Raglan Castle / Castell Rhaglan
History
Raglan Castle is one of the last true castles to be built in Wales. Its construction began in the 1430s by Sir William ap Thomas, the Blue Knight of Gwent, who fought at the Battle of Agincourt with King Henry V in 1415. After the Norman conquest, the area went to William FitzOsbern, and the Bloet family held the manor from the late 12th century to the late 14th century. In 1432, Sir William bought the manor for 1,000 marks. He was responsible for building the Great Tower at Raglan, known as the Yellow Tower of Gwent.
After William ap Thomas died in 1445, the castle passed to his son William who took the surname, Herbert. Sir William Herbert supported the House of York and fought at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in Herefordshire beside the future King Edward IV. In 1462, he became a Knight of the Garter, and in 1467 was chief justice of North Wales. In 1468, Sir William Herbert received the ultimate reward for his loyalty when King Edward IV dubbed him the Earl of Pembroke for capturing Harlech Castle, the last Lancastrian stronghold in Wales. In the 1460s, Herbert remodeled the castle on a grander scale, adding an apron wall with six turrets around the Great Tower and replacing the drawbridge with a stone bridge. He was executed as a Yorkist supporter after the Battle of Edgecote Moor in 1469.
Henry Tudor, the future King Henry VII, was sent to William Herbert to be brought up at Raglan Castle.
The Great Tower, with the bridge across the moat.
More than six decades later, in 1589, during the time of William Somerset, the 3rd Earl of Worcester, the castle entered its last primary construction phase. Additions included a new hammer-beam roof to the hall and a long gallery on the second floor overlooking the Fountain Court. In 1492, the castle had passed to Elizabeth Herbert, who had married Sir Charles Somerset, later the Earl of Worcester. Later, the 4th Earl built the moat walk around the Great Tower.
Raglan was a Royalist stronghold in the English Civil War, and Henry Somerset, 5th Earl of Worcester, became the Marquess of Worcester in 1642. King Charles I visited the castle in 1645 after the Battle of Naseby, and again in 1646, when he played bowls on the green.
During the English Civil War in 1646, Raglan Castle was besieged by Parliamentarian forces led by Sir Thomas Fairfax. The castle was surrounded, and mortar batteries were dug into place. Henry Somerset, who attempted to defend the castle, knew his efforts were futile and surrendered to Fairfax. The surrender came on August 19th, 1646, on relatively generous terms, and the Marquess was sent to Windsor Castle, where he died soon afterward. As a result of the siege, the castle was heavily damaged and thus began a period of disrepair. Fairfax ordered the castle destroyed, but its defenses were so strong that only some of the walls were pulled down. In the 18th century, the castle's stewards quarried it for stone, and one of them was nicknamed the "Grand Dilapidator," until the 5th Duke of Beaufort ended the practice in 1756. The castle then became a stop on the Wye Tour.
The Pantry range beside the courtyard.
In 1938, Raglan Castle was placed in the guardianship of the Commissioners of HM Works by the 10th Duke of Beaufort. For two decades following the end of World War II, extensive conservation efforts were conducted to maintain the castle. Today, it is maintained by CADW (Welsh Historic Monuments) on behalf of the Secretary of State for Wales.
Castle Highlights
The machicolations at the top of a tower.
The beauty of Raglan Castle can be seen for miles around the countryside. It is a wonderful place to visit and is seldom crowded. Upon paying for an entry ticket, you will face the castle and its massive gatehouse, pictured above. It is possible to view gargoyles on the tower's corners by looking closely at the machicolations around the top.
The Great Tower, or Yellow Tower of Gwent, serves as the predominant feature of the castle. A moat, crossable by a bridge from the main castle, surrounds it. The tower has an apron wall with six turrets just above water level. The building, which currently stands three stories, was originally one tier higher and included battlements before its partial destruction.
The Great Tower beside the moat, with the gatehouse beyond.
In addition to the Great Tower, Raglan Castle includes two other impressive towers, namely the Closet Tower and Kitchen Tower. While not as large, both are still formidable to anyone attempting to attack the castle. The Closet Tower is more impressive between the two towers due to its machicolations, which adorn the top and gatehouse. The Closet Tower served as a prison in the basement and officers' quarters on the first and second floors. Raglan Castle has several other rooms worth visiting, including the Great Gatehouse, Hall, Long Gallery, and South Gate.
The steps into the Great Tower and up to the viewing platform are in good condition, though they can be wet in poor weather. Cadw is currently carrying out conservation work on the bridge that leads to the Great Tower, with scaffolding expected to stay up for about 16 weeks from October 2026. The castle has a car park for about 120 cars, a gift shop, and picnic tables, a café stands about 300 meters away, and dogs on short leads are allowed in the ground-floor areas. A Tudor wooden panel that was rescued from a cow shed in the 1950s is on display in the visitor centre.
Raglan Castle is also haunted.
