Weobley Castle

Weobley Castle

Weobley Castle consists of ranges of buildings arranged around an approximately square ward. The northern ranges, perched on the edge of the Llanrhidian scarp, survive to nearly their full height except for the loss of roofs, forming an impressive mass. The southern ranges are less well preserved, though the ground-level plan is complete. The buildings are constructed in local limestone, roughly coursed, with freestone dressings. The roofs of the solar and porch building leading to the hall have been restored under guardianship.

The weakly-defensive entrance building on the west side of the ward survives to two storeys, with large equilateral-arched doorways to both the outside and the ward. The inner arch is of rough construction. Above each doorway is a small lancet window and a billet-corbelled parapet. The upper storey would have provided domestic accommodation additional to the adjacent solar. The link to the corner turret to its south is lost.

The Great Hall occupies the north side, with a later porch facing the ward and a later solar to its west positioned above storerooms. The hall is entered at its south-east corner, where a hole beside the doorway held a defensive drawbar. The east window is of mullion and transom type with cinquefoil heads to the top lights and shutter rebates, set within a segmental arch over deep reveals with moulded arrises. Remains of a similar window exist on the north side; another was lost to form a fireplace, and another to the south overlooks the ward. A recess in the west wall indicates lost dais panelling or tapestry. A pointed doorway with eroded mouldings leads to the stairs turret and appears to have had a label mould. Corbels indicate a roof in four bays. The kitchen beneath the hall features a part-pitched floor with drain depressions and three low windows to the north, plus fireplaces to the north and east. (The kitchen may initially have served as the hall itself.)

The solar attached to the hall has been re-roofed and now houses an exhibition on the castle's history and other Gower monuments. This room has a mullion and transom window overlooking the ward with all lights simply pointed. Externally, only a small lancet is visible. A 16th-century porch building was added with Tudor four-centred arches to the entrance, a blocked window beside it, and small square-headed lights to the storey above.

A passage east from the hall leads to a garderobe on the north side and vaulted semi-cellars to the south, over which stand two storeys featuring a fine trefoil-headed lancet facing the ward and two flat-headed Tudor windows. Beyond this block to the east are rooms of two or three storeys, much altered, incorporating a large north fireplace at ground level and at first-floor level large fireplaces to the north and east, with trefoil-headed lancet windows beside the latter.

The rooms to the south side of the ward survive only at undercroft level. Excavation here has produced a carved piscina, and the chapel is believed to have occupied the first floor. To the east of the castle stands a round, freestanding early limekiln, evidently used for the original construction work, as the first-phase masonry appears to overlie it.