Montgomery Castle

Montgomery Castle stands on a ridge above the small town of Montgomery in Powys, Mid Wales. Built by the Normans, it overlooks the borderlands between Wales and England. The original motte and bailey, now called Hen Domen, was raised between 1071 and 1074 by Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Shrewsbury. After repeated attacks and rebuilds, a stone castle was begun in 1223 under Henry III. Hubert de Burgh, who also rebuilt other Marches castles, designed the inner ward with gatehouse, two towers and apartments. The middle and outer wards were added after further attacks in the 13th century. The castle played a key part in many conflicts. It was the site of the largest battle in Wales during the First English Civil War in 1644. Earlier, in 1267, negotiations for the Treaty of Montgomery took place here, where Henry III granted Llywelyn ap Gruffudd the title of Prince of Wales. The walled town was sacked by Owain Glyndŵr in 1402, though the castle held out. After the Second English Civil War, Parliament ordered its walls slighted in 1649 to stop it being used again. Visitors find the remains of the inner ward on the rocky ridge, with parts of the gatehouse and towers still standing. Below, the town preserves its medieval street plan and the Old Bell Museum displays scale models of the original motte and bailey and the stone castle. The ridge offers wide views across the Welsh Marches. The museum also shows finds from excavations. Nearby, the landscape still bears traces of the conflicts that shaped this borderland.