Castles / GB / Wales
Dinas Powis Castle
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's report describes a rectangular Norman keep (18×13m, very thick walls) and a curtain wall enclosing the site, with a main entrance archway retaining a draw-bar hole and a narrow pointed-arch postern, and a great hall and buildings lining the walls — a defensible residence that 'still has the appearance of a defensive stronghold' on a naturally strong ridge. It was the centre of the lordship of Dinas Powys, held by the Norman de Sumeri family (Roger de Sumeri). Both halves of the criterion are met. |
| 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 | no | A castle of c.1200 held by the Norman de Sumeri lords, with genuine medieval defensive fabric — not a post-defensive-era castellated building or sham; fails the revival criterion. |
| 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 | Dinas Powys, Vale of Glamorgan, 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 —
GM021· Scheduled Monument — SiteType: Castle · entry
Location
Approximate. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Notes
Assessed from Cadw's full report (GM021), replacing the register-derived verdict with an assessed fortified_residence: yes and adding revival_folly: no. The curtain wall is straight-sectioned without corner towers, but the Norman keep, curtain-bounded enclosure, gated entrance with draw-bar hole and postern give active defence, and the great hall plus the de Sumeri lordship supply the private-residence half. popular_castle left UNASSESSED — the report shows no visitor operation or usage evidence. palatial_seat, state_fortification and enclosure_fortification omitted — the report does not speak to them. Confidence medium: one official report plus the register.
Sources
- Scheduled Monument Full Report — Dinas Powis Castle — Cadw, 2026-07-22
Cadw's full scheduled-monument report (GM021); supplies fabric and the named lordly holder, read in full and assessed.
Signals
Raw per-source observations behind this record (2):
sig-20260721-cadw-gm021,
sig-20260722-report-gm021
Record file · dataset licensed CC BY 4.0 — see provenance.