Penrice Castle
Has been described as a Certain Masonry Castle
There are masonry ruins/remnants remains
| Name | Penrice Castle |
| Alternative Names | Penrees |
| Historic Country | Glamorgan |
| Modern Authority | Swansea |
| 1974 Authority | West Glamorgan |
| Community | Penrice |
Penrice Castle is a large and very irregular hexagonal plan fortress fitted onto a blunt headland on the northern side of Penrice Dingle. The earliest surviving remains are the mid-thirteenth century keep and three short sections of curtain wall. The rest of the curtain wall is late thirteenth century. A dovecote (NPRN 37646) has been added against the south-east curtain wall, possibly replacing an earlier tower or turret. Some restoration of the battlements and butressing of walls can be attributed to landscaping associated with the eighteenth century house to the south (NPRN 265707). (Coflein)
Hilltop position in parkland of Penrice Castle mansion 300m south of the A4118.
Possibly of Norman origin, but almost lacking in datable detail. Probably much of the stonework remaining is C13; a window with seats in the north-west gatehouse overlooking the ward suggests the C13 and the gatehouse also has pointed arches. The castle was abandoned in favour of Oxwich Castle in the late mediaeval period and fell into ruin. It was slighted by Cromwell. When engraved by Buck in c1735 the surviving curtain wall still has its crenellations. The ruins were probably reduced for picturesque effect in the late C18. A wall dividing the ward into two halves has nearly all disappeared.
A stone-built castle consisting of a drum-tower keep with a large ward to its east side. A group of ruined buildings at the north of the ward include a gatehouse with flanking defensive turrets. Attached to the east side, externally, is a conical dovecote This site is a scheduled monument protected by law
This is a Grade 2* listed building protected by law
Historic Wales CADW listed database record number
The National Monument Record (Coflein) number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
| OS Map Grid Reference | SS497885 |
| Latitude | 51.5752410888672 |
| Longitude | -4.17024993896484 |
| Eastings | 249710 |
| Northings | 188500 |
