Ewyas Harold Castle facts for kids
.jpg)
Ewyas Harold Castle was an old castle located in the small village of Ewyas Harold in Herefordshire, England. Castles like this were important buildings long ago, used for protection and control.
Contents
The Castle's Early Days
Ewyas Harold Castle has a very long history! It's thought to be one of the few castles built by the Saxons in England, even before the Normans arrived.
This first castle was probably built around the year 1048. A person named Osbern Pentecost might have built it. It was a special kind of castle called a motte and bailey.
A motte and bailey castle had two main parts: a tall mound (the motte) with a tower on top, and a fenced-off area below (the bailey). This castle was built overlooking a stream called the Dulas Brook.
However, this first castle didn't last long. In 1052, it was destroyed. This happened either because Earl Godwin ordered it, or because Welsh raiders attacked it.
Norman Rebuilding and Records
After the Normans took over England, the castle was rebuilt. This happened when William Fitz Osbern, who was the Earl of Hereford, took control of the area.
In 1086, a very important book called the Domesday Book was created. This book was like a big survey of England, listing who owned what. The Domesday Book mentioned Ewyas Harold Castle, saying:
In the area of Ewyas Harold castle, Roger holds three churches and a priest and 32 acres of land from Henry. They give two measures of honey. In the castle, he has two houses.
This tells us that the castle was an important center, even having churches and houses nearby.
A Priory Inside the Castle
Around the year 1100, a priory was built inside the castle's bailey. A priory is a type of monastery where monks or nuns live and worship. Having a priory inside the castle walls would have made it a very busy and important place.
Later Years and Decline
Over time, the castle started to fall apart. It wasn't kept up as well as it should have been.
However, in the early 1400s, the castle became important again. At this time, William Beauchamp, who was Lord Abergavenny, owned it. He decided to make the castle strong again. This was because there was a big threat from Owain Glyndŵr, a Welsh leader who was fighting against English rule.
Even though the castle was made stronger, there are no records that it was ever attacked during Owain Glyndŵr's rebellion. Owain and his forces focused their attacks on other places.
By 1645, Ewyas Harold Castle had fallen into ruin once more. Today, if you visit the village, you can only see the earthworks. These are the bumps and mounds in the ground that show where the castle's walls and towers used to stand. They are a reminder of the castle's long and interesting past.
