Caldicot Castle, Caldicot, Monmouthshire, S.Wales.
Posted by: 
greysman
N 51° 35.564 W 002° 44.549
30U E 517838 N 5715773
After being founded by the Normans, the castle was developed in royal hands as a stronghold in the Middle Ages, and then restored as a Victorian family home.
Waymark Code: WMDP3Z
Location: South Wales, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 02/08/2012
Views: 7
The castle is a typical 'curtain wall with gatehouse' castle with the curtain wall, of some 300m length, joining six towers and the gatehouse and is a development of the original Motte and Bailey layout.
The original Motte is at the north-west corner and is topped by a round tower, the keep of the castle, probably constructed around 1221 by Humphrey de Bohun. The walls are 9ft thick and there are four storeys, the bottom one inside the motte acting as a dungeon.
The original entrance to the Bailey was through the middle tower on the west side up a steep slope which would have been easily defended having a portcullis, this tower connected to the round tower by a sturdy wall.
The walls were built during the Middle Ages and enclose the Inner Ward where there would have been various buildings, workshops, and livestock pens. The well is also here, essential for drinking water. The whole is surrounded by a moat, the latest construction in the defences was the impressive main gate which provided accommodation and a secure defence using a portcullis and drawbridge over the moat. A Great Hall was built inside the wall in the 1340s to the east of the main gate. All that remains are the decorative windows in the south curtain wall. At the Woodstock Tower, central in the north range, is a 'sally port', quite small and of low height, easily defended. This now houses an exhibition about the castle, the town, and the area round Caldicot.
The castle was restored to as near possible its original condition in the C19th, largely the condition we see it today.
The drawbridge is now removed and the moat is filled at this point. The gateway is now used as the main entrance, shop, classrooms, a banqueting hall and on the lower floor to the right a cafe and restaurant.
Caldicot Castle is open daily from 1st April (or Easter, whichever is earlier) to 31st October inclusive, from 11.00am to 5.00pm.
Admission prices 2012
Adults - £3.95
Children (5-17), Senior Citizens, and Students - £2.60
Disabled Visitors - £2.60 (enabler free)
Family (2+3) - £12.60
Monmouthshire Residents on production of a museum pass - Free.
(Additional Charges will apply for special events and activities.)
Season Ticket 2012
Adults - £12.60
Children (5-17), Senior Citizens, and Students - £6.30
Disabled Visitors - £6.30
Family (2+3) - £31.50
For more details please see:- Caldicot Castle
For a comprehensive history of the castle see:- Caldicot Castle, history