Newcastle Castle, on Newcastle Hill, overlooking the town centre of Bridgend in Glamorgan, South Wales, was initially constructed in 1106 by William de Londres, one of the legendary Twelve Knights of Glamorgan, as part of the Norman invasion of Wales.
"Initially a Norman castle, the site appears to have been refortified by Henry II in the 1180s, as indicated by the exceptional quality of the masonry." Text Source: (
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The Castles of Wales web site has great photos, and an extract from their text is shown below:
"The castles of Newcastle, Ogmore, and Coity were established at the western limit of the early Norman penetration into south Wales, and were built to consolidate the Norman's hold on the area. Newcastle is strategically placed on a high bluff above the Ogmore valley to guard the river crossing below. The original castle, first mentioned in 1106, marked the western limit of Robert Fitzhamon's conquests. It is thought to have been an earthwork castle of ringwork type, and its location is unknown. It could have been on the site of the present castle, in which case its palisade may have underlain the later stone curtain wall. The round corner stone building, the foundations of which are visible in the south-east corner of the interior, could date from this initial phase, and might have been a keep. Rebuilding in stone probably took place during an unsettled phase in the 1180s, when the king himself, Henry II, held the castle. The layout and style of stonework are of this period, and the fact that it was in royal hands would explain its superior quality.
The castle's most outstanding feature is its complete Norman doorway (shown at left), which greets the visitor approaching the castle from the south. It is late 12th-century, contemporary with the curtain wall. On the inside it is quite plain, but the outside is given fine decorative treatment. Once inside the curtain wall, the circuit of which is complete, the nature of the castle becomes apparent. It is a courtyard castle, roughly circular in plan, with two mural towers built into the curtain wall on the south and west sides. The curtain wall, which was built in straight sections, is impressive and stands to its full height on the west side.
The square mural towers were a new development in military planning when built, but were soon to be superseded by round towers. The south tower is the better preserved, standing in parts to three storeys high. It was much altered for domestic use in the 16th century, when Tudor windows and fireplaces were inserted. Only the ground floor of the west tower survives. Very fragmentary foundations of a detached building at the north end, and the more complete foundations of two buildings against the east curtain wall are visible.
Apart from refurbishments in the south tower in the late 16th century, the castle is virtually untouched since the late 12th century. In 1217 it was given to the Turbevilles, lords of Coity, who had little use for it as their main seat was nearby Coity Castle." Text source: (
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