Coity Castle
Coity Castle (Welsh Castell Coety ) is a ruined castle about two kilometers northeast of Bridgend in South Wales in the Welsh village of Coity Higher. It goes back to a simple ring wall from the time of the early 12th century and was expanded by various noble families in the following four phases to a two- part castle made of stone. In the 17th century abandoned as a residence, it fell gradually into ruin, which is now in the care of Cadw.
The plant is as Grade I Listed Building conservation area and is also a Scheduled Monument. You can pass to visitors daily, free of charge throughout the year. In the immediate vicinity of the castle is another monument to the fixed St Mary's Church from the 14th century.
History
Coity Castle was founded in the early 12th century and has been extended to rebuilt, the remains of which are visible today in five phases to the system. It was. Before 1106 by a native of Normandy, Sir Payn de Turberville, one of the legendary zwöf Knights of Glamorgan, built as a ring wall with wooden palisade The fortress served as a stronghold and in support of the Norman settlement of western Glamorgan. Payn de Turberville II replaced the earth - wood construction in the 1180s years by a stone keep, he was surrounded by a curtain wall. In the 14th century there was a redesign of the residential tower in its interior and a multi-storey extension to the north side. To the south a gateway it was added, replacing an older, simple gateway to the north-west bailey. This was fenced with a separate reinforced with three square towers, curtain wall and connected to the main castle. On the south side of the main castle, leaning against the curtain wall, another building was built with a hall on the ground floor, which in the east joined utility rooms such as kitchens and storerooms. A erected on the outside of the southern curtain wall round tower with a connection to Südbau offered in each of its floors a latrine.
The Turbervilles died late 14th century by Sir Richard Turberville from the male line. From him the castle came to his nephew Lawrence Berkrolles, whose father Roger Richard Turbervilles heiress Catherine had married. In the time Lawrence Berkrolles as owner of the castle of the Welsh uprising for independence Wales ' of England fell. In the course of this rebellion Owain Glyndŵr besieged Coity Castle from 1404 to 1405, but unlike his other military enterprises he was not successful in the case Coitys. The garrison could resist his siege successfully, but the system was to be strongly taken. The damages were then eliminated by Lawrence, for example by the northern part of the main castle ramparts renewed completely. Maybe he was also the East Gate of the main castle building.
When Sir Lawrence died in 1419 without leaving an heir, fought several parties at his estate. Coity Castle and rule finally came to Sir William Gamage. He was the grandson of another William Gamage, the daughter of Payn III. de Turberville had married. In order to give his claim to the investment emphasis, William had let them previously besiege. His family was there, the more radical change could make to the system. The Südbau she added in the early 15th century on the west side of a chapel, which was increased during the century again. The outer ward underwent a transformation. Based on the southern section of the city wall was a large stable block, access to the Vorburgareal was made possible by a new, simple gatehouse on the west side. However, the main point of access granted from the 15th century to the gate tower remodeled south tower of the city wall.
Further changes in the Castle and Tudor - perhaps under Sir Thomas Gamage - served mainly to improve the living comfort. The buildings were given larger windows, and the Great Hall of Südbaus magnificently designed fireplaces were installed as a heating facility. In addition, the Keep was including northern growing a third floor, and probably happened in the 16th century and the filling of that part of the moat that separated pre-and main castle from each other. John Gamages heiress Barbara married in 1584 Sir Robert Sidney, 1st Earl of Leicester, and brought him to the estate. The couple lived on the ancestral seat of Sydney in Kent, Penshurst Place, and so Coity Castle was henceforth no longer used as a residence. The result was a gradual decay of the building. This remained until the 19th century, this family owned, but no later than 1811 Thomas Wyndham of Dunraven Castle was her owner. His daughter Caroline in 1833 she brought her husband, Windham Quin, 2nd Earl of Dunraven and Mount - Earl, too. At that time the castle was already described as a ruin.
Since 1929, Coity Castle is under state custody and therefore today in the care of Cadw.
Description
Coity Castle is a two-part system consisting of a core and a castle northwest of that lying bailey. In both areas, locally occurring quarried stone was used. It is surrounded to the north, east and south by a dry moat, which is four meters deep between the north and six meters in the south. Its width varies between 90 and 100 feet ( 27.5 to 30.5 meters).
The visitor enters the plant now has a gatehouse of about 55 × 39 meters measured bailey. This is in the southern part of its about 20 feet (about six meters) high curtain wall. Within the Vorburgareals to find the foundations of a large, 29 -meter-long stable building.
The plan of the round main castle illustrates well the size and shape of their erstwhile predecessors conditioning, a right protected by a wooden palisade ring wall. The diameter of the inner castle is 36.6 meters. In its northwestern area are the ruins of a four-storey Keeps whose structural condition mainly dates from the 14th century and occupies an area of 12.2 × 10.2 meters. His two -meter-thick walls are still up to 16.5 meters high. The ground floor is occupied by a single space, the vaulted ceiling was supported by a central octagonal pillar. Such pillars stands at exactly the same central location in the first floor. The keep has on its north side a rectangular building from the 14th century. On the south side of the tower, the remains of the former gate close to the outer bailey. Although only fragments are preserved, can still be good nine feet ( about 2.7 meters) showing strong passage.
Another gate is located in the northeastern part of eight feet (about 2.5 meters) thick core castle curtain wall and provides easy access to the churchyard of the neighboring St Mary's Church. The former three-storey gatehouse has a 20 × 24 feet ( approximately meters) measured ground plan, its second floor is only partially existent. A fixed wooden bridge replaced earlier today, the existing drawbridge whose chain holes and glare niche are still preserved. The six feet (1.8 meters) wide gate formerly possessed a portcullis that could be operated from the single room of the first floor. The room is accessed via a stone spiral staircase and had as Heizmöglichkeit a fireplace.
Leaning on the southern perimeter wall of the main castle from inside a 26 × 19 feet ( about 7.9 × 5.8 meters) high building to. Over his vaulted cellar was located on the ground floor a hall, whose vaulted ceiling was supported by two pillars. The space was formerly decorated with elaborate stone carvings. The upper floors of the building were used for residential purposes. This is also shown the housing on the outside of the ring wall superior four-storey latrines made of sandstone. At the -preserved east of the building are remnants of economic areas and staff accommodation. The foundations in the West, however, are the relics of the former castle chapel from the 15th century.
Latrines
East gate to the churchyard of St Mary's Church
Octagonal central pillar of the Keeps