Clifford Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Clifford Castle |
|
|---|---|
| Clifford, Herefordshire | |
Ruins of Clifford Castle
|
|
 Clifford Castle
|
|
| Coordinates | 52°06′16″N 3°06′24″W / 52.10443°N 3.10666°W |
| Type | Castle |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Private |
| Open to the public |
No |
| Condition | Ruined |
| Site history | |
| Demolished | 15th Century (mostly) |
Clifford Castle is a ruined castle found in the village of Clifford. This village is in Herefordshire, England. It is about 2.5 miles northeast of Hay-on-Wye in the Wye Valley. The castle was once the main base for the feudal barony of Clifford. This was a special area called a Marcher Lordship. It reported directly to the King, not to other lords. Today, the castle stands on private land. You can only visit it on special days, like Heritage Open Days. More details are on the www.cliffordcastle.org website.
Contents
History of Clifford Castle
Building the First Castle
The first castle was a motte and bailey style. This means it had a large mound (motte) and a fenced area (bailey). It was built in 1070 by William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford. He built it on a cliff overlooking a ford (a shallow river crossing) on the River Wye. The land was empty before this.
The castle was meant to protect a new Norman town. This town was planned to be quite large. It would have had about 200 plots for homes. It stretched uphill towards Llanfair, where the church was built. St Mary's church is still there today, though it has changed a lot.
The castle's spot next to the River Wye was very smart. When the river flooded, it filled the flat land around the castle. This created a shallow lake or marsh. A dam on the western side also helped. This water acted like a natural defense, making the castle harder to attack.
New Owners and Stone Walls
William FitzOsbern died in battle. His son, Roger de Breteuil, 2nd Earl of Hereford, then got the castle. But Roger rebelled against the King in 1075. So, he lost all his lands.
The King then gave Clifford Castle to Ralph Tosny. Ralph held the castle directly from the King. The Tosny family rebuilt the castle using stone. It looked a lot like their Conches Castle in Normandy. Ralph spent most of his time in Normandy. So, he rented the castle to Gilbert, the Sheriff of Hereford.
The Fair Rosamund
Ralph Tosny's daughter, Margaret de Tosny, married Walter Fitz Richard. Walter became in charge of the lands. He later claimed them for himself. He took the name Walter de Clifford before 1162.
Walter's daughter was Rosamund Clifford. She was known for her great beauty. People called her "Fair Rosamund." She became a special companion to King Henry II. She remained with him until she died in 1176 or 1177. She was buried at Godstow in Oxfordshire. Today, a house near the castle is called Rosamund House. One of the castle's towers is also known as "Rosamund's Tower."
Rebellion and Royal Trouble
In 1233, Walter's grandson, Walter de Clifford (who died in 1263), rebelled. He was unhappy with King Henry III's strict rule. In early September, the King came and surrounded Clifford Castle. The castle's defenders had to give up after only a few days.
Walter Clifford then made peace with the King. He even led his soldiers against Prince Llywelyn ab Iorwerth. Llywelyn was Walter's father-in-law. This was a very dishonorable act. Prince Llywelyn had just arrived to help Walter fight the King.
Twenty years later, Walter almost rebelled again. He got very angry and made a royal messenger eat a royal paper. The paper had a large wax seal, like a dinner plate. Because of this, Walter lost many of his special Marcher Lord rights.
Why Clifford Castle Became a Ruin
After the Welsh lands were taken over, Clifford Castle became less important. People let it fall apart. The castle was used in 1402 to fight against Owain Glyndŵr's rebellion. But after that, it was not used anymore.
The damage it got during the rebellion was never fixed. The castle was left empty and slowly turned into ruins. Much of its stone was taken. This stone was used to build older homes in the village. You can still see large, cut stone blocks in many garden walls today.
Castle Discoveries: Excavations
1920s Digs
O. Trumper owned the castle site back then. He led digs between 1925 and 1928. These digs found the bases of two towers. These towers were on each side of the castle entrance. They also found a large building to the east of the castle. This building had an extra room and a bailey.
They also found proof of a southern tower and a guardroom. A portcullis (a heavy gate) was also found. Part of the main wall around the castle was uncovered too. Other interesting finds included a boar's tusk, a wolf bone, and a Roman brooch.
1950s Digs
More digs happened between 1950 and 1953. These found the foundations of a tower on the motte. More parts of the castle wall were also found. They fully dug up the barbican, which is a fortified gatehouse. They also found signs of an old road.
Things found during these digs included pottery and iron items. They found arrowheads, a knife, a bullet mold, a key, iron nails, and a bridle bit.
Clifford Castle Today
Clifford Castle is currently on the English Heritage "Heritage At Risk Register 2010." This means it needs special care. The current owners are working with English Heritage. They are creating a plan to keep the castle from falling apart more. They are also working to make the existing parts stable. This work has now been finished. You can see pictures of it on the www.cliffordcastle.org website.
Today, Clifford Castle has a large motte. This was built by William Fitz Osbern's men in the late 1060s. The motte was later divided. The eastern part has a round shell keep. This keep has five D-shaped towers. Its north wall seems to be built over part of William Fitz Osbern’s first hall.
To the east of the motte is the castle's bailey. Most of the walls of this part are gone. But in the middle, you can see the remains of a large gatehouse with two towers. This gatehouse was likely built in the mid-1200s.
To the west of the castle is a broken earth dam. This dam would have flooded the valley south of the castle. With the River Wye to the north, the fortress would have been surrounded by water. This made it very hard to attack.
Clifford Castle is on private land. It is part of a family home. You can visit on certain dates. These dates are listed on the Clifford Castle website.
The Castle and Railways
A branch of the Great Western Railway once ran just north of the castle. It was between the castle and the river. The next station north on this line was in Clifford village. The next station south was Hay-on-Wye railway station. This station was also the end of the Great Western line. Beyond it, the line was the Golden Valley Railway.
The Great Western Railway even named one of its Castle class locomotives after Clifford Castle. Locomotive 5071 was built in June 1938. But in September 1940, it was renamed Spitfire. In May 1946, a new locomotive, 5098, was named after the castle.
