Ogmore Castle

Ogmore Castle

The castle comprises an oval-shaped ringwork with masonry structures, accompanied by an earthwork bailey to the south-west. A ruined courthouse stands on the north side of the bailey, together with the remains of a lime-kiln. The stone keep, dating to the early 12th century, straddles the ringwork on its south-west side. A cellar of the later 12th century faces it to the north-east. The curtain wall, constructed in the early 13th century, replaces the timber palisade and abuts the keep. It incorporates a gateway and bridge to the south of the keep. Two further buildings were erected inside the curtain wall: a hall to the north-west and offices to the south-east.

The Keep

The keep is a three-storey rectangular structure built of local limestone with Sutton stone dressings. The exterior south-west-facing wall shows a band at second-floor level, indicating that the top storey was added later. The first floor features a window opening at its centre with a trefoiled arched head, and to its right is a small round-headed lancet. Abutting the left side of the keep is an added semi-circular stair turret and garderobe. This turret contains an arrow loop at first-floor level on its south-east-facing side overlooking the bridge, and a small square-headed window at the same height on the south-west side. The base of the turret is built into the ditch and has a low arched recess with segmental head, serving as an outlet for the garderobe. The north-west, south-east and north-west walls of the keep survive to a lower level. An opening into the north-east side is probably not original.

The interior of the south-west wall is partially plastered and distinguished by the remains of a fireplace at first-floor level. The stone chimney-piece features round columns with scalloped capitals and the remains of a curved hood. To its left, two windows have round heads. To its right is the cross-corner doorway to the added stair turret. The first-floor joists are well preserved. At the west angle is the shoulder of a wide stone arch, said to be for a north-west window, later altered to a door leading to the walk on the curtain wall. The added second storey contains a fireplace with stone jambs and moulded corbels. To its left are the probable remains of a very decayed window. The basement storey has an added opening to the north-east. Originally, it is said to have been entered via a trap door from the first floor. The basement plan consists of two units; that to the south-east being divided by a north-west to south-east wall. That to the north-west is lined by stone benches on the south-west and north-east sides.

The Cellar

The large square cellar, thought to have had a timber superstructure, is situated on the north-east side within the curtain wall. It is approached by stone steps from the south-west, which pass under a round arched vault. The entrance narrows at the bottom of the stairs and has stone jambs. Two added small bays flank the entrance at approximately ground level; that to the south-east has an opening with dressed jambs and splayed reveals. The undercroft itself has a partially blocked window with segmental head to the south-east and an opening converted to a door to the north-west. A similar opening to the north-east has dressed reveals. Beyond this, the floor level is higher. This narrow north-east bay has a doorway to the north-west which leads into another room, and there are recesses, probably for joists, in the interior of the curtain wall.

The Curtain Wall and Gatehouses

The gatehouse is located to the south-east of the keep as part of the curtain wall. It survives as a small rectangular structure with the entrance having a segmental arched head. The stone abutments of the drawbridge survive and now support a timber superstructure. The ditch has occasional cross walls, each with an opening for drainage. There is no ditch to the north-west of the castle, due to the proximity of the river. The oval curtain wall survives to varying heights around the castle, highest towards the east. Constructed of random blocks of stone, the wall is wide with interior sides that taper slightly towards the bottom. It contains small recesses to the interior, perhaps putlog or joist holes. In addition to the gatehouse, there is an entrance to the north-east surviving only in its lower part, with chamfered stone reveals and threshold, and a garderobe turret to its east. There is also an entrance on the north-west side leading out of the hall.

The Hall and Offices

The hall is built against the north-west interior side of the curtain wall, surviving as a long rectangular range up to 1 metre high with opposing doorways in the south-east and north-west walls, towards the north-east end.

The office block to the south-east survives as a low rectangular range, with a small room at its north-east end. A short wall links the south-west end of the south-east wall with the curtain wall.

The Courthouse

The courthouse in the outer bailey is a roofless single-storey rectangular building oriented south-west to north-east, standing almost to full height. The south-east side faces into the bailey and has a doorway left of centre flanked by windows, all with decayed segmental heads. The north-west side has a narrow doorway towards the north-east end with dressed reveals and a pointed arched head. To its left is a narrow window with dressed reveals, chamfered flat stone lintel and sill. The north-east and south-west gables each have dressed windows; that to the north has wide splayed reveals, whilst that to the south is narrower and higher. Beneath the latter, on the interior wall, are some joist holes, perhaps suggesting a gallery. Immediately south-west of the building at ground level are the remains of a circular lime-kiln with two opposed flues. To the north-west of the courthouse are some stone steps which lead down from the bailey towards the river.