Tretower Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tretower Castle |
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| Tretower, Powys, Wales | |
Tretower Castle
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 Tretower Castle
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| Coordinates | 51°53′02″N 3°11′10″W / 51.8839°N 3.1861°W |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Cadw |
| Condition | Ruined |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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Tretower Castle (which is Castell Tretŵr in Welsh) is an amazing old castle that is now in ruins. You can find it in the small village of Tretower in Powys, Wales. It's a very important historical site, listed as Grade I, which means it's one of the most important buildings in the UK.
This castle was first built around the early 1100s. Back then, it was a "motte and bailey" castle. This means it had a big earth mound (the motte) with a tower on top, and a fenced area (the bailey) below. Later, in the middle of the 1100s, a stone "shell keep" was built. This was a strong stone wall that formed a circle. The castle got even bigger in the early 1200s. But over time, people stopped using it, and it slowly turned into the ruins we see today.
A Look Back in Time
Tretower Castle was started by a person named Picard. He was a follower of a powerful Norman lord, Bernard de Neufmarché. Around the year 1150, Picard's son, Roger Picard I, made the castle stronger. He replaced the earth mound (motte) with a stone shell keep. This was a circular stone wall that protected the inside of the castle.
Later, around 1230, Roger Picard II, who was Roger I's great-grandson, added a tall, round tower inside the shell keep. The space between the new tower and the old shell keep was covered with a roof. At this time, the outer area of the castle, called the bailey, was also given strong stone walls and round towers at its corners.
In the early 1300s, new, more comfortable buildings were built nearby. This new place is known today as Tretower Court. The lords of Tretower preferred living in the fancy new Court. Because of this, the old castle was used less and less. Eventually, it fell into disuse and became the beautiful ruins we see now.
What Does the Castle Look Like?
The castle has a shape that is roughly like a triangle. The main part, with the earth mound (motte) and the tall tower (keep), is in the western corner. The stone shell keep, built in the 1100s, is an uneven circle. It has a gate-tower where you would enter from the bailey area.
In the very center of the shell keep stands the tall, round tower from the 1200s. This tower has three floors. The original entrance was on the first floor, not on the ground. Below this entrance, the tower has a strong, sloped base. This sloped part is called a "batter" or "talus." It helped to make the tower stronger and harder to attack. A decorative stone line marks the top of this sloped base.
