Castles / GB / Wales
Rhayader 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 describes a defended promontory above the River Wye commanded by a large rock-cut vertical ditch to the north-west and a scarp to the river plain on west and south — deliberate defensive works, and Cadw's own designation frames the site as "a defended residence or stronghold". Only earthwork defence is observed here (no masonry, towers or gatehouse are described), so the verdict rests on the defensive siting and cut ditch rather than standing fabric. |
| 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 | Rhayader, 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 —
RD132· Scheduled Monument — SiteType: Castle · entry
Location
Approximate. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Notes
fortified_residence upgraded from register-derived to assessed against Cadw's full report (RD132). The report describes defensive earthworks only — a rock-cut ditch, a scarp and a promontory position — with no masonry, no identified lord and no residential fabric, so every other band is left OMITTED (unassessed), not set to no. Still a single Cadw source, hence confidence medium.
Sources
- Cof Cymru - National Historic Assets of Wales — Cadw, 2026-07-21
Register entry and full scheduled-monument report; the report was read and the fortified_residence band assessed against it.
Signals
Raw per-source observations behind this record (2):
sig-20260721-cadw-rd132,
sig-20260722-report-rd132
Record file · dataset licensed CC BY 4.0 — see provenance.