Marcross Castle

Has been described as a Certain Fortified Manor House

There are masonry ruins/remnants remains

NameMarcross Castle
Alternative Names
Historic CountryGlamorgan
Modern AuthorityVale of Glamorgan
1974 AuthoritySouth Glamorgan
CommunitySt Donats

Traces of a Late C13 early C14 defensible courtyard house, of a rather irregular quadrilateral plan, c.50m square, abandoned c.1700. Largely obscured/destroyed by recent farm buildings. (Coflein)

The moated dwelling and enclosure comprising the former Marcross Castle was the local seat of the Van family who had inherited through marriage a moiety of Marcross in mid C13 and who held it until the death of the last of the male line in 1694. In C18, the remains formed part of Castle Farm. The SW enclosure wall dates from the late C13 or early C14.

The stretch of medieval walling comprises remains of the SW curtain wall of Marcross Castle. Stretch of high wall of stone rubble with blocked arched light to former first floor hall. To the NW, the wall descends low and on SE it is bounded by a later C20 outbuilding in which no old work appears to remain. (Listed Building Report)

Damaged remains of a castle or fortified manor house at Marcross, partly incorporated into a free-standing outbuilding and a section of the farmyard wall of Village Farm. The wall and outbuilding were Listed in 1982, by which date associated earthworks identified from an aerial photograph sited to the south-west of the farm had been levelled and built over. (Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust HER)

Not scheduled

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 ReferenceSS923692
Latitude51.411678314209
Longitude-3.54957008361816
Eastings292320
Northings169200
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink
Copyright Dave Barlow of Abaroths World All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Copyright Dave Barlow of Abaroths World All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Copyright Dave Barlow of Abaroths World All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Copyright Dave Barlow of Abaroths World All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Copyright Dave Barlow of Abaroths World All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Copyright Dave Barlow of Abaroths World All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Copyright Dave Barlow of Abaroths World All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image

Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant.

Calculate Print

Books

  • Davis, Paul, R., 2011, The Forgotten Castles of Wales (Almeley: Logaston Press) p. 101-108
  • Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p. 111
  • < >RCAHMW, 2000, An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments in Glamorgan Vol. 3 Part 1b: The Later Castles (London: HMSO) < > SH2 p. 448-53
  • Salter, Mike, 1991, The Castles of Gwent, Glamorgan and Gower (Malvern) p. 54
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 173

Journals

  • Spurgeon, C.J. and Thomas, H.J., 1978, 'Medieval Glamorgan' Morgannwg Vol. 22 p. 24 online copy