Visited March 2012

Location	Grosmont, Monmouthshire
Entrance Fee	No
Railway Station Nearby	No
Parking	In village
Facilities	In village
Map

Grosmont castle is in the picturesque village of Grosmont in Monmouthshire. Along with Skenfrith Castle and White Castle it formed a defensive ring around the volatile border region between England and Wales. Known collectively as 'The Three Castles' they were combined under the same Lordship in the early part of the 12th century. They remained in joint ownership until the early twentieth century, when they were sold off to separate owners. These days they have been united once more as they are all under the care of CADW, and visiting the three on the same day is a pleasant trip.

Review

Grosmont Castle can be found in the village of the same name, in rural Monmouthshire. It is quite a large village so there are facilities -  public toilets and a pub, cafe and village shop selling castle postcards & guidebooks. The castle can be found at the top of a small lane- there is no parking next to the castle, you need to find a space in the village.

The castle can be entered via a timber bridge, on  the same location of the original drawbridge. Directly to the right of the Gatehouse are the remains of the Hall Block- this is the oldest of the masonry remains, it dates back to Hubert de Burgh, who was responsible for the rebuilding of the Three Castles in stone. This Hall Block was  one of the first parts to be remodelled, and probably stood for a time next to the ancient wooden palisade  around the castle perimeter before that too was replaced in stone.

To the left of the Gatehouse is the remains of the South West Tower. This was also originally Hubert de Burgh's work, but remodelled several times thereafter. There is a wall walk linking this tower to the remains of the West Tower.

One of the most striking features of the castle is the chimney of the now-ruined North Block. This was built in the fourteenth century under the Earls of Lancaster, who wanted to make the castle more comfortable to live in. The chimney is very decorative, in keeping with the high status of the Lancasters.

Once the inner ruins have been seen, there is a pleasant walk around the outside perimeter of the castle, and a picnic table just opposite the gatehouse bridge if you fancy a sit down. The local pub serves food and was very child friendly, if you would prefer some pub grub.

More info: CADW Grosmont Castle