Longtown Castle, in Herefordshire, was fortified after the Norman Conquest by the de Lacy family.
Longtown Castle, also termed Ewias Lacey Castle in early accounts, is a ruined Norman motte-and-bailey fortification in Longtown, Herefordshire. Walter de Lacy established it, utlising former Roman earthworks. After 1148 Gilbert de Lacy rebuilt it and established the adjacent town to pay for the work. By the 14th century, Longtown Castle had fallen into decline, though used during the Owain Glyndŵr rising in 1403, it fell into After the Norman invasion of England and Wales in the late 11th century, a small castle began to be built at Pont Hendre, close to the site of the current castle, by Walter de Lacy in order to protect the river crossing there. Following Welsh attacks, Walter abandoned Pont Hedre and instead started to build a castle at Longtown, The early castle was occasionally also called Ewias Lacey, named after the wider lordship; "Ewias" was a term meaning "sheep district". Longtown Castle was designed as a motte and bailey castle, on high ground alongside the River Monnow. This location was strategically well located close to the River. The 12th-century castle was built primarily of timber with at least some stone in its design, but this stone was then reused when the castle was rebuilt in the 13th century. Two circuits of earthworks to the north and south of the castle, possibly with wooden palisades, enclosed the early settlement of Longtown. The region was troubled for the rest of the century, with revolts by the local Welsh against Anglo-Norman rule. The de Lacy's lost their lands in the region after conspiring against William II, but around 1148, Gilbert de Lacy regained the estates. Gilbert probably then rebuilt the castle in stone, at a considerable cost of £37, financed by the construction of a new borough alongside it. The stone keep was constructed in the form of a circular great tower, with walls 5-metre (16 ft) thick and three turrets spaced evenly around the outside and a hall on the first floor. This circular design is particular to
Size: 4912px × 7360px
Location: Longtown, Herefordshire, UK
Photo credit: © Philip Chapman / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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