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Cilgerran Castle Additional Area is a medieval castle in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference PE384. The monument occupies a strategically significant location where the underlying geology comprises Ashgill Rocks, a succession of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone formed during the Ashgill period. This varied bedrock would have presented both opportunities and constraints for the castle's builders, with the harder sandstone bands potentially providing foundations whilst the softer mudstones required careful management to prevent subsidence.
The castle's position reflects the medieval military strategy characteristic of Norman and later Welsh defensive architecture. Such castles typically commanded river valleys and territorial approaches, and the bedrock composition at Cilgerran would have influenced decisions about placement and construction technique. The combination of sedimentary rock types provided a mixed foundation, requiring builders to adapt their engineering practices accordingly.
As part of the castle's protected area, this additional designation recognises the broader landscape context and archaeological significance of the medieval fortification and its immediate setting. The geology has shaped not only the original construction but also the long-term stability and survival of the monument, whilst the strategic landscape advantages that drew medieval commanders to this location remain evident today.
Cilgerran Castle Additional Area is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference PE384. View the official record →
Cilgerran Castle Additional Area is a medieval castle in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference PE384.
Cilgerran Castle Additional Area dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a castle. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Cilgerran Castle Additional Area is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is PE384.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Castell Llain-Fawr (7.2 km), Castell Eglwyswrw (7.3 km), Round Barrow on W Slope of Freni Fawr (7.9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cilgerran Castle Additional Area's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Cilgerran Castle Additional Area stands on Ashgill Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.