

Sam Buttsy (3 years ago)
A great big castle that has been constructed from grass, legumes and other herbaceous plants that have been cut and dried to be stored for use as animal fodder

helenp7 (3 years ago)
Great place to sit around with a nice variety of food stalls during the Hayon Wye book festival.

Lucia Carassiti (3 years ago)
Looking forward to when the castle will be restored, we’ll have to go back. In the meantime the open bookshelves create a nice atmosphere.

Jane Harrison (3 years ago)
I always loved the romantic old ruin. Now it's being restored, let's hope it doesn't lose its atmosphere

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Château de Dieppe was founded in 1188 and destroyed in 1195. The site was restored in the 14th century. The castle was largely reconstructed by Charles des Marets in 1433. The castle is composed of a quadrangular enclosure with round flanking towers and a lower court adjacent. The large west tower dates perhaps from the 14th century, and served as the keep. Several architectural styles are represented, and flint and sandstone are used in the buildings. A brick bastion and various other buildings have been added to the original enclosure. The town walls were built around 1360. The walls were extended between 1435 and 1442. Although the town was largely destroyed by an Anglo-Dutch naval bombardment in 1694, the castle survived.

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