Castles / GB / Wales
Ystrad-Meurig 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 defended residence bounded by active defences — a rampart and ditch on the north where it faces level ground, and scarps above steep natural slopes elsewhere — with a massive rectangular stone tower (18-20m) forming part of a building complex, the keep "served mainly to provide accommodation" (the residence half). Established about 1110, disputed, besieged and rebuilt through the later 12th century: a lordly stronghold held and contested, satisfying both the defensible and residential halves. |
| 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 genuine defensive-era work, not a castle built in castle form for effect — established about 1110, destroyed in 1137, then rebuilt and besieged through the later 12th century and last recorded in 1208. Real ramparts, ditch and stone tower with a documented military history place it firmly within the defensive era, so no sham or revival intent applies. |
| 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 | Ystrad Meurig, Ceredigion, 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 —
CD032· Scheduled Monument — SiteType: Castle · entry
Location
Approximate. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Notes
Upgraded from the bulk register import: the full Cadw scheduled-monument report (CD032) was read and the bands assessed against its own evidence. fortified_residence is now assessed: yes — the report describes both active enclosure defence (rampart, ditch, scarps) and a residential keep providing accommodation. revival_folly is assessed: no — a documented 12th-century defensive work (built c.1110, destroyed 1137, besieged and rebuilt), not a post-defensive-era castle in form only. enclosure_fortification is OMITTED: the report frames this as a lordly castle with a residential keep, not a lord-less defended enclosure, so this band's scenario is not spoken to. state_fortification and palatial_seat are OMITTED: the report describes a medieval lordly stronghold, nothing about state/municipal tenure or an unfortified palatial seat. popular_castle is OMITTED: the report shows an obscure well-preserved earthwork/ruin with no visitor operation or public standing, and a register name is not usage evidence. Confidence medium: one official report plus the register, no independent corroboration.
Sources
- Cof Cymru - National Historic Assets of Wales — Cadw, 2026-07-21
Register entry; original bulk-import source for this record. - Scheduled Monument Full Report — Ystrad-Meurig Castle — Cadw, 2026-07-22
Full designation report; the assessment evidence for the assessed bands.
Signals
Raw per-source observations behind this record (2):
sig-20260721-cadw-cd032,
sig-20260722-report-cd032
Record file · dataset licensed CC BY 4.0 — see provenance.