Castles / GB / Wales
Holt 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 DE106 defines a castle as 'a defended residence or stronghold... in which the principal or sole defence comprises the walls and towers bounding the site', and describes Holt (built 1282-1311) as a pentagon of towered curtain walls on a rock enclosing ranges of apartments — flanking towers and curtain as active defence about a lordly 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 | Holt, Wrexham, 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 —
DE106· Scheduled Monument — SiteType: Castle · entry
Location
Approximate. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Notes
Upgraded from register-derived to assessed against Cadw report DE106, which quotes its own castle definition. fortified_residence is supported by a towered curtain (walls and towers as active defence) enclosing ranges of apartments, built 1282-1311. The report records demolition 1675-83 but speaks to no other band; all remain unassessed.
Sources
- Cof Cymru - National Historic Assets of Wales — Cadw, 2026-07-21
Register entry and full scheduled-monument report; the sole source for this record.
Signals
Raw per-source observations behind this record (2):
sig-20260721-cadw-de106,
sig-20260722-report-de106
Record file · dataset licensed CC BY 4.0 — see provenance.