Penmark Castle

Penmark Castle stands among rolling fields in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales, a few kilometres southwest of Barry near Rhoose. Its remains rise on a low mound where a timber fort once guarded the land in the 12th century. Stone walls replaced the wood soon after, and the earthen rampart was levelled to form a wider platform. Gilbert de Umfraville built the first stronghold here before the castle passed to the de St John family. In the 14th century Edward II gave it to Oliver de St John through marriage to Elizabeth Umfraville. The castle’s history is brief but significant, marking shifts in power among Norman lords. Its stone keep and curtain wall were modest, yet the site commanded the Vale’s lanes and coastal tracks. After centuries of neglect the ruins were left to the weather, leaving only foundations and a grassy bank. Archaeologists recognise the Umfraville hall and the later de St John additions beneath the turf. The mound still shows where the timber palisade once stood guard. Visitors walk a farm track to the mound and circle its low earthworks. The castle’s footprint is marked by low stone lines and a central hollow where the keep once stood. From the top there are wide views over fields to the Bristol Channel. Sheep graze among the ruins, and the only sounds are skylarks and the wind. The site is quiet, with no modern buildings nearby, so the medieval atmosphere lingers.