Swansea Castle(s)
Has been described as a Certain Timber Castle (Motte), and also as a Certain Masonry Castle, and also as a Palace (Bishop)
There are masonry ruins/remnants remains
| Name | Swansea Castle(s) |
| Alternative Names | Abertawe; Seinhenydd; Gower; Goher; Sueineshea; Suenesel; Senghenydd |
| Historic Country | Glamorgan |
| Modern Authority | Swansea |
| 1974 Authority | West Glamorgan |
| Community | Castle |
Swansea Castle lies at the centre of the enclosed and ultimately walled borough and occupied an overall area of around 1.85 hectares (4.6 acres). Denied the evidence which would have been furnished by surviving fabric, it is only possible to discern two broad phases between its foundation, in or soon after 1106, and the building of the largely surviving 'New Castle' in the late thirteenth century. During the first phase, from 1106 until the early thirteenth century, the original castle (nprn 275871) was of earth and timber; in the second phase, probably between 1221 and 1284, masonry defences replaced the timber palisades of the inner castle and its bailey. The surviving remains are primarily thirteenth and fouteenth century in date. Constructed of coursed Pennant sandstone blocks, they consist of a roughly L-shaped residential block to the southeast with a tower to the north and a section of surviving curtain wall running between the two. The residential block comprises a semicircular garderobe turret to the west, a rectangular garderobe tower to the south-east with a hall and parlour range between. The entrance to the interior is through the northern side and gives access to five basement rooms with pointed tunnel-vaults. Although the tower may represent the earliest surviving work, it has been substantially altered and evidence remains of its later use as a debtors' prison. The most prominent feature of the castle is the arcaded parapet, probably added by Henry Gower in the fourteenth century. (Coflein)
In the centre of the city, on the curving W bank of the former course of the River Tawe.
Largely dating from C13 and C14, during possession of the de Braose family, reused and built against in post-medieval period.
The remains consist of 2 separate blocks, a small square tower (later used as a debtors’ prison) on the N, which may contain the earliest surviving work, and a larger residential block forming the SE angle
The most distinguished feature is the arcaded parapet associated with the work of Henry Gower, Bishop of St David’s (d 1347) in the episcopal palaces at Lamphey and St David’s. (Listed Building Report)
Established by Henry I's friend Henry de Beaumont, first earl of Warwick, as the seat of administration of the marcher lordship of Gower, which Henry bestowed on him in about 1106. This first castle was of motte and bailey type, and nothing of it remains above ground. The west side of its deep ditch has been excavated to the north of the present remains. It was rebuilt in stone on the same site, probably after being razed by the Welsh in 1217. Nothing remains above ground of this stage either, but the west side of the curtain wall has been found, together with a mural tower. To the south-west of this small castle a large roughly rectangular outer bailey was walled in stone late in C13. The 'New Castle', primarily C13 and C14, represents a stone phase of the castle. Constructed of coursed Pennant sandstone blocks with dressed Sutton stone. Consists of a roughly L-shaped residential block to SE and a tower to N, with a section of surviving curtain wall running between the two. The residential block comprises a semicircular garderobe turret to W, a rectangular garderobe tower to SE, with a hall and parlour range between. Entrance to the interior through the N side, giving access to 5 basement rooms with pointed tunnel-vaults. Although the tower may represent the earliest surviving work, it has been substantially altered. Evidence remains for its later use as a debtors' prison. The most prominent feature of the castle is the arcaded parapet.
The identification of Swansea, Glamorgan (as a bishops palace) is based on a comment by John Leland, who said that Bishop Henry Gower (1328-47) was responsible for some building work at Swansea Castle. However, there is no proven connection with the bishop of St David's (pers. comm. Rick Turner) and the architectural evidence does not support Leland's comment (Emery 2000: 644). (Payne 2003)
The monument consists of the remains of the first phases of Swansea Castle. (The later phases of the castle to the south are scheduled under GM012). The castle stands on the crest of a north-south gravel scarp, bounded on the east by the navigable River Tawe (now represented by The Strand). Its position was strategic: it commanded the lowest crossing of the river, the main east-west route in south Wales, and a good harbour. Swansea Castle's history was a turbulent one: it suffered in many Welsh raids, and changed hands many times. It was a Norman castle, first mentioned in 1116 as being attacked by the Welsh. It was established by Henry I's friend Henry de Beaumont, first earl of Warwick, as the seat of administration of the marcher lordship of Gower, which Henry bestowed on him in about 1106. This first castle was of motte and bailey type and nothing of it remains above ground. The west side of its deep ditch has been excavated to the north of the present remains. It was rebuilt in stone on the same site, probably after being razed by the Welsh in 1217. Nothing remains above ground of this stage either, but the west side of the curtain wall has been found, together with a mural tower. To the south-west of this small castle, called the 'Old Castle', a large roughly rectangular outer bailey was walled in stone in the 13th century. (Scheduling Report GM441)
The monument consists of the remains of a castle dating to the medieval period. Swansea Castle stands on a clifftop, below which the River Tawe originally flowed, and its position was strategic: it commanded the lowest crossing of the river, the main east-west route in south Wales, and a good harbour. What is visible now is only a small part of the latest castle on the site, which in its heyday in the late 13th century stretched from Welcome Lane in the north to Caer Street in the south, and from the clifftop in the east almost to Princess Way in the west. (The first phases of castle building found to the north are scheduled under GM441). Swansea Castle's history was a turbulent one: it suffered in many Welsh raids, and changed hands many times. It was a Norman castle, first mentioned in 1116 as being attacked by the Welsh. It was established by Henry I's friend Henry de Beaumont, first earl of Warwick, as the seat of administration of the marcher lordship of Gower, which Henry bestowed on him in about 1106. This first castle was of motte and bailey type and nothing of it remains above ground. The west side of its deep ditch has been excavated to the north of the present remains. It was rebuilt in stone on the same site, probably after being razed by the Welsh in 1217. Nothing remains above ground of this stage either, but the west side of the curtain wall has been found, together with a mural tower. To the south-west of this small castle, called the 'Old Castle', a large roughly rectangular outer bailey was walled in stone in the 13th century. The 'New Castle', of which the present day remains were part, lay in its south-east corner, built on the site of an earlier graveyard. This 'New Castle' dates from the late 13th to early 14th century, by which time Edward I's pacification of Wales had deprived it of any military importance. It continued as an administrative centre but at a reduced level. Its holders, then the de Braoses, preferred to live at Oystermouth Castle, and inevitable decline set in. Stripped of their usefulness, the various gates and towers of the bailey - Harold's Gate, Donald's Tower, Bokynham Tower and Singleton Tower - were sold off in the early 14th century. The visible remains consist of the north and south blocks, probably the work of William de Braose II and William de Braose III, connected by a short stretch of much-altered curtain wall. The curtain wall was originally continued up Castle Bailey Street on the west, and west from the north block to enclose a roughly rectangular area, with an entrance on the west side. The well preserved south block, which occupied most of the south side of the 'New Castle', is the most spectacular part, with its picturesque arcaded parapet on top of the outside walls. This was probably a slightly later addition to the main building, which was a residential block. The two large windows on the south side are the windows of the first-floor hall, and below them are the narrow windows of three barrel-vaulted chambers. In the angled wing to the east was a sub-basement with great battered walls, from which there was access to the river. On the first floor was a solar, or private chamber, reached by steps on the west side. At the west end of the block is a spectacular circular garderobe tower standing to its full height, and in the south-east angle is a small turret with an arrowslit. The small rectangular tower to the north has been much altered in post-medieval times, but retains a few original features such as cross arrowslits. On the ground floor are three vaulted chambers, with four rooms above them inserted in the late 18th century when the block was turned into a debtors' prison. It had probably been used as a prison for a long time before. (Scheduling Report GM012)
This site is a scheduled monument protected by law
This is a Grade 1 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 | SS657930 |
| Latitude | 51.6203689575195 |
| Longitude | -3.94114995002747 |
| Eastings | 265710 |
| Northings | 193080 |
