From News Wales, 12th June 2007

Rhondda castle restored after 600 years

After lying in ruins for 600 years the 13th century Llantrisant Castle is to be restored by Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and Cadw, the Welsh body for Ancient Monuments. Llantrisant Castle was a significant fortress for the early Norman lords of Glamorgan and described as second only to Cardiff in military importance.

Overlooking the conquered lands of the Vale, while protecting those lands from the Welsh warriors of the northern mountain regions, or Blaenau, it comes as little surprise that it was subject to several fierce battles and rebellions during its chequered history.

No excavation or restoration of the site has ever been undertaken since it fell into disuse in the early part of the 15th century and 600 years on fears remain that unless a scheme is carried out to consolidate the tower it will further deteriorate in the coming years.

The far-reaching project of two phases begins with this initial investment with the main purpose of removing the ivy from the remains of the Raven Tower, the completion of a Conservation Management Plan, the clearance of any vegetation from within the ringwork walls of the castle and a Feasibility Study for a full archaeological dig on the site. The Council intends to complete this first phase before the end of 2007.

This will mark the beginning of the first major scheme ever undertaken on the site and once completed further funding will be sought for the second phase of the project, which will involve preserving the ruins of the Raven’s Tower and ringwork walls, enhancement of visitor interpretation at the site, and potentially a full archaeological dig of the site.

The castle has significant archaeological potential as it has been largely undisturbed since the Middle Ages and hopes are high that local volunteers will come forward and assist in the initial clean-up of the site.

The British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BCTV) will be responsible for clearing vegetation around the castle and are hoping to recruit local people to get involved in the project from the outset.

Should you be interested in volunteering and working with the BCTV on this project please contact Jonathan Singleton on 02920 524268 or email him at j.singleton@bctv.org.uk. Expert conservationists will undertaken the clearing of the ivy in consultation with Cadw should any problems arise.

Consultants Page & Dean Ltd, who have had a long association with Llantrisant spanning twenty years, have already been appointed to oversee the project in close partnership with Cadw.

When completed the scheme will contribute towards the ongoing regeneration of the town centre of Llantrisant as well as protect our heritage. The vision for the Llantrisant Old Town Regeneration Strategy is to recreate a vibrant town centre that is renowned for its historic interest, high quality environment and it is felt by Llantrisant Town Forum that the restoration of the Castle has been identified as one of the key projects to achieve this vision.

Rhondda Cynon Taf Council Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Skills Cllr Robert Bevan explained: “This is just the first phase in a larger strategy which will be implemented for the benefit of the people of Llantrisant and its many thousands of visitors every year. This is just a part of our commitment to investing in Llantrisant town centre. We already have visions for the Bull Ring area and want to ensure that this important historic town appeals to an even wider audience of tourists. Our vision has been a collected effort along with Llantrisant Town Trust and Llantrisant Community Council and we visualize the castle project as the first major step of a much wider scheme for the benefit of the entire town.”

Llantrisant Castle was a stone-built defence which may have been formed on an even earlier stronghold built by the Celtic Lords. Occupied in the early 12th century, prior to the Norman Lords’ first expulsion from the town during a series of revolutions by the Welsh, it was fortified in 1246. In 1252 Margaret, the daughter of the Earl of Gloucester Richard de Clare was born there and his eldest son occupied it by 1262 before building Caerphilly Castle.

Llantrisant Castle suffered a short, albeit turbulent history as a fighting castle. Severely damaged in four Welsh attacks, it was destroyed in 1315 before major rebuilding was undertaken, although there are few accounts of it after 1404, possible because it once more underwent an invasion by Owain Glyndwr. Probably the most significant event to have taken place there was on November 16 1326 when it was likely to have been used as a prison for the captured King Edward II before he was taken to Berkeley Castle and suffered a horrendous death.

In later years the Marquis of Bute used much of its stonework to repair Cardiff and Caerphilly castles and during the building of Castell Coch, while locals often used stones to build nearby homes. A cell in the castle was also used as a makeshift prison during the early Victorian era, and as late as the 1980s the interior of the ringwork walls was occupied as a local allotment.

http://www.castlewales.com/llantri.html
http://www.pictures-of-castles.co.uk/llantrisant-castle
http://www.llantrisant.net/castle.htm

From the BBC Website, 21st August 2007

Volunteers start castle clean-up

A major clean-up has begun to "breathe life back into the overgrown ruins" of Llantrisant Castle. A team of volunteers have begun clearing vegetation from the site, which dates back to 1246. Cadw, the Welsh body for Ancient Monuments, has helped to fund the scheme with Rhondda Cynon Taf council. Archaeologist Matt Ritchie said the aim was to pave the way for a full dig. The castle is believed to have been built by the Lord of Glamorgan.

"Cadw and BCTV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers) are spending the next three weeks clearing vegetation off it so that a conservation architect can better see the remains so as to undertake a full conservation report," he said. Mr. Ritchie added that the castle would originally have had two large round towers and a wall and would have been similar in size to Castell Coch in Tongwynlais.

"At Llantrisant all that remains now is a quarter of one tower standing to around 13m in height," he said. "It is an evocative ruin standing in a woodland glade on a strategic position on a hill in Llantrisant. It is very, very inaccessible - it is fenced off, the public haven't been able to get in for a good long time. The council, who initiated the project, are aiming to have a lovely parkland with consolidated ruins, bringing the castle back in to be the central focus of Llantrisant."

The Lord of Glamorgan is thought to have built the castle at the time Richard de Clare on the site of an earlier timber fortification. It was attacked and seriously damaged by Welsh rebels on several occasions, before being wrecked by English barons in 1321.

He said the most interesting archaeological finds would be likely to be from everyday people in the outer defences. "Probably the most interesting area is within the outer ward to the north of the castle, where the area would have been used as a soldier's barracks, craft working and kitchens," he said.

From News Wales, 23rd August 2007

Castle gets first facelift since Middle Ages

Llantrisant Castle, Rhondda, which has been largely undisturbed since the Middle Ages, is to get a facelift. Work started this week on the 13th century ruins as volunteers cut back vegetation so conservation specialists can begin their expert restoration work.

Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and Cadw, the Welsh body for Ancient Monuments, are investing £42,625 into the castle as part of a two-phase project. This will mark the beginning of the first major scheme ever undertaken on the site and once completed further funding will be sought for the second phase of the project, which will involve preserving the ruins of the Raven's Tower and ringwork walls, enhancement of visitor interpretation at the site, and potentially a full archaeological dig of the site.

Undoubtedly the castle has significant archaeological potential as it has been largely undisturbed since the Middle Ages. Expert conservationists Page and Dean Consulting will undertake the clearance of ivy on the castle stonework in consultation with Cadw over the coming weeks. The British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) are responsible for clearing vegetation around the tower, including its ringwork walls.

Work began on the site on Tuesday and will continue until September 7th. Local residents, and individuals with a keen interest in historic monuments have already come forward to lend a helping hand. Keith Stockdale of the BTCV brought a group of 15 volunteers from Cardiff on the opening day and said the response so far has been excellent.

"A great deal of work has been completed in a very short period of time and we are well on the way to finishing our work by the end of next week." he said. "Llantrisant Castle is a real jewel and it's a pleasure to be part of this exciting project. We are well on the way to clearing the entire area so that the conservation specialists can begin their expert cleaning of the actual tower in the coming weeks."

Rhondda Cynon Taf Council Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Skills Cllr Robert Bevan explained: "This is just the first phase in a larger strategy which will be implemented for the benefit of the people of Llantrisant and its many thousands of visitors every year. This is just a part of our commitment to investing in Llantrisant town centre. We have wider visions for Llantrisantto ensure that this important historic town appeals to both local communities and tourists. Our vision has been a collected effort along with Llantrisant Town Trust and Llantrisant Community Council and the castle project is the first major step of a much wider scheme for the benefit of the entire town."