Castles / GB / Wales
Hen Blas Castle Site
Which definitions does it satisfy?
This dataset does not record whether something “is a castle”. It records a verdict against each named definition, with the reasoning that produced it.
| Definition | Verdict | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Fortified residence | yes | Cadw report FL062 records excavations concluded in 1957 showing an earthwork castle replaced in the early thirteenth century by a fortified manor house, abandoned in the late fourteenth — a lord's residence set within a ditched spur-end enclosure defended by a ditch and steep natural slopes. Earthwork and timber castles fall within this band; a castle is recorded here from 1157 and was captured in 1166, evidencing defensive tenure as well as residence. |
| Enclosure fortification | unassessed | No source consulted so far speaks to this definition. Unassessed is not the same as no. |
| State fortification | unassessed | No source consulted so far speaks to this definition. Unassessed is not the same as no. |
| Palatial seat | unassessed | No source consulted so far speaks to this definition. Unassessed is not the same as no. |
| Revival and folly | unassessed | No source consulted so far speaks to this definition. Unassessed is not the same as no. |
| Popularly a castle | unassessed | No source consulted so far speaks to this definition. Unassessed is not the same as no. |
Facts
| Tradition | european medieval |
|---|---|
| Location | Bagillt, Flintshire, Wales, GB |
| Built | Medieval |
| Confidence | medium |
| First recorded | 2026-07-21 |
| Last updated | 2026-07-22 |
In the registers
Where this structure appears in official inventories. This is what turns an individual record into evidence about a count.
- Cof Cymru — National Historic Assets of Wales —
FL062· Scheduled Monument — SiteType: Castle · entry
Location
Approximate. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Notes
Assessed 2026-07-22 against Cadw scheduled-monument full report FL062 (sig-20260722-report-fl062); fortified_residence upgraded to assessed. enclosure_fortification NOT assessed: although the site is a ditched enclosure, the report identifies a lordly residence (earthwork castle, then fortified manor house), which places it in fortified_residence and out of the enclosure band by that band's own exclusion. popular, palatial, revival and state bands OMITTED — the report does not speak to them. Confidence medium: single official report plus the register.
Sources
- Cof Cymru - National Historic Assets of Wales — Cadw, 2026-07-21
Register entry and full scheduled-monument report; the assessment source.
Signals
Raw per-source observations behind this record (2):
sig-20260721-cadw-fl062,
sig-20260722-report-fl062
Record file · dataset licensed CC BY 4.0 — see provenance.