Aberafan Castle

Has been described as a Possible Timber Castle (Other/Unknown), and also as a Possible Masonry Castle

There are no visible remains

NameAberafan Castle
Alternative NamesAber Afan; Aberavon; Beili y Castell; Bailey Castle; Baily'r castell
Historic CountryGlamorgan
Modern AuthorityNeath Port Talbot
1974 AuthorityWest Glamorgan
CommunityAberavon

Aberfan Castle is a rectangular moated enclosure, 56m north-north-east by 46m south-south-west with a moat between 13 and 14m wide. It is depicted on the first edition of the Ordnance Survey County series (Glamorgan. XXV.13 1876) and has been identified as a castle recorded as destroyed in 1153, although a later origin is possible. A centrally placed flat-topped rectangular mound, 8.0m north-north-east by 9m south-south-west, has been identified as a cockpit although it is also possible to connect this with ruins noted in 1813. The site was built over between 1876 and 1897. (Coflein ref. RCAHMW, 1991)

Unfortunately there are no detailed antiquarian descriptions of the castle, and the 1875 Ordnance Survey map provides more questions than answers. The map shows a small mound on an oblong moated platform measuring approximately 160ft by 180ft. The mound seems too small to have been a motte, and may have marked the remains of a central keep. (Davis, 1988)

Not scheduled

Not Listed

The National Monument Record (Coflein) number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSS762901
Latitude51.5963897705078
Longitude-3.78870010375977
Eastings276200
Northings190100
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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

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Books

  • Morgan, Gerald, 2008, Castles in Wales: A Handbook (Talybont: Y Lolfa Cyf.) p. 254 (listed as possible)
  • Davis, Paul R., 2007, Castles of the Welsh Princes (Y Lolfa) p. 96-7
  • < >RCAHMW, 1991, An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments in Glamorgan Vol. 3 Part 1a: The Early Castles (London: HMSO) < > VE1 p. 154-6
  • Salter, Mike, 1991, The Castles of Gwent, Glamorgan and Gower (Malvern) p. 38
  • Davis, Paul R., 1988, Castles of the Welsh Princes (Swansea)
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 171
  • Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p. 322
  • Renn, D.F., 1973 (2 edn.), Norman Castles of Britain (London: John Baker) p. 84
  • Hague, D.B., 1971, in Pugh, T.B. (ed), Glamorgan County History Vol. 3 The Middle Ages (Cardiff) p. 437
  • Randall, Henry John, 1961, The Vale of Glamorgan, Studies in Landscape and History (Newport: R.H.Johns Ltd) p. 78
  • Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p. 296 online copy
  • Lewis, Samual, 1849, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales online copy

Journals

  • Spurgeon, C.J. and Thomas, H.J..,1980, 'Aberafan Castle', Archaeology in Wales Vol. 20 p. 69
  • Spurgeon, C.J. and Thomas, H.J., 1978, 'Medieval Glamorgan' Morgannwg Vol. 22 p. 25 online copy
  • Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1963, 'Early castles in Wales and the Marches: a preliminary list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol. 112 p. 77-124
  • 1933-37, Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies Vol. 7 p. 223

Primary Sources

  • Brut y Tywysogion 1153 (Several transcriptions and translations exist the best being Jones, T., 1952, Brut Y Twysogion (University of Wales, History and Law series 11)–based on the Peniarth MS 20 version. There is a flawed translation Williams ab Ithel, John, 1860, Brut Y Twysogion or The Chronicle of the Princes (Rolls Series) online copy and Owen, Aneurin (ed), 1864, 'Brut y Tywysogion' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol. 19 supplement p. 125 [online copy > http://archive.org/stream/brutytywysogiong00cararich#page/125/mode/1up] )