Visited August 2014

Location	Bronllys, Powys
Entrance Fee	No
Railway Station Nearby	No
Parking	Yes- in lay-by
Facilities	None
Map

Review

Perched on a steep motte on the side of the A479, about 15 miles south east of Builth Wells, Bronllys Castle is a compact 11th century tower, all that remains of a larger castle of Norman origin.

Blink and you might miss the lay-by parking, even though the castle is right by the side of the road it is very well hidden by mature trees. As you can't actually see it until you arrive, it gives  you very little time to pull in and park.

The round stone tower here replaced an earlier wooden keep, probably built by Richard FitzPons, a supporter of William the Conqueror. The round stone tower was built by Richard's descendant Walter de Clifford. The round keep is similar to nearby Tretower Castle ,  this was the style at the time, as round keeps were found to repel arrows better than square keeps. However, Bronllys saw very little military action over the years, hence its good condition today.

The entrance to the tower is up a modern metal staircase, then there are two more floors above, with fireplaces discernible on the walls as you ascend. There are also some decorative windows which survive from the fourteenth century. From the top there are  fantastic views over the surrounding area. At one time there was a wooden fighting platform at the top of the tower, although it probably did not get much use. The tower seemed to have been used for domestic purposes, with other buildings associated with the castle built within the walls of the bailey. There is a Victorian house in the bailey today, with no trace of any of the other buildings, so the tower is the lucky survivor!

There are no facilities at the castle, and it is a small site, with a tiny bit of green space to the front of the castle so you could sit and eat a picnic there if desired. It makes an interesting stopping point if you are in the area, but I would not recommend a long journey to see it unless you are combining with other sites in the area such as Tretower.

More info:  CADW Bronllys Castle