Raglan Castle
Raglan Castle is one of the most impressive late medieval fortifications in Britain, famous for its combination of powerful military design and the refined comfort of a Renaissance palace. Even in ruin, its tall towers, grand gatehouse and moat give a sense of the immense prestige it represented in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The castle is built around a striking central feature known as the Great Tower, a massive hexagonal keep rising from the middle of its own water filled moat. The tower was reached by a drawbridge and contained high status private chambers on its upper floors. Around the Great Tower lies the Pitched Stone Court, flanked by ranges of buildings that included halls, kitchens, buttery, cellarage and extensive accommodation for the household. The outer court is guarded by an elaborate gatehouse, one of the finest surviving in Wales. Its design combines defensive elements with decorative stonework and carved heraldic detail, reflecting the increasingly symbolic nature of castle architecture in the fifteenth century. The outer walls, angle towers and the broad moat surrounding the site all contribute to Raglan’s dramatic appearance. Construction began in the early fifteenth century under Sir William ap Thomas, the Blue Knight of Gwent. His son, William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, continued the building and transformed Raglan into one of the most magnificent residences in the Marches. In the later sixteenth century the Somerset family enhanced the castle further, adding long galleries, grand staircases and Renaissance style windows that softened the earlier defensive character. Raglan reached the height of its splendour in the decades before the English Civil War. During the war it became a Royalist stronghold and withstood one of the longest sieges of the conflict. After the defenders surrendered in 1646, Parliament ordered the castle to be slighted. The demolition work was severe, tearing down the roofs and upper walls and leaving the castle in the romantic ruinous state visible today. Despite this, Raglan remains one of the most visually impressive castles in Wales. Its mixture of late medieval fortification and aristocratic Renaissance architecture gives it a unique character. The sheer scale of the ruins, the deep moat and the sculptural quality of the stonework make Raglan one of the most important historic sites in the country. Alternate names: Raglan Castle, Castell Rhaglan Raglan Castle Raglan Castle is one of the most impressive late medieval fortifications in Britain, famous for its combination of powerful military design and the refined comfort of a Renaissance palace. Even in ruin, its tall towers, grand gatehouse and moat give a sense of the immense prestige it represented in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The castle is built around a striking central feature known as the Great Tower, a massive hexagonal keep rising from the middle of its own water filled moat. The tower was reached by a drawbridge and contained high status private chambers on its upper floors. Around the Great Tower lies the Pitched Stone Court, flanked by ranges of buildings that included halls, kitchens, buttery, cellarage and extensive accommodation for the household. The outer court is guarded by an elaborate gatehouse, one of the finest surviving in Wales. Its design combines defensive elements with decorative stonework and carved heraldic detail, reflecting the increasingly symbolic nature of castle architecture in the fifteenth century. The outer walls, angle towers and the broad moat surrounding the site all contribute to Raglan’s dramatic appearance. Construction began in the early fifteenth century under Sir William ap Thomas, the Blue Knight of Gwent. His son, William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, continued the building and transformed Raglan into one of the most magnificent residences in the Marches. In the later sixteenth century the Somerset family enhanced the castle further, adding long galleries, grand staircases and Renaissance style windows that softened the earlier defensive character. Raglan reached the height of its splendour in the decades before the English Civil War. During the war it became a Royalist stronghold and withstood one of the longest sieges of the conflict. After the defenders surrendered in 1646, Parliament ordered the castle to be slighted. The demolition work was severe, tearing down the roofs and upper walls and leaving the castle in the romantic ruinous state visible today. Despite this, Raglan remains one of the most visually impressive castles in Wales. Its mixture of late medieval fortification and aristocratic Renaissance architecture gives it a unique character. The sheer scale of the ruins, the deep moat and the sculptural quality of the stonework make Raglan one of the most important historic sites in the country.