Painscastle Castle facts for kids
Painscastle Castle is a historic castle located in the village of Painscastle in Powys, Wales. It sits between the towns of Builth and Hay-on-Wye. This castle is only about 3 miles from the modern Wales-England border.
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The Castle's Beginnings
The first castle here was likely built by a person named Pain fitzJohn. The spot where the castle stands was a great place for defense. It might have even been an old Roman fort. This is because the ground plan is shaped like a rectangle, and Roman artifacts have been found there.
In 1137, Pain fitzJohn was killed by a Welsh group. After this, the area called Elfael, where Painscastle is, was taken over by a Welsh ruler named Madog ab Idnerth.
Taking Back and Rebuilding
The castle stayed under Welsh control for some time. Around 1195, William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber captured the area. He made the castle much stronger. His brave wife, Maud de Braose, also known as Matilda, even defended Painscastle against the Welsh for several months.
Welsh Attacks on the Castle
In 1196, Rhys ap Gruffudd from Deheubarth defeated some English lords at Old Radnor. He also tried to capture Painscastle. However, he didn't take the castle because both sides agreed to a peace deal.
Later, in 1198, Gwenwynwyn ab Owain from Powys gathered a large army. They tried to take the castle, but an English army stopped them. This English army was led by Geoffrey fitz Peter and formed near Hay-on-Wye.
Conflicts with the King
In 1208, William de Braose had a disagreement with King John of England. William was forced to leave the country. King John then controlled William's lands and castles.
In 1215, a Welsh ally of de Braose, Iorwerth Clud, seemed to take over Painscastle. He later submitted to King John in 1216. He was given control of the Lordship of Elfael until he died in 1222. After this, the Welsh changed their loyalty to Llywelyn ap Iorwerth. The castle was then attacked and destroyed by the Welsh.
Rebuilding and New Owners
In 1231, King Henry III of England and Hubert de Burgh rebuilt the castle using stone. This was part of their efforts against Llywelyn the Great.
By 1233, Ralph Tosny claimed the castle. His family owned it until Llywelyn ap Gruffudd took it from Roger Tosny in 1265. Another Ralph Tosny managed to get it back and rebuild it in 1276. Later, the castle passed to the Beauchamp family, who were the Earls of Warwick.
The Owain Glyndŵr Uprising
Painscastle was made stronger again around 1401. This was during the Welsh rebellion led by Owain Glyndŵr. At that time, the Beauchamp family held the castle for King Henry IV of England.
Painscastle Today
Today, not much of the castle remains. You can mostly see the large earthworks, which are the mounds and ditches that formed the castle's defenses.
