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Penrice Ringwork is a medieval ringwork situated in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled ancient monument under reference GM053. The monument sits on bedrock of the Millstone Grit Group, a Namurian formation comprising mudstone, siltstone and sandstone that would have presented significant challenges for construction and drainage.
Ringworks represent a distinctive fortification type of the medieval period, consisting of a single defensive bank and ditch enclosure without the keep characteristic of motte-and-bailey castles. The Millstone Grit geology underlying Penrice would have influenced both the defensive properties of the site and the practical difficulties of excavating ditches through the harder sandstone bands within the sequence.
As a defended residence or territorial marker of medieval date, Penrice Ringwork occupies an important place within the archaeological record of Wales. The combination of its upstanding earthwork and geological setting provides evidence for medieval settlement patterns and defensive strategies adapted to the local landscape and stone resources of the region.
Penrice Ringwork is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM053. View the official record →
Penrice Ringwork is a medieval ringwork situated in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled ancient monument under reference GM053.
Penrice 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.
Penrice 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 GM053.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Limestone Quarry and Kiln at Oxwich (1.6 km), Tower NE of Oxwich Castle (1.6 km), Castell Oxwich (1.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Penrice 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.
Penrice Ringwork stands on Millstone Grit Group [See Also Migr], bedrock that formed in the Namurian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.