id: sig-20260722-report-br014
site_id: gb-llanfihangel-cwmdu-with-bwlch-cathedine-tretower
attribute: designation_report
value: 'Reference Number

  BR014

  Name

  Tretower Castle

  Date of Designation

  Status

  Designated

  Unitary Authority

  Powys

  Community

  Llanfihangel Cwmdu with Bwlch and Cathedine

  Easting

  318494

  Northing

  221261

  Broad Class

  Defence

  Site Type

  Castle

  Period

  Medieval

  The following provides a description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument.

  This monument comprises the remains of a medieval castle, probably first established in
  the late 11th or early 12th century. Situated on the northern bank of a small tributary
  of the river Rhiangoll, the prominence of the castle led to the early village name becoming
  known as ‘Tretower – the place of the tower’.

  The castle was established by the Picard family who built an earth and timber castle to
  help strengthen their claim and authority on the area. At its heart was a motte or mound,
  surrounded by a ditch and presumably crowned by a wooden palisade. To one side stood a bailey,
  a defended enclosure housing a variety of domestic and agricultural buildings. From this
  stronghold the Picard family exercised local power and influence for the next two centuries.

  The outer walls of the late 12th century shell keep stand to a considerable height on the
  southern and western sides. The windows were blocked when the keep was gutted to make way
  for the circular tower about 1235-50. There was a gatehouse on the south-east side of the
  keep, retained in the later arrangements, but only its low footings survive.

  A vaulted passage leads to the castle kitchen with its fireplace in the outer wall. Apart
  from this, the internal layout of the 12th century castle is difficult to envisage. An integrated
  two-storey hall and chamber block stood in the angle where the outer walls still stand at
  their highest point. The main rooms were at first floor level, as witnessed by the blocked
  doors and windows, and by the blocked fireplace in the west wall of the chamber. There was
  a spiral staircase in the angle turret at the south-west corner.

  The 12th century arrangements were all sacrificed to make way for Roger Picard’s great round
  tower, although the outer masonry of the keep was retained to serve as a protective curtain
  wall. The massive four-storey tower has a battered or sloping base, above which the walls
  are about 2.7m thick. There is structural evidence to suggest that the top of the tower
  carried a permanent wooden fighting gallery, or hourd. The entrance to the tower was by
  way of a wooden stair to a doorway at first-floor level. Inside, above the poorly lit basement,
  each of the principal floors has a large fireplace, and offered comfortable private accommodation
  for Roger and his wife Matilda. From the second-floor level, a doorway led out to a bridge
  which linked the tower with the surrounding curtain wall. The topmost floor of the tower
  has windows but no fireplace.

  The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of medieval
  social, domestic and political life and warfare. The scheduled area comprises the remains
  described and an area around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.'
source_url: http://cadwpublic-api.azurewebsites.net/reports/sam/FullReport?lang=en&id=1708
source_title: Scheduled Monument Full Report — Tretower Castle
publisher: Cadw
observed_date: '2026-07-22'
collected_by: scripts/build_assessment_batch.py
confidence: high
notes: The designation text. Assess the six bands against THIS evidence only; omit any band
  it does not speak to.