Aberystwyth Town Walls

Has been described as a Certain Urban Defence

There are no visible remains

NameAberystwyth Town Walls
Alternative NamesLlanbadarn Fawr; Lanbadar; Lampadarn; Lampader
Historic CountryCardiganshire
Modern AuthorityCeredigion
1974 AuthorityDyfed
CommunityAberystwyth

No remains, a roughly oval area with castle on seaward side. Borough charter of 1277 allowed 'the burgesses of the said borough, and their heirs, that they may enclose the town of Lanbadar with a ditch and wall'.

It was decided to defend the town with a circuit of stone walls linked to the castle, and in 1280 alone nearly £200 was spent towards that end, although the walls were destroyed during a Welsh attack two years later and had to be rebuilt. (Soulsby)

Not scheduled

Not Listed

The National Monument Record (Coflein) number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSN582816
Latitude52.4139518737793
Longitude-4.08840990066528
Eastings258210
Northings281620
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

No photos available. If you can provide pictures please contact Castlefacts

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Books

  • Salter, Mike, 2013, Medieval Walled Towns (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 159
  • Lilley, K.D., 2009, 'The Landscapes of Edward's New Towns: Their Planning and Design' in Willams, D. and Kenyon, J. (eds), The Impact of the Edwardian Castles in Wales (Oxbow) p. 99-113
  • Lilley, K, Lloyd, C. and Trick, S., 2005, Mapping Medieval Townscapes: a digital atlas of the new towns of Edward I online copy
  • Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p. 18, 27, 40, 97, 99, 131, 212, 274
  • Salter, Mike, 1996, The Castles of South West Wales (Malvern) p. 16
  • Soulsby, Ian, 1983, The Towns of Medieval Wales (Phillimore; Chichester) p. 69-72 (plan)
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 49
  • Spurgeon, C.J., 1977, ‘Aberystwyth Castle and borough to 1649’, in Jones. I.G. (ed), Aberystwyth 1277-1977: Eight Lectures to Celebrate the Seventh Centenary of the Foundation of the Borough (Llandysul:Gomer Press) p. 28-45
  • Barley, M.W., 1975, 'Town Defences in England and Wales after 1066' in Barley (ed) The plans and topography of medieval towns in England and Wales (CBA Research Report 14) p. 57-71 online copy
  • Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p. 210
  • Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol. 2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p. 303-4
  • Lewis, F.R., 1938, The history of Llanbadarn Fawr, Cardiganshire, in the later Middle ages
  • Evans, 1902, Aberystwyth and its Court Leet (Aberystwyth) p. 105-9
  • Lewis, Samual, 1849, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales online copy

Antiquarian

Journals

  • Creighton, Oliver, 2006, ''Castles of Communities': Medieval Town Defences in England; Wales and Gascony' Château Gaillard Vol. 22 p. 75-86
  • (Spurgeon et al), 1976, Medieval Archaeology Vol. 20 p. 186 download copy
  • (Spurgeon et al), 1975, Medieval Archaeology Vol. 19 p. 249 download copy
  • Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol. 116 p. 71-132
  • Hague, D.B., 1955, 'The Aberystwyth town walls' Ceredigion Vol. 2.4 p. 276 online copy
  • Taylor, A.J., 1947, 'Montgomery Town wall' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol. 99 p. 283

Guide Books

  • Morgan, 1908, Short History of the Castle of Aberystwyth (Aberystwyth) p. 9-10

Primary Sources

  • Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1906, Calendar of Charter Rolls Henry III-Edward 1 1257-1300 Vol. 2. (HMSO) p. 206 (borough charter) online copy
  • Jones, T., 1955, Brut y Tywysogion (Red Book Of Hergest Version) (the flawed 1860 translation by William ab Ithel is at online copy) [Scan of original manuscript > http://image.ox.ac.uk/show?collection=jesus&manuscript=ms111]
  • Chancery: Liberate Rolls C62/56 (1280 record of £180 spent on walls)
  • - < >Also see the Gatehouse murage pages for full details of murage [grants > http://www.gatehouse-gazetteer.info/murage/murindex.html], [petitions > http://www.gatehouse-gazetteer.info/murage/mupindex.html ] and [other such > http://www.gatehouse-gazetteer.info/murage/muaindex.html]. < >