Usksider Photographic

Looking for an excellent property at a bargain price? Look no further, I’ve found just the place for you… of course it may need a small amount of renovation!

Pencoed Castle

This is Pencoed Castle, one of two castles with 5 miles of my  house that are still ‘habitable’. As castles go Pencoed is not exactly huge, but is nevertheless quite impressive and does need a considerable amount of work doing to restore it to its former glory, but if I had very deep pockets I’d love to own and restore it. Anyone got a couple of million quid they don’t want?

More about Pencoed and its history tomorrow.

Wales is often referred to as the Land of Song, but would be more accurately described as a land of Conflict and Castles: there are more than 400 stone-built castles in Wales, let alone the fortified houses and stone age/iron age fortifications.

The battle for Wales was long and bloody… and lasted for hundreds of years. The casual observer may miss the earthworks of the earliest castles and fortifications, but it is hard to miss the number of stone-built castles and fortified houses. No matter how observant you are though the truth is people have fought for dominance in and of Wales since 250,000 BC when the land was first populated.

Of course the majority of Welsh fortifications are in various states of ruin and although they make for interesting places to visit, it can be hard to imagine life within them. For someone with deep pockets though, there are opportunities to experience life in a former age.

Nice little country pile

Some Welsh castles are still habitable though despite few being currently used as residences. One such is this little pile, Pencoed Castle, which nestles in the Monmouthshire countryside just a short distance from Magor. Fortifications at Pencoed date from the mid thirteenth century and the castle structure has changed many times over the years. The latest construction was undertaken by Sir Thomas Morgan and took place around 1500. I understand the castle was continually inhabited until the mid-1960s when a fire gutted part of the main hall.

The castle is still privately owned and access is restricted. It would be interesting to know whether any plan is in place to restore the building and return it to a full-residential state; it would be an excellent place to live in I think.