Llangibby Castle

The original castle on the site, a Norman motte-and-bailey to the east of the existing ruins, is first recorded in 1262. This castle was later superseded by the current structure. The estate, including the motte-and-bailey, came into the ownership of the family in 1245, and was in possession of Bogo de Clare (1248-1294), the third son of Richard de Clare, for some years before his death. In 1369, the community of Tregrug was severely affected by one of the later outbreaks of the plague. A new ambitious noble residence, enclosed in a high stone wall, with defensive banks and ditches, was started in the early 14th century, probably by Gilbert de Clare. The castle passed briefly into the hands…

The site is broadly rectilinear. The central bailey is 164 m by 78 m, making it "one of the largest single-enclosure castles in Britain." The bailey is entered through a "huge" gatehouse in the south-west corner, with two D-shaped towers, similar in design to the entrance tower at Beaumaris Castle. Turrets either side of the towers contain latrines. John Kenyon suggests that the high quality of the design and construction of these facilities, built in finely cut ashlar, is indicative of the domestic and recreational purposes of the castle. To the north-west stands the 'Lord's Tower', the only other tower still standing to any height. The curtain wall which surrounds the bailey is still…