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Llantwit Major Gatehouse is a medieval fortified gateway structure located in Wales and protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw under reference GM141. The gatehouse stands on bedrock of the Lias Group, a geological formation of mudstone, siltstone, limestone and sandstone deposited during the Aalenian period of the Early Jurassic. This varied substrate of local stone would have provided building material for the gateway's construction.
Medieval gatehouses of this type served dual defensive and administrative purposes, controlling access to settlements or manorial enclosures whilst allowing the collection of tolls and enforcement of local authority. The Llantwit Major example represents a category of structure commonly built in Wales during the medieval period, though such gateways were most prominent in the 13th and 14th centuries.
The monument survives as evidence of the medieval settlement pattern and defensive arrangements around Llantwit Major. Its preservation under statutory protection reflects the significance of such gatehouses in understanding medieval Welsh settlement hierarchy and fortification practices. The site's geological setting in an area of mixed sedimentary rocks is typical of much of the South Wales lowlands where medieval communities developed.
Llantwit Major Gatehouse is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM141. View the official record →
Llantwit Major Gatehouse is a medieval fortified gateway structure located in Wales and protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw under reference GM141.
Llantwit Major Gatehouse dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a gatehouse. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Llantwit Major Gatehouse 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 GM141.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Llantwit Major Dovecot (0.1 km), Llantwit Major Monastic Settlement (Site of) (0.1 km), Castle Ditches Camp (1.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Llantwit Major Gatehouse'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.
Llantwit Major Gatehouse stands on Lias Group, bedrock that formed in the Aalenian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, limestone and sandstone.