Llawhaden Castle

Llawhaden Castle stands within a circular dry moat approximately 20 metres wide and 7 metres deep, the surviving visible relic of the original ring motte. The castle now consists of a circuit of buildings occupying the full extent of the old platform and in several places encroaching on to the inner slope of the moat.

Access is gained at the south-west across a causeway where a drawbridge formerly stood, between two late-period gate turrets of which little more than the outer façade survives. These guardrooms, one on each side, contain remnants of good quality rooms above. The passage between the guardrooms leads to an irregularly shaped ward with a deep well. At the west there are remnants of an early circular tower with walls about 3 metres thick surrounding a circular space about 3.5 metres in diameter. To the north of this is a remnant of the early curtain wall and the round front of a small defensive turret at the north corner.

The materials are generally local sandstone, hammer-dressed and roughly coursed. A small amount of Caerbwdy stone is used for carvings and contrasting colour bands in the later work refacing the entrance turrets. Other freestone is used for carvings and dressings. Much of the stonework of the inner face of the chapel and domestic ranges has been quarried away, along with the vaulting of the undercrofts in these areas; the most impressive surviving structures are the vaults of the Great Hall. No original roofing remains.

The Great Hall occupies the north-east side of the ward and survives well at undercroft level, though only fragments of walls above remain. The main undercroft measures approximately 7 by 24 metres, spanned by a plain barrel vault without ribs rising about 4 metres. The kitchen cross wing to the left of the hall measures about 5 by 12 metres, and the solar cross wing to the right about 7 by 12 metres; both undercrofts are also vaulted. The main undercroft communicates only with the solar undercroft. The side of the great hall and its wings facing the ward is presented in one plane, with the projections of the cross wings to the rear, boldly overhanging the moat. The kitchen is identified by rubbish chutes from both the undercroft and main storey discharging into the moat, and also by a front extension of later date surviving as low walls with traces of ovens. The solar wing features large windows overlooking the moat. In the front elevation to the ward there was a principal doorway to the left of the main undercroft and two small windows, one well preserved. The main entrance was by external stairs to a door over the undercroft door, though this arrangement was altered, as evidenced by signs of a staircase roof cutting across one of the main hall windows. There are no openings at undercroft level facing the moat. One corbel on the south-east gable of the hall was evidently a roof support for the solar.

The surviving main undercroft doorway is chamfered and of three orders with bulbous stops of an unusual type at differing levels. There is a rebate for the door and traces of iron hinge pins in the wall; slots for door bars are present. The better-surviving window is small and trefoil-headed. A door at the left gave access to the kitchen from the ward but became an internal door when a later bakehouse was added; this doorway has chamfered reveals with broach stops.

The Chapel and Domestic Range occupies the south of the ward. A long range of buildings mainly domestic in character but including the chapel at the east end, the range features two octagonal towers overlooking the moat—the west tower externally only but the east tower both externally and internally. A square porch tower of five storeys faces the ward, carried up above roof level to serve as a lookout, with the chapel entered from the first floor.

Only the outer wall of the chapel remains, featuring three deep-set windows with scoinson arches, two under a single arch within what appears to have been a cross-vaulted section of roof, indicating the chapel roof was T-shaped or cruciform. The window tracery is carved in Caerbwdy stone. Beneath the chapel are traces of a vaulted undercroft, entered by a side door in the porch and a passage beneath the main stairs. Off this undercroft, within the east octagonal tower, is a dungeon with latrine and beneath its floor an oubliette. At chapel level is a tower room octagonally vaulted with fireplace and latrine. Above this is another room reached by spiral stairs from the chapel, also with latrine and octagonally groined vault, with a separate closet or small bedchamber, presumably a chaplain's room.

The remainder of the range is domestic in character; only the outer wall survives to any great extent. There are springings of an undercroft, and in the main rooms fireplaces and windows with window seats. In the top storey are small trefoil-headed windows. The west tower serves these rooms, containing latrines and closets or small bedchambers, and is slightly battered at the base with some loopholes or narrow windows with trefoiled heads.

The five-storey porch facing the ward contains remains of very awkwardly planned broad winding stairs to the chapel level. The first floor consists of an antechamber to the chapel with corner colonettes and traces of cross-vaulting, plus a good doorway to the chapel. From this level the stairs continue in a side projection of the tower; the upper rooms are rooms rather than merely landings, though the floors do not survive. At the front to the ward the main entrance to this tower has a label mould with king and queen's head stops and a pair of cinquefoil-headed lights above.

The entrance gateway and towers appear to be of three periods: part of the original curtain wall, part contemporary with the main domestic range, and the main front dating to the time of Bishop Houghton in the late 14th century. Twin towers with spurs are linked by a thin arch at high level. At the top are windows with mullions and transoms with decorative bands of Caerbwdy stone. Only the base of the corbelled parapet remains, with machicolations at the centre. Behind the façade are portcullis slots. Guardrooms on each side contain vaulted domestic rooms above.