Candleston Castle

Summary description and reason for designation

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

The monument comprises the remains of a 14th century tower house standing on flat ground above a small stream on the edge of the Merthyr Mawr Warren sand dunes. It consists of the ruins of the house, with a semi-circular curtain wall on the edge of the valley to the west. The curtain wall is stone built and stands to 2.5m at its highest points at the northern and southern ends. The best preserved section is at the northern end, where five battlements survive.

The walls of the house are stone built and measure approx. 1m thick, standing to 6-7m in places. It consists of a rectangular core, with a square keep at one end, with two further rectangular sections projecting east and west from each end of the central section.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of medieval secular architecture. The monument is a well-preserved example of its type and forms an important element within the wider medieval context. The structure itself may be expected to contain archaeological information in regard to chronology, building techniques and functional detail.

The area to be scheduled comprises the remains described - the tower and domestic range, the enclosed courtyard and the stable block - and an area around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive. It is irregular and measures 70m from NE to SW by 50m transversely.