Bronllys Castle / Castell Bronllys
History
Bronllys Castle is a motte-and-bailey castle on the River Llynfi in Powys, Wales. It was founded in or soon after 1100 by Richard FitzPons, a Norman lord from the nearby Herefordshire barony of Clifford and a supporter of Bernard of Neufmarché. The original timber castle was built to establish Norman control over the surrounding Breconshire area.
In 1144, Roger FitzMiles, earl of Hereford, detached the surrounding land from the Lordship of Brecknock and granted it to Richard's son, Walter de Clifford. Walter began rebuilding the castle in stone and may have been responsible for a round tower on the motte, though Cadw and the Royal Commission date the tower that survives today to the early or mid 13th century, probably replacing an earlier tower.
That earlier tower figures in a famous story. In 1165, a tower on the motte caught fire, and a falling stone from the battlements landed on Mahel de Hereford, the last surviving brother of Roger FitzMiles. The stone caused fatal wounds to Mahel, who repented his persecution of the Bishop of St Davids, which he blamed for his fate, according to Gerald of Wales.
Walter de Clifford, the founder's great-grandson, inherited the castle in 1221 and enlarged the stone tower in the early 13th century. By September 1233, he was defending the castle against his father-in-law, Llywelyn ab Iorwerth (Llywelyn the Great), with more than 200 men. Negotiations with Llywelyn also took place there.
When Walter died in 1263, he had no male heir, so Bronllys Castle passed through his daughter Maud, who married John Giffard, and then to their younger daughter, also named Maud. After her death in 1311, King Edward II granted the castle to Rhys ap Hywel as a reward for his loyalty. Rhys later rebelled against Edward and lost the castle, but he regained it after helping depose the king. Rhys was part of the search party that seized Edward II. The castle later passed to his son Philip ap Rhys.
The wooden staircase up the motte to the tower.
The new king, Edward III, was persuaded by Humphrey de Bohun, 6th Earl of Hereford, that the castle needed a strong magnate, so he gave it to the Bohuns. The 6th Earl's nephew, the 7th Earl, died in 1373 with only daughters, and the inheritance was disputed by their husbands, Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, and Henry Bolingbroke, future King Henry IV. Henry Bolingbroke secured it in 1399, the year he became king.
In the early 15th century, Bronllys Castle was fortified against Owain Glyndŵr's forces during the Glyndŵr Rising in Wales, but it was never again occupied as a major stronghold. The castle later passed through the Bohun heiress into the Stafford family. Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, was executed in 1521 for treason after being suspected of plotting against King Henry VIII, and the castle became crown property. John Leland reported that the castle was already in great disrepair. By 1583, the condition was worse, and it fell into ruin with no further military use.
Cadw, the Welsh Government's historic environment service, took over guardianship in the 20th century and has cared for the castle since then. The castle itself remains in private ownership, along with the adjacent Bronllys Castle House, and since 2024, Cadw has used the Welsh name, Castell Bronllys, in English.
Castle Highlights
Most of what remains today is the tall round stone tower on a high motte. It stands nearly 80 feet high and has a vaulted basement with three storeys above it. Walls and a deep dry moat also survive around the motte.
Behind the tower, through the woods, are remains of the bailey, with hints of banks, ditches, and possible tower locations. Yet the classic castle support buildings, such as a great hall, stables, or chapel, are lost to time. A private modern house now resides in part of the inner bailey.
The path through the woods from the road to the castle.
The tower is worth a visit if you are traveling along the A479 near Bronllys or while visiting Hay Castle or Tretower Castle. A path through the woods leads up from the road, and a wooden staircase climbs the motte to the tower. Entry is free, but the terrain is uneven and the steps are narrow and steep. When the tower is open, visitors can go inside, though Cadw warns that climbing may result in serious injury. Cadw also closes the tower in spring and summer while birds are nesting, so check the Cadw website before you go. There is a pull-off spot on the A479 directly across from the path to the castle, long enough for 2 to 3 cars.
