Monmouth Castle

Built largely of purple and red local sandstone rubble with quoins and repairs in dressed sandstone, and patching, much of this is C20, to the projecting corners of the Great Tower. The surviving walling is more considerable than at first appears. The Great Tower is a large rectangular one with wide faces and three clasping buttressed corners. The walling between is largely missing on the north (river) side and at the south-east corner; slighted following the Civil War and then robbed afterwards to build Great Castle House in 1673. The architectural character of the openings changes in the upper walling as does the stone type indicating a major strengthening and general improvement in the late C14. One opening at this level has a cusped ogee head while the doorway into the Great Hall has a head with a triple mould. The adjoining Great Hall is more ruinous despite having stayed in use as a courtroom until 1724. The north and west walls survive, the taller having two large windows.

Interior only partly inspected at resurvey.