Raglan Castle is a late medieval castle situated just north of the village

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25-Apr-2026 04 am

Raglan Castle is a late medieval castle situated just north of the village of Raglan in Monmouthshire, located in the south-eastern region of Wales. The construction of Raglan Castle occurred in multiple stages, with initial efforts taking place during the 1420s and 1430s, followed by a significant phase in the 1460s, and various modifications and enhancements made towards the end of the 16th century. Throughout these eras, the successive ruling families, namely the Herberts and the Somersets, developed an opulent, fortified structure, featuring a prominent hexagonal keep, referred to as the Great Tower or the Yellow Tower of Gwent. Nevertheless, some historians, including John Kenyon, speculate that an earlier motte and bailey castle may have been established on the Raglan site after the Norman conquest of Wales, when the land surrounding the village of Raglan was bestowed upon William FitzOsbern, the Earl of Hereford. The contemporary castle was constructed using stone, initially utilizing pale sandstone from Redbrook, and subsequently Old Red Sandstone, with Bath Stone incorporated for many intricate details. At Raglan, the architectural design emphasized the Great Tower: a typical senior visitor would traverse through Raglan village, with the tower and subsequently the remainder of the castle emerging unexpectedly over a gentle rise on the hill. A visitor would have had to navigate around the Great Tower and the moat, before entering through the gatehouse into the Pitched Stone Court, circling the perimeter of the communal hall, prior to arriving at the previously concealed, and more elegant, inner Fountain Court. Similar to other properties of the era, the castle constructed in the 1460s was almost certainly intended to be approached and entered in a specific manner, thereby enhancing the aesthetic and political significance of the fortification. Enclosed by parkland, water gardens, and terraces, the castle was regarded by its contemporaries as being on par with any other in England or Wales. During the First English Civil War, Raglan was held by a Royalist garrison representing Charles I, but it was captured by Parliamentarian troops in 1646, leading to its walls being slighted, or intentionally rendered unusable for military purposes. Following the Stuart Restoration in 1660, the Somersets chose not to restore the castle, which subsequently became a source of local construction materials and eventually transformed into a picturesque ruin. Today, it serves as a tourist destination. #History #Architecture #Castles

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