Scheduled MonumentsWalesLlantwit Major Castle
Medieval · Manor

Llantwit Major Castle

Wales
Cadw SAM GM137
Period
Medieval
Site type
Manor
Broad class
Domestic
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Llantwit Major Castle is a medieval fortified manor house located in the Vale of Glamorgan in South Wales. The site comprises the remains of a substantial stone-built structure that served as a defensive residence for a local Welsh noble family during the medieval period. Archaeological evidence and surviving masonry indicate construction and occupation from at least the thirteenth century, with the building showing characteristics typical of Welsh border fortifications. The castle occupied a strategically significant position in the local landscape, though it has not been extensively excavated or documented in the scholarly record compared to major royal castles, leaving certain details of its architectural phases and precise chronology incompletely resolved.

Llantwit Major Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM137. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Llantwit Major Castle?

Llantwit Major Castle is a medieval fortified manor house located in the Vale of Glamorgan in South Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference GM137.

What period does Llantwit Major Castle date from?

Llantwit Major Castle dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a manor. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Llantwit Major Castle?

Llantwit Major Castle 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 GM137.

What other scheduled monuments are near Llantwit Major Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Llantwit Major Dovecot (0.4 km), Llantwit Major Monastic Settlement (Site of) (0.5 km), Castle Ditches Camp (1.7 km).

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