New Radnor: Interior of Medieval Town

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

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

The monument comprises the remains of earthen building platforms, located in a field to the north of Church Street in New Radnor, forming part of the well-preserved remains of New Radnor medieval town. New Radnor itself comprises the earthwork remains of a castle (RD033), with ditches and banks forming further defences and the bailey; and the remains of a defensive town bank containing the present town (RD050), both of which preserve the original town plan. Scheduled areas within the town defences comprise this area within the north-western quadrant (RD0152) and another within the south western quadrant (RD154). A range of earthworks are visible on this site including an embanked level platform, just below the garden of Church Cottage with a small bank winding down from its lower side towards Church Street. A second small platform runs parallel to the out buildings of Porth and must overlie the lane leading northwards to the church. A third platform lies close to the north-eastern corner of the field and the whole area is bisected by a broad, low bank, presumably an earlier plot boundary.

The first historical mention of Radnor is in Domesday, which records that 'The King holds Radrenoue' - and a charter of c. 1096 grants 'Raddenoam' to Philip de Braose. The castle of New Radnor was likely built in the 12th century and is recorded as having been destroyed by the Welsh on several occasions in the early 13th century. A grant of murage (permission to build town defences) was given to Roger Mortimer in 1257 and presumably relates to the construction of the town walls. The planned town of New Radnor was probably laid out in the late 13th century; its initial growth was rapid, with up to 189 burgesses (townsmen) recorded in 1304. However, after Owain Glyndwr's forces captured the town and castle in 1402, the castle was left to decay and the medieval town went into decline.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of medieval settlement. The monument forms an important element within the wider medieval context of New Radnor and the scheduled area may be expected to contain a wide range of archaeological information, including chronological detail and evidence in regard to construction techniques and agricultural methods. House platforms may be part of a larger cluster of settlement and their importance can further enhanced by their group value.

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