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Llandow Castle-Ringwork is a medieval ringwork situated in Wales on bedrock of the Lias Group, a sequence of mudstone, siltstone, limestone and sandstone formed during the Aalenian period. The castle occupies a naturally defensible position where the underlying geology provided stable foundations for its earthwork construction. The site is protected by Cadw, the Welsh heritage monuments authority, under the reference number GM515.
Ringworks of this type represent a common form of medieval fortification in Wales and the Marches, typically consisting of a circular or oval defensive enclosure surrounded by a ditch and bank. Built to command the local landscape and protect strategic routes, they served as residences and strongholds for Norman and Welsh lords during the medieval period. The defensive earthworks would have been surmounted by timber palisades and possibly a gatehouse.
The site's survival as an earthwork monument demonstrates the durability of its construction method. Despite centuries of agricultural use and weathering of the underlying Lias geology, the ringwork's physical form remains sufficiently intact to convey the scale and character of medieval fortification strategy in this region. The monument preserves important evidence of settlement and lordship in medieval Wales.
Llandow Castle-Ringwork is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM515. View the official record →
Llandow Castle-Ringwork is a medieval ringwork situated in Wales on bedrock of the Lias Group, a sequence of mudstone, siltstone, limestone and sandstone formed during the Aalenian period. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference GM515.
Llandow Castle-Ringwork dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a ringwork. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Llandow Castle-Ringwork 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 GM515.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including St. Illtud's Church, Early Medieval Cross, Cross Shafts and Pillar (5.1 km), Llantwit Major Gatehouse (5.1 km), The Chantry House (5.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Llandow Castle-Ringwork'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.
Llandow Castle-Ringwork stands on Lias Group, bedrock that formed in the Aalenian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, limestone and sandstone.