Newcastle Castle, Bridgend

P3

Newcastle from the south with the elaborately designed castle gate

Newcastle (Welsh Y Castellnewydd ) is a ruined castle in Wales in the UK. The as a cultural monument is a fine Grade II * classified and protected as a Scheduled Monument ruin is situated on a hill overlooking the town of Bridgend in Glamorgan.

History

A first annular wall was created in 1106 by Robert Fitzhamon to control a ford across the River Ogmore. Together with Coity and Ogmore Castle are designed to protect the western border of the newly conquered Glamorgan. After the death of William FitzRobert, the Lord of Glamorgan end of 1183 broke out a Welsh revolt under Morgan ap Caradog, the Lord of Afan. It was also the castle, which was defended by the Welsh Lord of Caerleon Hywel for the English, attacked in vain. After crushing the revolt of King Henry II took over until his death, even the administration of Glamorgan, although his son Johann was engaged to Isabel of Gloucester, the daughter and heiress of William FitzRobert. Under the royal rule of the stone curtain wall was built. Only a few weeks after Henry's son married Prince Johann Isabel of Gloucester. In a unique attempt to make the once rebellious Welsh Lord to a loyal vassal, Johann gave him the castle. Morgan remained until his death in 1208 lord of the castle, after the castle fell to his eldest son Leison. After this, however, was already dead in 1213, Johann did not return to the castle to his brother Morgan Gam, but back to 1199 he divorced Isabel of Gloucester. She died childless in 1217, so that Glamorgan fell to her sister Amice FitzWilliam, the, 3rd Earl of Hertford was married to Richard de Clare. Her son Gilbert de Clare forgave the castle end of 1217 to his vassals Gilbert Turberville, who was married to a daughter of Morgan ap Caradog. Since Gilbert however was already master of only 2.5 km distant Coity Castle, showed he and his descendants have little interest in conversion and extension of Newcastle. For Morgan Gam tried until his death, to obtain Newcastle again and fought its best efforts, the Anglo-Normans, where he burned the village of Newcastle in 1226.

How Coity Castle Lawrence Berkrolle inherited after the death of the last male Turberville in 1360 and Newcastle. 1411 William Gamage inherited the castle in 1584 they fell by the marriage of Barbara de Gamages with Robert Sidney in the possession of the Earls of Leicester. Although the south tower was still in the 16th century has been expanded livable, but the castle lost its military importance and lapsed from the end of the 16th century. 1718 bought the MP and landowner Samuel Edwin ruin, and later came into the possession of the Dunraven family they einbezog in the design of a surrounding garden in 1833. In 1932 she came in state administration.

Today, the ruins of Cadw is managed and can be visited.

Plant

The ruin is situated on a hill overlooking the town of Bridgend and the valley of the River Ogmore. The ring wall of the 12th century pretended to 1289 the shape of the built boundary walls, so that the almost circular castle has a diameter of about 40 m. Except for the steep eastern side of the castle was surrounded by a trench backfilled today. The careful construction of the curtain wall and the elaborate castle gate on the south side indicate that the castle at the time of its establishment was royal property. The representative, framed with columns and arches ornamental gate called the most beautiful example of the Norman style of architecture in a Welsh castle. Near the gate are the ruins of the rectangular projecting from the curtain wall south tower of the three floors have been preserved in parts. From the likewise rectangular west tower only the ground floor is obtained. Both towers are too small to have served as the Keep. The south tower was built in the 16th century, homely yet with greater windows and fireplaces. Of the buildings within the city walls, only foundations remain. A smaller building was located in the northern part of the courtyard of the Castle, on the east side were two buildings, one of which was probably the living hall. From a Keep no more remains are preserved, presumably he was in the midst of today's castle courtyard and was canceled in the middle ages.