Usk Castle and precincts

Usk Castle and precincts

This is a ruined Norman and later castle constructed of sandstone rubble with putlogs visible throughout its fabric.

The roughly rectangular 12th-century keep, built into the hillside and facing east, rises from the outcrop with deep battered buttresses. It features large later rectangular openings at three levels; the upper level includes an opening with a hoodmould and an adjacent small chamfered light. A corbel table runs along the top.

A section of curtain wall links the keep to the main entrance gate, the 13th-century Castle Gate, which faces northeast. This gate has a pointed arch, chamfered on the inside, with remains of a portcullis groove. Adjacent to it are the foundations of an added D-shaped stone guard tower.

A length of curtain wall with arched recesses extends northward to the North Tower, a 13th-century structure identified as the treasury. This tower has very thick walls with a round outer wall (though the inner wall is not round). A wide shouldered ground floor doorway with chamfered jambs and imposts supports a semi-circular thick stone overlight with a grille. An arrow loop appears in the adjacent curtain wall, along with a rectangular recess. Reconstructed steps lead to the wall top with remains of corbelling. An upper round-arched doorway sits adjacent to the stairs, with a 2-light square-headed window of leaded quarries beneath a relieving arch.

Adjoining the North Tower is the 14th-century Chapel, which retains some plaster. The footings of its south wall show its original width.

Extending westward along this range is the 14th-century Hall, which was altered in 1500. The hall is divided into three bays by thick projecting buttresses. The west bay contains a chamfered-arched doorway with a window above; window seats occupy the deep splays. A later fireplace was inserted in the east bay. The screens passage occupied the west bay, with a doorway at the west gable end leading into former service rooms.

A 14th-century chamber block projects almost square from outside the curtain wall at the junction between hall and chapel. A mural stair on the inner side provided access to the upper end of the hall. Each chamber contains a fireplace and vestigial window mouldings; doorways to the east and west open onto the outer curtain wall. Remains include a springing arch and joist holes for former floors.

At the northwest angle are the foundations of the Solar Tower, dated to 1330.

From the northwest corner, a stretch of wide curtain wall with a wall-walk and recesses in its inner face extends southward. Part of this area was used as the Town Gaol, identifiable by arched openings at two levels and an inscription dated 1825.

This section leads to the massive, almost intact circular 13th-century Garrison Tower, which rises to four storeys with openings at all levels. The tower is battered with corbelled battlements, blocked arrow slits, and small lancets to the top storey. Slots indicate where a timber gallery was formerly positioned below. Wallwalk doorways occur at the second floor, with an inward-facing arrow slit adjacent to a first floor opening. The low-set doorway from the inner ward has bull-nose jambs. Inside, a spiral mural stair with a newel links all levels, while wide round internal arches span the narrow external openings through the thick walls.

Curtain wall extends from first floor level to the remains of the 13th-century South Tower, a round tower at the south angle with adjacent building foundations, one area identified as a blacksmith. A gap appears in the curtain wall here, though footings and a retaining wall survive. A short length of curtain wall then joins the inner face of the keep, where further square-headed openings with hoodmoulds, a steeply gabled roofline, and a chamfered arched ground floor doorway are visible.

Extending downhill southeast from the South Tower is a section of wall enclosing the later outer ward, terminating in the 14th-century lower south tower. This structure comprises two storeys and a basement, now topped by a corbel table. Facing inward are round-headed chamfered doorways at both levels; slit windows face outward. The tower was later converted to a columbarium.

A length of curtain wall with another arched recess and corbel table above connects back to the Castle Gate.