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The Great Britain Guide

Castles · Mid Wales

Clifford Castle and Barbican

♿ Wheelchair: limited

Clifford Castle and Barbican — building in Herefordshire, England, UK.

Clifford Castle and Barbican, castles in Mid Wales

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
1.5 h–3 h
  • Family-friendly
  • Limited wheelchair access

About

Clifford Castle and Barbican is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Wikidata describes it as: "building in Herefordshire, England, UK". Coordinates: 52.1043°, -3.1053°.

Photo gallery

Heritage listing

Clifford Castle is a ruined castle in the village of Clifford which lies 2.5 miles to the north-east of Hay-on-Wye in the Wye Valley in Herefordshire, England (grid reference SO243457). It was the caput of the feudal barony of Clifford, a Marcher Lordship (owing allegiance directly to the king, but separate from the rest of the kingdom). The castle stands in the grounds of a private house and is only open to the public on certain days of the year.

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.

Protected designations

  • Site of Special Scientific Interest: River Wye SSSI

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

Clifford Castle is a ruined castle in the village of Clifford which lies 2.5 miles to the north-east of Hay-on-Wye in the Wye Valley in Herefordshire, England (grid reference SO243457). It was the caput of the feudal barony of Clifford, a Marcher Lordship (owing allegiance directly to the king, but separate from the rest of the kingdom). The castle stands in the grounds of a private house and is only open to the public on certain days of the year.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

The early motte-and-bailey castle was built on a cliff overlooking a ford on the River Wye in 1070 by William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford, on a wasteland formerly occupied by Browning. The castle was intended to provide protection for a planned Norman settlement above the River Wye of quite a substantial size, with around 200 plots being intended, running uphill for half a mile towards Llanfair, where the church was sited on the hilltop. St Mary's church remains today, much altered in the Victorian era. The position of the castle as adjacent to the River Wye enabled the seasonal flooding of the river to fill the flood plain around the castle, forming a shallow lake or marsh with the…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
52.1043, -3.1053
Parish
Clifford
Postcode
HR3 5HT
Parliamentary constituency
Hereford and South Herefordshire

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Clifford Castle and Barbican?
Clifford Castle and Barbican is in Mid Wales, United Kingdom (postcode HR3 5HT), in the parish of Clifford.
Is Clifford Castle and Barbican a listed building?
Clifford Castle and Barbican is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
Is Clifford Castle and Barbican a protected site?
Yes — Clifford Castle and Barbican is part of the River Wye SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Does Clifford Castle and Barbican charge admission?
Clifford Castle and Barbican typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
How do I get to Clifford Castle and Barbican?
Drivers can navigate to postcode HR3 5HT. It sits within the Hereford and South Herefordshire parliamentary constituency.