Castell Machen

Castell Machen stands on a ledge of a south-facing hillside in the community of Graig, within the historic county of Monmouthshire and the modern authority of Newport. The remains consist mainly of masonry footings on two rocky knolls, protected as a scheduled monument. The site once held a round tower about ten metres across with walls nearly two metres thick. A large hall measured eighteen by ten metres and occupied the southern knoll. A latrine chute ran from the tower down the cliff to the south. The castle was first fortified in the late twelfth century by Meredydd Gethin. Morgan ap Hywel, Lord of Gwynllwg from about 1215, strengthened it after losing Caerleon in 1217. He added a round tower in 1217, which Gilbert Marshal captured in 1236 during a truce. The bailey and curtain wall were built under Marshal’s control before the castle was returned to Morgan. Meredudd ap Gruffudd inherited the castle in 1248 and held it until Gilbert de Clare took it in 1266. Visitors find low stone foundations on two grassy mounds separated by a ditch. The southern knoll shows the round tower’s base, while the northern knoll marks the hall’s footprint. The bailey to the north is a flat grassy area enclosed by a low earthwork. Higher ground overlooks the site from the north, and the latrine chute’s remains can be traced down the slope. The setting offers views across the surrounding countryside.