 Grosmont Castle, Welsh Marchers
Grosmont, Skenfrith and White Castles formed a triangle to guard the southern
border of England and Wales, an area commonly referred to as the Marchers.
In the 12th century, all three castles came under the ownership
of Hubert de Burgh, who carried out substantial building work at Grosmont
and Skenfrith Castles. However, White Castle
already boasted a stone curtain wall and a strong, square Norman keep, and is likely to have served
as a predominantly military fortification, not requiring much alteration.
Grosmont Castle is simple yet compact, surrounded by a moat and standing on a Norman motte. Today
the inner bailey is entered via a bridge over the moat towards the south
of the castle. Remains of the gatehouse can be seen here, with the outer
masonry dating from the 14th century work of the Lancasters,
but the inner masonry belonging to the de Burgh period and being constructed
at the same time as the curtain wall and towers. Within the inner bailey,
the Hall Block is one of the earliest stone buildings and has ground
floor access. Stairs to the upper floor are located within the thickness
of the wall at the east corner.
The 14th century tall, octagonal chimney to the west of the Hall Block served the
adjacent northern block. In this block the original circular towers, built
by de Burgh, were demolished during the Lancasters rebuilding work, the
D-shaped west tower was considerably modified by the Lancasters, and similarly
the south-west tower was given a 14th century arched entrance.
By the 16th century Grosmont Castle had been abandoned, and
remained neglected for the next 300 years. In the 19th century
it was purchased by the Duke of Beaufort and has since been consolidated
to prevent any further decay.
As we discovered, Grosmont Castle is not one of the easiest to find as few signs exist to mark
its location. Once the 'Ancient Monument' sign has been spotted on the
side wall of one of the cottages in the village, the next challenge is
to actually gain entry, having seen a large notice pinned to the tree
warning visitors to 'Beware of the Bull! |
