id: sig-20260722-report-br057
site_id: gb-llanddew-llanddew
attribute: designation_report
value: 'Reference Number

  BR057

  Name

  Llanddew Castle

  Date of Designation

  Status

  Designated

  Unitary Authority

  Powys

  Community

  Llanddew

  Easting

  305544

  Northing

  230803

  Broad Class

  Defence

  Site Type

  Castle

  Period

  Medieval

  The monument consists of the remains of a castle, dating to the medieval period. The castle
  at Llanddew belonged to the Bishops of St David''s and was built in the 12th century and
  was also the residence of the Archdeacon of Brecon from at least the late 12th century.
  The castle''s most famous occupant was Giraldus Cambrensis, Archdeacon of Brecon, who lived
  there between 1175 and 1203 and who described it as ''a small residence well adapted to
  literary pursuits and the contemplation of eternity''. Little remains of the original castle,
  with the standing structures thought to be 13th or 14th century in date. The remains comprise
  two sections of curtain wall with the partial remains of two round towers on the SW and
  NW side of the rectangular ward, with a stretch of ditch or moat along the NE side. The
  curtain walls are stone built and survive to a maximum height of 2.5m. At the SE end is
  an arched entrance at 90 degrees to the line of the curtain wall. Around half way along
  the curtain wall on the SW side is Bishop Gower''s well. This comprises a rectangular recess
  set into the wall, fronted by a low arch around 1m high, containing a pool of water. The
  well was built in 1340 and was the main water supply for the village until the 1940s. On
  the interior of the curtain wall are a set of steps leading down to another arched entrance
  to the well which would have supplied the castle. Within the castle ward are the remains
  of a rectangular building with standing walls on three sides. The building measures 11m
  by 20m and is orientated SW/NE. The walls are stone built and 0.7m thick, surviving to a
  maximum height of 5m. This building is thought to be a hall block and recent clearance work
  revealed that it was built over a vaulted cellar. The site was derelict by the mid 17th
  century and was sold after the Civil War but returned to the see of St David''s after the
  restoration.

  The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of medieval
  defensive practices. The monument is well-preserved and an important relic of the medieval
  landscape. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of
  the presence of both structural evidence and intact associated deposits.

  The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related
  evidence may be expected to survive.'
source_url: http://cadwpublic-api.azurewebsites.net/reports/sam/FullReport?lang=en&id=1724
source_title: Scheduled Monument Full Report — Llanddew 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.