Castles / GB / Wales
Castell Bronllys
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 | A motte up to 8m high with inner and outer baileys, initially with timber defences and later a stone tower on the motte, battered at the base and entered at first-floor level with a room on each floor. Lordly throughout — built for Richard fitz Pons and inherited by the Cliffords with the lordship of Cantref Selyf. Accommodation and defence in the same work, which is the criterion. |
| Enclosure fortification | no | A motte-and-bailey castle of the Norman conquest period with a named lord, not an enclosure work standing as the primary monument. |
| State fortification | no | Built by a Norman marcher lord after the conquest of Brecknock. Crown tenure at intervals is inheritance and forfeiture, not a state military commission. |
| Palatial seat | no | Said to be beyond repair by 1521; no phase of palatial rebuilding. |
| Revival and folly | no | Genuine late-11th or early-12th-century foundation. |
| 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 | Bronllys, Powys, Wales, GB |
| Built | Medieval |
| Confidence | medium |
| First recorded | 2026-07-21 |
| Last updated | 2026-07-21 |
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 —
BR008· Scheduled Monument — SiteType: Castle · entry
Location
Approximate. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Notes
ASSESSED against the six band criteria on 2026-07-22, reading Cadw's full designation report rather than transcribing the register row. This record was previously a bulk import carrying one register-derived verdict at confidence: low; it now carries a verdict per band, each with a basis that engages that band's criterion, and the importer no longer owns it.
Sources
- Cof Cymru - National Historic Assets of Wales — Cadw, 2026-07-21
Register entry; the sole source for this record. - Scheduled Monument Full Report — Castell Bronllys — Cadw, 2026-07-22
The designation text: fabric, defensive features, period and documentary history. The evidence these verdicts were assessed against.
Signals
Raw per-source observations behind this record (1):
sig-20260721-cadw-br008
Record file · dataset licensed CC BY 4.0 — see provenance.