Montgomery Castle, Montgomery (Mid Wales)

Castle begun by Henry III in 1223 and given to Hubert de Burgh in 1228.

Summary 13th century buildings (or older) Free car parking (on site)

Introduction

Castle begun by Henry III in 1223 and given to Hubert de Burgh in 1228. Held by the Mortimers in the fourteenth century, it was later demolished on the order of Parliament after the Civil  

History to the present day

Originally the site of Montgomery castle housed a motte and bailey castle known as Hen Domen and built between 1071 and 1074. The building of Montgomery Castle in stone started in the late summer of 1223 a mile to the south-east of the original site. It was constructed under the control of Hubert de Burgh who also oversaw the rebuilding of Skenfrith Castle, Grosmont Castle and White Castle the apartments which crowded around the curtain wall of the inner ward.

After 1295 and the conclusion of the final Welsh War of the thirteenth century, Montgomery became a military backwater and prison than an active defensive fortress. Montgomery was granted a Royal Charter by the King in 1227 and is the oldest borough in Wales.

The walled town of Montgomery was sacked and burned in 1402 by the Welsh forces of Owain Glyndwr. The stone castle fortress held out against the attack although the town walls were not rebuilt and the town remained a ruin for the following two centuries. In 1649, Montgomery Castle was dismantled by Parliamentary order after its seizure during the Civil War.
 

Arrival information and how to find us

Address: Montgomery Castle, Mid Wales, , United Kingdom

Opening times:

 

Open site all year round.

 

Open sites are unstaffed and open to the public with no admission charge at all reasonable times, usually between 10.00 and 16.00 daily. 

 

 

Photographs courtesy of CADW photographic library.