About

Bronllys Castle near Talgarth is a sturdy stone tower with a turbulent history. It was first built as a ‘motte-and-bailey’ castle in the late 11th or early 12th century and the site is thought to occupy a pre-Norman princely court or llys, sited above the floodplain of Afon Llynfi.

In the mid 12th century, Walter de Clifford founded the stone castle and in the 13th century, a two storey round keep with a vaulted basement incorporated this tower.

The castle was repaired in the early 15th century in response to the Welsh uprising led by Owain Glyndŵr before falling into ruin. Alongside the tower, remnants of walls and the deep fosse (or dry moat) can still be seen.

The surviving stone tower dates from the 13th century and you can still climb the tower’s three floors, where views from the highest levels give a good idea of the site’s strategic importance – its location in disputed Marches border territory saw the castle pass from English to Welsh hands several times over the centuries.