Hay Castle

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The monument consists of the remains of a castle, dating to the medieval period. The castle was built in the late 12th or early 13th century by the de Braose family. It consists of a sub-circular castle mound measuring 110m E/W by 100m N/S the summit of which was occupied by a circular enclosure and a stone keep. This substantial ringwork has been partly destroyed by the construction of later buildings, and is surrounded on the remaining sides by a modern retaining wall. In 1216 the castle was captured by King John, who burnt the town and the castle during his attempts to suppress rebellion by the de Braose's. The castle and town suffered multiple episodes of destruction throughout the 13th century, and had to be rebuilt by Henry III. The castle was owned by the House of Lancaster from 1380 to 1421, who are recorded as undertaking repairs to the structure in 1416, and subsequently by the Earls of Stafford and the Dukes of Buckingham. In 1416 the castle was attacked by Owain Glyndwr but was recorded as defenisble against the Welsh in 1403. In the late 15th/early 16th century, the keep was remodelled by the last Duke of Buckingham, prior to his execution by Henry VIII. In the 1660s large sections of the medieval appartments were demolished to make way for a new mansion built by James Boyle of Hereford. The curtain wall was gradually demolished, partly during the Civil War and partly to improve views from the mansion. In 1910 the house was restored but was partly gutted by fire in 1939. The western part of the house was gutted by a second fire in 1979 but has been restored. The standing remains include part of the original square keep, a late 12th or early 13th century gate with portcullis grooves and medieval doors still in position, a length of curtain wall and a tower flanking the gate on the west.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of medieval defensive practices. The monument is well-preserved and an important relic of the medieval landscape. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of both structural evidence and intact associated deposits.

The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.