Scheduled MonumentsWalesMonmouth Castle
Medieval · Castle

Monmouth Castle

Wales
Cadw SAM MM159
Period
Medieval
Site type
Castle
Broad class
Defence
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Monmouth Castle is a medieval fortification situated at Monmouth in Gwent, Wales, founded in the late eleventh century following the Norman conquest of the region. The castle comprises a substantial stone keep, known as the Great Tower or Geoffrey's Tower, built in the late twelfth century, along with curtain walls and gatehouse structures that were progressively developed and modified throughout the medieval period. The site served as an important stronghold for the Norman lords of Monmouth and later became a significant administrative centre for the earldom. Today the castle remains a scheduled ancient monument demonstrating the enduring architectural strategies of medieval defensive construction in the Welsh Marches.

Monmouth Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference MM159. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Monmouth Castle?

Monmouth Castle is a medieval fortification situated at Monmouth in Gwent, Wales, founded in the late eleventh century following the Norman conquest of the region. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference MM159.

What period does Monmouth Castle date from?

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

Who is responsible for protecting Monmouth Castle?

Monmouth 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 MM159.

What other scheduled monuments are near Monmouth Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Trellech Cross Cross-Base (8.9 km), Gaer 594m SW of Trellech Cross (9.2 km), Dovecot at Hygga Farm (9.5 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Monmouth Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Monmouth Castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Monmouth Castle

Monmouth Castle stands on Lower Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.

The wider landscape

Around Monmouth Castle

GloucesterRoman town · ~20.4 miles