Coity Castle, Bridgend, United Kingdom

Coity Castle in Glamorgan, Wales, is a Norman castle built by Sir Payn 'the Demon' de Turberville, one of the legendary Twelve Knights of Glamorgan supposed to have conquered Glamorgan under the leadership of Robert FitzHamon (d. 1107), Lord of Gloucester.

The castle began as a late 11th-century ringwork. A rectangular stone keep and the main curtain wall were added by the Normans in the 12th century, under the de Turberville family. The three-storey keep was primarily a defensive structure.

Extensive reworking took place in the 14th century, when a domestic range was attached to the keep by the middle gatehouse. New stone vaults replaced the earlier timber floors. The central octagonal pier for the vaults is still prominent among the castle ruins. An adjoining chapel wing with a tall east window was added to the first floor at the eastern end of the domestic range in the 15th century.

The Gamage family held Coity until the death of John Gamage in 1584. The castle was abandoned around the 17th century. The castle was sold in the 18th century to the Edwins of Llanharry. Through the Edwins, the Coity lordship passed to the Earls of Dunraven.

References:

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User Reviews

Ingrid Peebles (2 years ago)
Great castle, shame about the litter scattered about when there is a bin just outside. Parking available just outside.

Ben Regler (2 years ago)
Worth a visit especially with the children. There is parking outside next to a small play park. At first it looked like the front entrance was locked. There is a pub very close to the castle but wasn't open on our visit.

Marianne Skinner (2 years ago)
Amazing how much is left standing, interesting ruin, could do with a bit more signage to explain the layout. Locals treat it as a play area, it seemed a bit unloved.

Louis Ebarb (2 years ago)
Nicely kept castle ruins. Street parking in the vicinity with very few people on the day we visited

Sally (2 years ago)
Lovely old ruin. Only one thing; could people NOT leave litter around. One of a group of kids playing there just dropped a plastic bottle on the ground and left it there... are Coety kids now too posh to pick up after themselves? (Plus thick tourists walking on the walls.)

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Sigmaringen Castle

Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.

The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.

These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.

Coity Castle

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