Keep at Bronllys Castle

Keep at Bronllys Castle

Bronllys Castle was established near a palace (llys) of the princes of Brycheiniog to position itself both close to the seat of power and controlling the crossing of the River Llynfi. The present tower is the second rebuild in stone, undertaken by Walter de Clifford II (died 1220) or Walter de Clifford III (1221–1263), replacing the original strong point established by Richard Fitzpons of Clifford around 1090–3 as the newly established capital for the cantref of Selyf. The original fortification is now represented only by the motte with extensive inner and outer baileys of approximately 3 hectares lying to the north. A stone tower, probably a predecessor of the present one, was damaged by fire in 1175. The castle is believed to have been taken in 1262 and again captured in 1322. The tower was later modified and was last fortified against the insurrection of Owain Glyndwr. The castle was occupied at various times by the Bohuns, Staffords, and the Crown, and was the home of Bedo Bruinllys the bard, the collector of the poems of Dafydd ap Gwillym. In 1521 Leland reported it as being beyond repair.

The keep is constructed of tightly laid laminated sandstone and has no roof. It is circular in plan, comprising three storeys and a basement within an apron splayed below a projecting string course and having one slit vent. A chamfered arched door on the east side, probably originally approached by an external wooden stair, leads to a circular chamber with three segmental tufa-arched embrasures equally spaced around the circumference. The embrasure at the southwest has a window seat and a stair to the second floor. The embrasure on the northwest is also seated and contains the stair to the vaulted basement. The windows are rebated internally for shutters and secured by a draw bar. Sockets for ferrumenta and indications of a glazing check survive in the window heads. A wall stair of 15 treads has two small lights.

The first floor, known as the solar, is now missing but was carried on twelve bull-nosed corbels equally spaced around the wall. Seated embrasures on the south and east sides contain 14th-century ogee-headed foiled windows, also rebated for shutters. A fireplace with a depressed two-centred chamfered arch is positioned on the west side, with the hood lintel (now missing) carried on finely carved brackets. Some plaster survives on the south wall. From the east embrasure, a rebated stone frame for a door leads to a wall stair to the second floor, also carried on twelve bull-nosed corbels. This level has four similar window embrasures and a chamfered garde-robe doorcase. A fireplace on the north wall features a cantilevered hearth, tapered roll-moulded jambs, and corbelling to support the missing hood lintel. The walls survive to approximately their full height, but there is little evidence for the roof structure.

The keep is included at Grade I as among the best preserved examples of 13th-century round stone tower fortifications, once widespread throughout Wales and England and characteristic of the Welsh Marches. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument (No. B8, part).