id: sig-20260722-report-gm028
site_id: gb-pant-morlais
attribute: designation_report
value: 'Reference Number

  GM028

  Name

  Morlais Castle

  Date of Designation

  Status

  Designated

  Unitary Authority

  Merthyr Tydfil

  Community

  Pant

  Easting

  304958

  Northing

  209585

  Broad Class

  Defence

  Site Type

  Castle

  Period

  Medieval

  The monument comprises the remains of a castle, dating to the medieval period. It is situated
  at the northern border of the lands of Senghennydd Uwch Caeach on a high limestone ridge.
  When begun in 1288, this land had been newly annexed by the lord of Glamorgan, Gilbert de
  Clare and the castle was intended to control this territory, a position viewed as provocative
  by the neighbouring lord of Brecon, Humphrey de Bohun. The result in 1290 was warfare between
  the two brought under control by their imprisonment in the Tower of London by Edward 1.
  In 1294 the castle was captured during a Welsh rebellion by Madog ap Llywelyn and it may
  have been abandoned shortly afterwards. The remains are now almost completely collapsed
  but represent a curtain walled enclosure measuring about 130m north-south by 60m wide outside
  of which is a rock-cut ditch and countescarp bank. Towers were situated around the wall
  at the angles; one on the west side, three on the east and one each at the north and south
  ends. The latter two were about 20m diameter and would have served to dominate the skyline.
  The basement of the south tower is intact and has a central pillar with twelve vaulting
  ribs that supported the floor above now capped in concrete. The castle is subdivided into
  inner and outer wards with the inner ward at the north end showing traces of internal buildings
  that might have included a hall and chapel while the outer ward has further indications
  of buildings and includes a great rock-cut water cistern. Outside of the castle ditch on
  the south side is a further court protected by earthworks alone.

  The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of medieval
  defensive and domestic practices and has strong historical associations. 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=636
source_title: Scheduled Monument Full Report — Morlais 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.