GM094

Llanblethian Castle  

 

Designated  

Vale of Glamorgan  

Cowbridge with Llanblethian  

298893  

174181  

Defence  

Castle  

Medieval  

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument. The monument consists of the remains of a castle dating to the medieval period. Llanblethian (aka St Quintin's) comprises a large courtyard castle. The massive twin-towered gatehouse and high stretch of curtain wall on the north side are the main remnants. A ruinous low wall surrounds the rectilinear ward to the west. In the centre is a mound with the shell of a thick-walled building possibly an earlier keep on it. The gatehouse and curtain wall are thought to be early 14th century, built by Gilbert de Clare (the Last, d. 1314). The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of medieval defensive practices. The monument is well-preserved and an important relic of the medieval landscape. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of both structural evidence and intact associated deposits. The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.