Paul R Davis was born in South Wales and educated at Dyfed College of Art. He has worked for the Dyfed Archaeological Trust, and is author-illustrator of ten books on the historic monuments of Wales, three now in their second edition. In his day job, he is a professional surveyor Paul R Davis was born in South Wales and educated at Dyfed College of Art. He has worked for the Dyfed Archaeological Trust, and is author-illustrator of ten books on the historic monuments of Wales, three now in their second edition. In his day job, he is a professional surveyor
This handsome, elaborate volume is a comprehensive, fully
illustrated guide to the history and evolution of the castle mainly
under Wales’ native rulers (c. 1066–1283). The author, a
professional surveyor and a former member of staff of the Dyfed
Archaeological Trust, has been researching intensively the history
of Welsh castles ever since the 1980s, and among his twelve
published works on the historic monuments of Wales and the border
areas is his previous volume, Castles of the Welsh Princes (Y
Lolfa, 2007). The present authoritative volume is a much-expanded
version of the 2007 study and takes full account of the intensive
research undertaken on the ground and a full re-consideration of
earlier work completed over the last fifteen years or so. The
author estimates that at least 500 castles existed in mediaeval
Wales, and the total may well have been as high as 700. Indeed, one
of the greatest strengths of the work is its amalgam of rigorous
academic research and exhausting fieldwork. The study is neatly and
sensibly divided into three complimentary parts. The first provides
a concise, scholarly overview of the political history of Wales
from the dark ages, through to the Anglo-Welsh wars of the
thirteenth century during the frenzied reigns of Henry III and
Edward I, the Edwardian conquest of 1282 and the political
settlement imposed thereafter. Some attention is given to the
revolts of the post-Conquest period, notably the Owain Glyndŵr
rebellion which broke out in 1400. There is firm evidence of the
inclusion of the latest historical research throughout this section
of the book, with its helpful endnote references. There follows a
briefer introduction to the architectural features of the Welsh
castles. The various categories of wooden castles are considered
first, primarily the well-known, distinctive motte-and-bailey
castles introduced by the Norman invaders from the late eleventh
century. A particular problem arises when trying to identify the
builders of these early structures which were inevitably vulnerable
to fire, and their lifespan was of necessity relatively short. From
about 1200 onwards the use of stone was thus becoming more
commonplace, but the castles still pose real problems of dating,
especially those constructed prior to the 1282 conquest. Much
detailed information is included here on the methods of castle
construction, the typical characteristics of these towering
edifices, and the potential considerable costs involved – under
severely restrictive mediaeval conditions and the relative penury
of the native Welsh princes (compared with the resources then
available to the English crown). Attention is given to the wide
array of uses and functions of the typical mediaeval castle. It
was, of course, a tangible symbol of the authority and prestige of
each individual prince or marcher lord. Military campaigns were
often organised and executed from them. In more peaceful times the
castle was a place of residence and the centre of administration
for the management of the surrounding estate, where taxes and tolls
might conveniently be levied and collected. They could also serve
as a judicial centre and often a convenient prison house. The
history of each individual castle was certainly different, but in
almost all cases their military and defensive functions assumed the
highest priority rather than the aesthetic features which became
much more significant to later generations from the Tudor period
onwards. Part 3 of the book comprises a helpful and detailed
gazetteer of the castles built by the three most prominent royal
dynasties of the pre-1282 period, notably Gwynedd, Powys and
Deheubarth. These are followed by a list of those castles for which
the minor royal lines in Wales were responsible. Each entry in this
section comprises a helpful history of the edifice in question and
its background, outlines the features of each castle which are
still standing today, and provides details for the present-day
traveller of how to reach each individual castle. In many cases,
the castles of yesteryear survive, if at all, only as overgrown
earthworks. Many of these edifices remained a vital part of
mediaeval life until at least the fifteenth century when they were
superseded by more modern structures more suitable for modern
methods of waging war. The rich array of sources used by the author
are noted at the foot of each entry. And some superb photographs,
many of these aerial, plans and sketches are also included
throughout this part of the study and help us to examine in depth
the various architectural designs and layouts that created the
distinctive form of the pre-1282 Welsh castle. There are also a
number of maps prepared for this study. Helpful features of the
work include simplified family trees of each of the three main
royal dynasties in pre-1282 Wales, a note on the complex field of
Welsh heraldry, and a large number of helpful suggestions for
further reading in this fascinating field.
*J. Graham Jones @ www.gwales.com*
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