Barry Castle

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The monument comprises the remains of a small fortified manor house or castle of the de Barry family. It was built in the 13th and 14th centuries AD over an earlier medieval earthwork castle. By the late 13th century the castle had two stone buildings on the east and west sides of a courtyard, but nothing now remains of these above ground. Early in the 14th century the castle was strengthened by the addition of a large hall and gatehouse on its south side, and it is these ruins that can be seen today. The gatehouse passage is arched, with a portcullis groove on the east side. As well as a portcullis it had a drawbridge and double doors. A small room above, whose outer wall and arched window survive, held the portcullis windlass and also possibly a chapel. Behind the gate passage is a rectangular room with a blocked staircase in the south-east corner and an arrowslit in the east wall. The walls of the hall block to the west are much lower, with a low arched doorway and an arrowslit on the north side. The hall itself was on the first floor, and was heated by a fireplace on the north wall. There was a narrow mural stair in the south-east corner on to a wall-walk on the curtain wall, and a door, the bottom part of which is visible, in the east wall leading to the portcullis chamber/chapel. There is evidence that the hall was roofed with Cornish slate and had green glazed ridge tiles.

The monument is of national importance as a documented defended manorial residence of the medieval period. The castle is an important element within the wider medieval context, and has the potential to enhance our knowledge of medieval landscape, settlement and organisation. The structure itself may be expected to contain archaeological information in regard to chronology, building techniques and functional detail. It has the potential to enhance our knowledge of medieval domestic and defensive architecture.

The revised scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive. It is rectangular in shape on plan and measures 28.2m east-west by 16.3m north-south.