Castles / GB / Wales
Castell-Du, Sennybridge
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 | Defensible work and lordly building both present — a projecting D-shaped tower on a 26m stone wall with a probable residential range alongside, constructed by Llywelyn ab Gruffudd (a Welsh lord) around 1262 to command the Senny/Usk crossing. |
| 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 | Maescar, Powys, 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 —
BR126· Scheduled Monument — SiteType: Castle · entry
Location
Approximate. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Notes
Assessed 2026-07-22 from Cadw's full scheduled-monument report (sig-20260722-report-br126). fortified_residence upgraded to assessed on the D-shaped tower, walling, probable range and lordly (Llywelyn ab Gruffudd) construction. Two WWII pillboxes were built on the castle site using masonry to mimic the castle walling; those are distinct 20th-century state works, not this medieval structure, so no state_fortification verdict is set on this record. All other bands omitted — the report does not speak to popular usage, palatial conversion, or revival.
Sources
- Cof Cymru - National Historic Assets of Wales — Cadw, 2026-07-22
Scheduled-monument register entry and full designation report; the source assessed for the band verdict.
Signals
Raw per-source observations behind this record (2):
sig-20260721-cadw-br126,
sig-20260722-report-br126
Record file · dataset licensed CC BY 4.0 — see provenance.