Oxwich Castle

Oxwich Castle is a Grade I listed castle entered through a small gateway at the south-west side of the courtyard. The gateway comprises blind rounded piers with a high arch spanning between them. The gateway itself contains a four-centred arch with sunk spandrels in local Sutton stone, above which sits a square sunken armorial panel quartered with the arms of Mansel, Penrice and Scurlage, including the initials of Rice Mansel, carved in oolitic limestone. The high arch is slightly chamfered at the front, with a machicolation-slot at its rear and a parapet walk suggesting defensive provisions for the gate. To the right of the entrance stands a semicircular tower with two small Tudor windows; a similar tower probably originally existed to the left of the gate to maintain symmetry. The masonry, apart from carved work, is local rubble or axe-dressed work with many surviving putlog holes.

The courtyard is square with a low modern wall to the north-west side returning down to the south-west side up to the entrance. Only part of the courtyard is paved. The most impressive element is the north-east range, which survives to almost eaves height on the courtyard-facing side but is reduced to the level of undercroft vaults on the outer side. The masonry is local limestone rubble with sandstone stone dressings to openings. In front stands the exposed foundation of a staircase building that gave access to the Great Hall.

Five windows of the Long Gallery survive partially at the top of this range, occupying its full length. One window of the hall remains, its rear walled up, consisting of three tiers of diminishing lights with thicker and thinner mullions dividing it horizontally into three groups of two lights. Above this is a relieving arch in the common masonry. To the right is an area of walling with a similar relieving arch and the surviving jamb of a similar window but of four tiers in height, this latter window fully walled up. Beneath these to the left is the hall doorway, now walled up, with a segmental arch. To the left is an area of four common storeys, not counting the Long Gallery, with three surviving two-light Tudor windows on the front elevation, one of which is walled up. Ten small windows remain in what survives of the return north-west elevation, vertically staggered as some were lights to staircase landings. A Tudor arched undercroft entrance is located to the left of the stairs block in the yard elevation, with two segmental-headed undercroft windows to the right, one walled up, and a square-headed doorway adjacent to the south block, slightly angled.

Three tower-like projections originally existed on the north-east side. To the south-east side of the courtyard is the lower range, now consisting of a two-storey four-window range with slate roof. The first storey retains restored Tudor windows: three of four lights and one of two lights, with label moulds terminating in saltires. One similar two-light Tudor window survives at ground storey without a label, positioned to the right, with a four-centred door arch beside it. Three sash windows and a modern entrance with porch are also present, the sash windows positioned in old openings over which label moulds with saltire terminations remain. This block has a gable elevation to the south-west showing a two-light Tudor window with label in the attic and a sash window at first storey. Lateral chimneys and a small rear wing, formerly a bakehouse, with an end-chimney complete this elevation.

The south-east elevation of the east tower has six storeys of Tudor windows with label moulds of one or two lights, with mullions and in some cases transoms. The architectural treatment of this sun-lit elevation demonstrates that it was designed to be seen to good effect from Oxwich Bay. The north-east elevation of this block contains similar windows but without labels.

The interior of the north-east part contains a staircase in straight flights around a masonry core to the left, with a vaulted kitchen adjacent. To the right are two undercroft vaults with a mural staircase to the entrance passage above. In the inner face of the south-west wall at second storey level is a fireplace with stone-frame cupboards on each side. The south-east part contains a kitchen at the left, now the custodian's room with visitors' stairs, a middle room, and two inner rooms to the right, with lateral fireplaces to the middle room and kitchen. Doors from the middle room to the inner unit indicate the latter was subdivided into two rooms. One has a chamfered stone frame with diagonal stops. The upper storey is reached by a newel stair in the round tower, entered from the south corner of the yard. Fireplaces also survive at first floor level. A timber-framed partition divides one of the interior spaces.