Garden Wall of Castle Acre

Cadw's description

Location

On the north east side of Castle Street at the northern end.

History

This wall is a part of the wall constructed round The Mynde (now No 14 High Street) in 1839. The owner of the house and of Ponthir Plate Works, John Jenkins, was frightened by the possibility of violence and destruction of property by the Chartist Movement and built the wall right round his property to protect it. It is now in six different ownerships, but continues to be visually very important to Caerleon. Its fortress like appearance pays respect to the Castle Mound a large Norman motte within the enclosure.

Exterior

Coursed squared local red sandstone and conglomerate rubble wall rising from 4 to 5m in height. It is partly castellated as it approaches Nos. 96 and 98 Mill Street (qv), and the castellations may have been removed from the rest. It is about 110m long and includes a concave section and then it goes round the back of Nos 96 and 98 Mill Street and finishes with a square turret about 7m in height. Interior face not seen.

Reason for designation

Included as a fine wall built in 1839 with historic associations and group value with the surrounding buildings in the centre of Caerleon.