View source for Raglan Castle

{{Short description|Late medieval castle in Monmouthshire, Wales}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox military installation
|name = Raglan Castle
|location = [[Monmouthshire]], Wales
|coordinates = {{coord|51.7703|N|2.8521|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
|gridref = {{gbmapping|SO413083}}
|image = [[File:Raglan Castle's main entrance.jpg|220px]]
|caption = Raglan Castle, main gatehouse, south-east front
|map_type = Wales Monmouthshire
|map_size = 200
|map_alt = 
|map_caption = Shown within [[Monmouthshire]]
|type = 
|materials = [[Redbrook]] [[Sandstone]], [[Old Red Sandstone]], [[Bath Stone]]
|height = 
|condition = Ruined
|ownership =  [[Duke of Beaufort]]
|open_to_public = Yes
|controlledby = [[Cadw]] 
|battles = Siege of 1646 during the [[First English Civil War]]
|events = 
|module = {{Infobox designation list
  | embed = yes
  | designation1 = Grade I listed building
  | designation1_offname =  
  | designation1_date = 19 November 1953
  | designation1_number = 2101 
  | designation2 = Scheduled monument
  | designation2_offname =    
  | designation2_date = 9 February 1948
  | designation2_number = MM005 
  | designation3 = Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales  
  | designation3_free1name  = Listing
  | designation3_free1value = Grade I
  | designation3_offname = 
  | designation3_date    = 1 February 2022  
  | designation3_number = PGW(Gt)42(MON)}}
}}
'''Raglan Castle''' ({{langx|cy|Castell Rhaglan}}) is a [[Late Middle Ages|late medieval]] [[castle]] located just north of the village of [[Raglan, Monmouthshire|Raglan]] in the county of [[Monmouthshire]] in south east [[Wales]]. The modern castle dates from between the 15th and early 17th centuries, when the successive ruling families of the [[Baron Herbert|Herbert]]s and the [[Duke of Beaufort|Somersets]] created a luxurious, fortified castle, complete with a large hexagonal [[keep]], known as the Great Tower or the Yellow Tower of [[Kingdom of Gwent|Gwent]]. Surrounded by [[medieval deer park|parkland]], [[water garden]]s and [[Terrace garden|terraces]], the castle was considered by contemporaries to be the equal of any other in England or Wales.

During the [[First English Civil War]], Raglan was occupied by a [[Cavalier|Royalist]] garrison on behalf of [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] but was taken by [[Roundhead|Parliamentarian]] forces in 1646 and its walls [[slighting|slighted]], or deliberately put beyond military use. After the [[Stuart Restoration]] in 1660, the Somersets declined to restore it and it became first a source of local building materials, then a [[Romanticism|romantic]] ruin. It is now a [[tourist attraction]].

==History==

===Early history of the castle===
Following the Norman invasion of Wales, the area around the village of [[Raglan, Monmouthshire|Raglan]] was granted to [[William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford|William FitzOsbern]], the [[Earl of Hereford]].<ref name=Kenyon2003P3>Kenyon (2003), p.3.</ref> Some historians, such as John Kenyon, suspect that an early [[motte and bailey]] castle may have been built on the Raglan site during this period: the location had strategic importance and archaeologists have discovered the remains of a possible bailey ditch on the site.<ref name=Kenyon2003P3/> The local manor was held by the Bloet family from the late 12th century until the late 14th century, and the family built a manor house somewhere on the site during this period, surrounded by a park.<ref>Kenyon (2003), pp.3–4.</ref> By the late medieval period the Raglan site was surrounded by the large [[Medieval deer park|deer parks]] of Home Park and Red Deer Park, the latter being enclosed at the end of the period.<ref name=Kenyon2003P11>Kenyon (2003), p.11.</ref>

===15th to 16th centuries===
[[File:Raglan Reconstruction.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.0|Reconstruction of Raglan Castle around 1620]]

The current Raglan Castle was begun by [[William ap Thomas|Sir William ap Thomas]], the lesser son of a minor Welsh family who rose through the ranks of mid-15th century politics, profiting from the benefits of the local offices he held.<ref>Kenyon (2003), p.4; Emery (2006), p.281.</ref> William married first Elizabeth, a wealthy heiress, and then Gwladus, another heiress who would prove to be a powerful regional figure in her own right.<ref>Johnson, p.88; Kenyon (2003), p.6.</ref> In 1432, [[Sir]] William purchased the manor of Raglan, where he had already been staying as a tenant, for 1,000 [[Mark (money)|mark]]s (£666 13s 4d) and commenced a programme of building work that established the basic shape of the castle as seen today, although most of it—with the exception of the South Gate and the Great Tower—was later built over.<ref name=Kenyon2003P7>Kenyon (2003), p.7.</ref>{{#tag:ref|It is difficult to accurately compare 15th century and modern prices or incomes. For comparison, an average baron in 1436 enjoyed an annual income of £500.<ref name=P148>Pounds, p.148.</ref>|group="nb"}}

Sir William's son dropped the Welsh version of his name, calling himself [[William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1423–1469)|William Herbert]].<ref name=Kenyon2003P7/> He continued to rise in prominence, supporting the [[House of York]] during the [[War of the Roses]], fighting in the [[Hundred Years War]] in France but making his fortune from the [[Gascony|Gascon]] wine trade.<ref>Kenyon (2003), p.9.</ref> He was also closely associated with Welsh politics and status; he was the first Welshman to be made an earl and was described by contemporary poets as the "national deliverer" who might achieve Welsh independence.<ref>Johnson, p.88; Kenyon (2003), p.9.</ref> In the 1460s William used his increasing wealth to remodel Raglan on a much grander scale.<ref>Kenyon (2003), p.10.</ref> The symbolism of the castle architecture may have reflected the Welsh family roots: historian Matthew Johnson has suggested that the polygonal towers were possibly designed to imitate those of [[Caernarfon Castle]], whose architecture carries numerous allusions to the eventual return of a Roman Emperor to Wales.<ref>Johnson, p.89.</ref> Historian Anthony Emery has described the resulting castle as one of the "last formidable displays of medieval defensive architecture".<ref>Emery (2006), p.281.</ref>

There was an important link between Raglan Castle and the surrounding [[Medieval deer park|parkland]], in particular the Home Park and the Red Deer Park.<ref name=Kenyon2003P11/> Historian Robert Liddiard suggests that on the basis of the views from the castle at this time, the structured nature of the parks would have contrasted with the wilderness of the mountain peaks framing the scene beyond, making an important statement about the refinement and cultured nature of the castle lord.<ref>Liddiard, p.113.</ref> In the 15th century there were also extensive orchards and fish ponds surrounding the castle, favourably commented upon by contemporaries.<ref name=Kenyon2003P11/>

[[File:Raglan Castle Gatehouse and library.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.0|The state apartments (left), library (centre) and gatehouse (right)]]
William Herbert was executed as a Yorkist supporter in 1469 after the [[Battle of Edgecote Moor]]. Building work may have stopped for a period under his son, also called [[William Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke|William Herbert]], before recommencing in the late 1470s.<ref>Kenyon (2003), p.12.</ref> By 1492, the castle passed to [[Elizabeth Somerset, Baroness Herbert|Elizabeth Somerset]], William Herbert's daughter, who married Sir [[Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester|Charles Somerset]], passing the castle into a new family line.<ref name=Kenyon2003P13>Kenyon (2003), p.13.</ref>

Sir Charles Somerset was politically successful under both [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]] and [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]], being made the [[Earl of Worcester]].<ref name=Kenyon2003P13/> His son, [[Henry Somerset, 2nd Earl of Worcester|Henry Somerset]], died shortly after inheriting Raglan, but not before using [[lead]] reclaimed from [[Tintern Abbey]] to help the building work at Raglan Castle during the [[dissolution of the monasteries]].<ref name=Kenyon2003P13/> His son and grandson, [[William Somerset, 3rd Earl of Worcester|William Somerset]] and [[Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester|Edward Somerset]], proved to be what John Kenyon describes as "wealthy, brilliant and cultured men".<ref name=Kenyon2003P13/> William rebuilt much of the Pitched Stone Court, including the hall, adding the Long Gallery and developing the gardens into the new [[Renaissance architecture|Renaissance]] style.<ref>Kenyon (2003), p.14.</ref> The Somerset family owned two key castles in the region, Raglan and [[Chepstow Castle|Chepstow]], and these appeared to have figured prominently as important status symbols in paintings owned by the family.<ref>Kenyon (2003), p.17; Strong, p.41.</ref>

===17th century===
[[File:Raglan Castle Civil War bastons.png|thumb|left|upright=1.0|Aerial photograph, showing the defences constructed during the [[First English Civil War]]; red and blue triangles represent the location of Parliamentarian and Royalist earthwork [[bastion]]s; A and B indicate the locations of the Parliamentary and Royalist artillery batteries.]]

Edward Somerset made minor improvements to the interior of the castle at the start of the 17th century, but focused primarily on the exterior, expanding and developing the gardens and building the moat walk around the Great Tower.<ref name="Kenyon 2003, p.17">Kenyon (2003), p.17.</ref> The resulting gardens were considered the equal of any others in the kingdom at the time.<ref name=Kenyon2003P18>Kenyon (2003), p.18.</ref>

Upon inheriting Raglan in 1628, [[Henry Somerset, 1st Marquess of Worcester|Henry Somerset]], then the 5th Earl of Worcester, continued to live a grand lifestyle in the castle in the 1630s, with a host of staff, including a steward, Master of Horse, Master of Fishponds, surveyors, auditors, ushers, a falconer and many footmen.<ref name=TribeP1>Tribe, p.1.</ref> The interior walls were hung with rich tapestries from [[Arras]] in France, while an inventory taken in 1639 recorded a large number of silver and gilt plate kept in the Great Tower, including an ostrich egg cup,<ref>''HMC 12th Report, part 9: Duke of Beaufort'' (London, 1891), pp. 6-8.</ref> and a silver basket for oranges and lemons, then luxury items in Wales.<ref name=TribeP3>Tribe, p.3.</ref> Mead was a popular drink in the castle, but contemporaries described the castle as being a particular sober and respectful community.<ref>Tribe, pp.3–4.</ref> Henry developed the entrance route to the castle, including building the Red Gate.<ref name=Kenyon2003P18/> His son [[Edward Somerset, 2nd Marquess of Worcester|Edward, Lord Herbert]] became famous for building a "[[Steam engine|water commanding machine]]" in the Great Tower, which used steam to pump a huge spout of water high into the air from the moat.<ref name=Kenyon2003P18/>

In August 1642 the First English Civil War began between [[Cavaliers|Royalist]] supporters of [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] and [[Parliament of England|Parliament]]. Raglan Castle was still held by Henry, then an elderly man, supported by his son, Lord Herbert.<ref name=TribeP1/> Both men were firm royalists.<ref name=TribeP1/> King Charles sent his own son, Prince [[Charles II of England|Charles]], on a fund-raising tour of friendly regions, starting with Raglan Castle in October 1642, following which Henry was promoted to be the first [[Marquess of Worcester]].<ref name=TribeP3/> Tensions grew in the immediate region, partially driven by religious tensions between some of the more [[Protestant]] local people and the [[Roman Catholic]] Marquess; on one of these occasions a local group attempted to search the castle, but were reportedly driven away by the sudden noise of Lord Herbert's steam-engine.<ref>Tribe, p.5.</ref> The defences of Raglan were improved after this, with [[Star fort|modern earthwork]] [[bastion]]s built around the castle and a [[powder mill]] created; a garrison of around 300 men was established at a cost of £40,000.<ref>Tribe, pp.4, 6; Kenyon (2003), p.19.</ref>{{#tag:ref|It is difficult to accurately compare 17th century and modern prices or incomes. £40,000 could equate to between £5,510,000 to £63,700,000, depending on the measure used. For comparison, the Marquess's annual income was believed to be around £20,000 a year.<ref>Financial comparison based on the RPI index, using ''[http://www.measuringworth.com/index.php Measuring Worth Five Ways to Compute the Relative Value of a UK Pound Amount, 1830 to Present]'', MeasuringWorth, accessed 21 April 2011; Pugin, p.23.</ref>|group="nb"}} Heavier cannon were installed in the bastions, with lighter pieces placed in the castle towers.<ref name="Kenyon 2003, p.20">Kenyon (2003), p.20.</ref>

Lord Herbert left the castle to join the campaign against Parliament, returning at intervals to acquire more funds for the war.<ref>Tribe, p.6.</ref> Charles I himself visited the castle twice, first in June 1645 after the [[battle of Naseby]] and again in 1646, when he enjoyed playing [[bowls]] on the castle's green.<ref>Tribe, pp.6–7.</ref> The Royalist cause was now close to military collapse, and the Marquess started to send some valuables, including the oak panelling from the parlour, some plaster ceiling and many pictures, to his brother at nearby [[Troy House]] for safe-keeping.<ref name=TribeP8>Tribe, p.8.</ref> Lord Herbert was captured in Ireland, and an attack on Raglan itself appeared imminent.<ref name=TribeP8/>

[[File:The hexagonal Great Tower, Raglan Castle - geograph.org.uk - 1531739.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.0|The [[Slighting|slighted]] side of the Great Tower]]

In expectation of a siege, the castle garrison was increased to around 800 soldiers; the avenue of trees outside the castle gates were cut down, and neighbouring buildings destroyed to prevent their being used by Parliamentary forces.<ref>Tribe, p.8; Kenyon (2003), p.19.</ref> Large amounts of food were brought in to support the growing castle community, which also included a number of the wider Herbert family and other regional Royalist leaders who had sought shelter there.<ref name=TribeP9>Tribe, p.9.</ref> The first Parliamentary army arrived in early June, under the command of Colonel Morgan and Sir [[Sir Trevor Williams, 1st Baronet|Trevor Williams]].<ref>Tribe, pp.9–10.</ref> After several calls for the castle to surrender, a siege ensued, lasting through the summer months.<ref name=TribeP9/> In August, additional Parliamentarian forces under General [[Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron|Fairfax]] arrived, and calls for the castle to surrender were renewed.<ref name=TribeP11>Tribe, p.11.</ref> Fairfax's men began to dig trenches towards the castle, and used these to move [[Mortar (weapon)|mortars]] forward, probably including the famous "[[Roaring Meg (cannon)|Roaring Meg]]", bringing the interior of the castle into artillery range.<ref name=TribeP11/> Facing a hopeless situation, the Marquess surrendered the castle on 19 August on relatively generous terms for the garrison.<ref name=TribeP11/> The Marquess himself was arrested and sent to [[Windsor Castle]], where he died shortly afterwards.<ref name=TribeP11/> Informed shortly before his death that Parliament had granted his request to be buried in the [[St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle|family vault]] at Windsor, the Marquess remarked; "Why then I shall have a better castle when I am dead, than they took from me when alive."<ref name=ClarkP64>Clark, (1953), p.64.</ref>

[[File:Raglan Castle (0245).jpg|thumb|The buttress in the Pitched Stone Court was damaged during the slighting of the castle. Archaeologist Lila Rakoczy suggested that the depth of the stone being removed indicates that a statue or decorative form of stone was originally present, and the removal of high-status and visually prominent material would have been a symbolic act.<ref>Rakoczy, p.140–141</ref>]]

Fairfax ordered the castle to be totally destroyed under the supervision of Henry Herbert, a descendant of William ap Thomas.<ref name=TribeP12>Tribe, p.12.</ref> The fortifications proved too strong, however, and only a few of the walls were destroyed, or [[slighting|slighted]].<ref name=TribeP12/> Historian Matthew Johnson describes the event as having the atmosphere of a "community festival", as local people dredged the castle moat in search of treasure, and emptied the fishponds of valuable [[carp]].<ref>Johnson, p.174, cited Whittle (1990).</ref> The [[Raglan Library|castle's library]], including an important collection of Welsh documents and books, was either stolen or destroyed.<ref name="Kenyon 2003, p.20"/>

Despite some immediate confiscations after the siege, by the time of the [[Restoration (England)|Restoration]] of [[Charles II of England|Charles II]], the Somerset family had managed to recover most of their possessions, including Raglan Castle.<ref name=Kenyon2003P22>Kenyon (2003), p.22.</ref> [[Henry Somerset, 1st Duke of Beaufort|Henry Somerset]], the 3rd Marquess, decided to prioritise the rebuilding of his other houses at [[Troy House|Troy]] and [[Badminton House|Badminton]], rather than Raglan, reusing some of the property sent away for safety before the war, or salvaged after the slighting.<ref name=Kenyon2003P22/>

===18th to 21st centuries===
[[File:Raglan Castle (3375041).jpg|Engraving of the state of the castle in 1798|thumb|left|upright=1.0]]

For the first half of the 18th century, the castle continued to deteriorate, with the Somerset family allowing their stewards to quarry stone from the castle for the repair of other estate buildings.<ref>Durant, p.85, cited Hainsworth, p.137.</ref> One particular estate surveyor called Hopkins became known as the "Grand Dilapidator", due to the number of chimneys, window frames and staircases he had removed from the castle.<ref name=Kenyon2003P23>Kenyon (2003), p.23.</ref> [[Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort|Henry Somerset]], the 5th Duke, finally put an end to this practice in 1756, and the castle became a tourist attraction, part of the popular [[Wye Tour]].<ref name=Kenyon2003P23/> Seats, fences and bridges were installed, and the first guidebook to the site was published in the early 19th century.<ref name=Kenyon2003P23/> 

[[File:Ragland castle on porcelain.jpg|thumb]]
The Great Hall was temporarily re-roofed in the 1820s, when the castle was used for a "Grand Entertainment" by the Somersets, and in 1830 [[Jeffrey Wyattville]] was employed to reinstate the Grand Staircase.<ref>Kenyon (2003), p.23; ''[http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/default.asp?id=21&NewsId=345. Grand re-opening for Raglan Castle’s ‘Hokey-Cokey’ Staircase]'', Cadw, accessed 18 April 2011.</ref> The Monmouthshire antiquarian [[Joseph Bradney]] recorded a visit to the castle by [[Edward VII]] and [[Alexandra of Denmark|Queen Alexandra]], then [[Prince of Wales|Prince]] and [[Princess of Wales|Princess]] of Wales, in October 1881.<ref name=Bradney1992P31>Bradney (1992), p.31.</ref> In 1938 [[Henry Somerset, 10th Duke of Beaufort|Henry Somerset]], the 10th Duke, entrusted guardianship of Raglan Castle to the [[First Commissioner of Works|Commissioner of Works]],<ref name=Newman2000P491>Newman, p.491; ''[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/rd/b473fe59-9c35-4351-b393-73c0d376358b BADMINTON MUNIMENTS Volume II Estate and Household]'', The National Archives, accessed 7 February 2017.</ref> and the castle became a permanent tourist attraction.<ref name=Kenyon2003P23/> Today, the castle is classed as a Grade I [[listed building]] and as a [[Scheduled Monument]], administered by [[Cadw]].<ref>{{National Historic Assets of Wales|num=2101 |desc=Raglan Castle |grade=I |access-date=22 July 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{NHAW|uid=2342|num=MM005|desc=Raglan Castle|class=SM|access-date=10 January 2023}}</ref> Between 2003 and 2007 Cambrian Archaeological Projects led excavations at the castle in advance of a planned new visitor centre.<ref>Smith, pp.123–124.</ref>

==Architecture==
[[File:Raglan diagram.png|thumb|right|upright=1.0|Plan of the castle, after [[Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin|Augustus Pugin]]: A – Great Tower; B – Moat; C – Gatehouse and bridge; D – Closet Tower; E – Pitched Stone Court; F – Office wing; G – Pantry; H – Kitchen; I – Parlour; J – Hall; K – Buttery; L – Long Gallery; M – Fountain Court; N – Apartments; O – South Gate and bridge; P – Moat walk]]

Raglan Castle was built in several phases, initial work occurring in the 1420s and 1430s, a major phase in the 1460s, with various alterations and additions at the end of the 16th century. The castle was built in stone, initially pale [[sandstone]] from [[Redbrook]], and later [[Old Red Sandstone]], with [[Bath Stone]] used for many of the detailed features.<ref>Kenyon (2003), p.44.</ref> Like similar properties of the period, the castle of the 1460s was almost certainly designed to be approached and entered in a particular way, maximising the aesthetic and political value of the fortification.<ref name=JohnsonP85>Johnson, p.85.</ref> At Raglan, the design highlighted the Great Tower: a typical senior visitor would ride through [[Raglan, Monmouthshire|Raglan]] village, and first the tower and then the rest of the castle would appear suddenly over the slight rise on the hill.<ref name=JohnsonP85/> A visitor would have needed to circle the Great Tower and the moat, before coming in through the gatehouse, into the Pitched Stone Court, around the edge of the communal hall, before reaching the previously hidden, and more refined, inner Fountain Court.<ref name=JohnsonP86>Johnson, p.86.</ref> Only then would a privileged guest be able to enter the Great Tower itself, overlooking the Herbert family's own chambers.<ref name=JohnsonP86/> Many less senior visitors or servants would never have entered this far, seeing only the external elements of the castle, but perhaps having been impressed by the outside of the Great Tower as they arrived.<ref name=JohnsonP86/>

There has been much discussion amongst academics about the extent to which Raglan was influenced by contemporary French designs; one school of thought suggests that it was heavily influenced by designs that were then popular in the south of France; others oppose this "diffusionist" school of thought, and argue that there is insufficient evidence to draw such a conclusion.<ref name=Emery2006P291>Emery (2006), p.291.</ref>{{#tag:ref|John Kenyon, for example, champions the links between Raglan and France, particularly the unusual drawbridge style; Anthony Emery argues against this; Matthew Johnson argues the case will never be proved either way.<ref name=Emery2006P291/>|group="nb"}} Another line of debate has been over the nature of the castle's defences, in particular its [[gunloop]]s.<ref>Kenyon (1987), p. 164, cited Johnson, p.84.</ref> Many castles built around the same time as Raglan appear to have been built with less concern for defences than in the past, their military features more symbolic than real. At Raglan, there are numerous gunloops throughout the castle's defences, but many were ill-placed if the intention was to use them in a conflict; some could barely have been used at all.<ref name=KingP168>King, p.168.</ref> Traditionally, an evolutionary explanation for this was given: Raglan's gunloops were of an early period, later surpassed in other castles.<ref name=KingP168/> More recent explanations emphasise the prestigious symbolism of gunloops for the Herbert family when they built the castle, even if many might have been impossible to use.<ref>Emery (2006), p.287; Liddiard, p.150.</ref> Anthony Emery notes that Raglan's gunloops were better sited than many at the time, and at least "the owner was up to date in his symbolism"; Robert Liddiard suggests that the poor placing of some of the gunloops for aesthetic purposes might have actually been a conversation point for those visitors with experience of fighting in France and the "correct" placing of such defences.<ref>Liddiard, p.150; Emery (2006), p.287.</ref>

===Gatehouse and Closet Tower===
The three-storey gatehouse to Raglan Castle dates from the 1460s and is approached over a stone bridge restored in 1949.<ref>Kenyon (2003), p.26.</ref> Characterised by extensive [[machicolation]]s and gunloops, the gatehouse would originally have had a twin-set of [[portcullis]]es and a [[drawbridge]].<ref>Kenyon (2003), pp.27–28.</ref> The intention of the design was at least partially defensive, but was also intended to provide a dramatic and impressive entrance for senior visitors to the castle.<ref name=Kenyon2003P27>Kenyon (2003), p.27.</ref> The upper part of the gatehouse provided chambers for the constable of the castle.<ref name=Kenyon2003P7/> Immediately to the west of the gatehouse was the castle library, once famous for its collection of Welsh literature.<ref>Kenyon (2003), p.29.</ref> On the east side of the gatehouse is the three-storey Closet Tower; this was designed to be integral to the gatehouse, and may have contained the original castle treasury, conveniently accessible by the constable.<ref name=Kenyon2003P30>Kenyon (2003), p.30.</ref> The Closet Tower was partly altered in later years, possibly to allow the basement to be used as a [[Magazine (artillery)|magazine]] in the English Civil War.<ref name=Kenyon2003P30/>

===Pitched Stone Court and Fountain Court===
[[File:Partly-restored windows facing the Pitched Stone Court, Raglan Castle - geograph.org.uk - 1531734.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3|The west side of the Pitched Stone Court, with the hall and its [[oriel window]] at left]]

The Pitched Stone Court forms the north-east corner of the castle, and provided a centre for the castle services and servants; it takes its name from the late-Tudor [[Cobblestone|cobbling]], or pitched stones.<ref name=Kenyon2003P32>Kenyon (2003), p.32.</ref> On the east side of the court is the former office wing, a 16th-century construction mostly destroyed during the siege of 1646.<ref name=Kenyon2003P32/> The castle kitchens and pantries are on the north side, containing two large fireplaces and storage facilities for food and supplies in their cellars.<ref>Kenyon (2003), pp.33–34.</ref> In the 1460s, the first floors to these buildings included chambers for the senior servants.<ref>Kenyon (2003), p.34.</ref> The buttery in the north-west corner would have been used to store and serve beer and wine.<ref>Kenyon (2003), p.35.</ref>

On the south-west side of the court is the hall, a 16th-century design incorporating an earlier hall on the same site.<ref name=Kenyon2003P38>Kenyon (2003), p.38.</ref> {{convert|64|by|28|ft|m|abbr=off}} wide, the hall was originally {{convert|42|ft|m|abbr=off}} high, with a roof made of Irish [[oak]], lit and ventilated by a [[cupola]] in the middle.<ref name="Pugin, p.26">Pugin, p.26.</ref> A large [[oriel window]] lit the end of the hall occupied at dinner by the earls of Worcester, which by the time Raglan was built would have been used only for larger formal occasions.<ref>Kenyon (2003), pp.37–38.</ref> Originally, the hall would have been fitted with carved wooden panelling and a [[minstrel's gallery]].<ref name=Kenyon2003P38/>
The Fountain Court lies to the west of the Pitched Stone Court, and is named after a [[marble]] fountain that once stood in the centre of it, featuring a white horse on a black marble base, complete with a flow of running water.<ref>Pugin, p.25; Kenyon (2003), pp.40, 45.</ref> The fountain was probably installed somewhat after the initial construction of the court in the 1460s, dating instead to Edward Somerset in the late 16th century; the horse symbolised Edward's prestigious role as [[Master of the Horse]].<ref>Strong, p.41.</ref> The Fountain Court was built to provide luxurious accommodation for the family and guests—by the 15th century, it was important to be able to provide private chambers for visitors, and this court could hold up to four distinct groups of visitors in comfort.<ref>Kenyon (2003), p.40; Creighton and Higham, p.20.</ref> The Fountain Court as a whole is marked by what [[Augustus Pugin]] described as extremely fine, elegant and delicate stonework.<ref>Pugin, p.27.</ref>

[[File:Raglan Castle - Grand Staircase - 1.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.0|The Grand Staircase to the west of Fountain Court, restored between 2010 and 2011]]

The castle [[chapel]] runs alongside the east side of the court, {{convert|41|ft|m|abbr=off}} long and originally laid with bright yellow and tiles and decorated with gold and silver vestments.<ref>Pugin, p.25; Kenyon (2003), p.41.</ref> The Long Gallery stretches across the whole east first-floor of the Fountain Court and, although now ruined, would have been a show-piece for the earls' wealth and power.<ref>Kenyon (2003), pp.42–43.</ref> The gallery was {{convert|126|ft|m|abbr=off}} long and during the Tudor period it would have been wood-panelled throughout and lined with tapestries and paintings.<ref>Pugin, p.25; Kenyon (2003), p.43.</ref> The Long Gallery was intended to allow family and guests to relax inside and to admire the gardens, water gardens and the deer park to the north of the castle.<ref name="Taylor p.60">Taylor, p.60, cited Whittle (1989).</ref> Although most of this decoration has since been lost, two [[caryatid]] statues can still be seen on the walls of the Long Gallery, modelled on a work by the French artist Hugues Sambin.<ref>Kenyon (2003), p.42.</ref>

The west side of the Fountain Court comprises the apartments, with a number of bay windows and window seats facing west and north across the park.<ref>Kenyon (2003), p.45.</ref> The Grand Staircase divides the apartments; restored between 2010 and 2011, the staircase would originally have had a substantial porch, similar to the one that survives in the Pitched Stone Court, and would have been a centre-piece of the Fountain Court.<ref>Kenyon (2003), pp.43, 45.</ref> Although examples of such straight-flight staircases can be found in other late-medieval buildings, the architectural historian John Newman considers the Grand Staircase had "a grandeur hard to parallel in 15th-century England."<ref>Newman, p.506.</ref> The apartments to the west of the staircase are more complex than the others, designed to create somewhat greater privacy, and overlooked the gardens to the west of the castle.<ref>Kenyon (2003), pp.44–45.</ref> On the south side of the court is the South Gate, the original entrance to the castle prior to the 1460s reconstruction.<ref name=Kenyon2003P46>Kenyon (2003), p.46.</ref> The [[fan vault|fan-vaulted]] gatehouse closely resembles the contemporary cloisters at [[Gloucester Cathedral]], but by the 16th century had been converted to the entrance to the bowling green in the terrace beyond.<ref name=Kenyon2003P46/>

On the south-east side of the court were the 16th-century parlour on the first-floor, and the dining room above it—both {{convert|49|by|21|ft|m}}.<ref>Pugin, p.25.</ref> These were intended to provide rooms that were more private than the main hall, but more public than a personal chamber.<ref>Kenyon (2003), p.47.</ref> Now ruined, they would originally have been decorated with carved [[wainscot]]ing and elaborate, carved chimney-pieces.<ref>Pugin, p.25; Kenyon (2003), p.47.</ref> Alongside these rooms, overlooking the Great Tower, were the private rooms for the lord's family, of higher quality than the other accommodation in the castle. Some of the carved badges and shields on the external walls of these state apartments still remain intact, as in the hall; these were a popular contemporary feature of 15th-century great castles, and would have created a similar effect to those at [[Warkworth Castle]] in Northumberland and [[Raby Castle]] in County Durham.<ref>Emery (2006), p.472.</ref>

===Great Tower===
[[File:Raglan Castle tower and moat.JPG|thumb|left|upright=1.0|View from the top of the Great Tower, showing the thick walls, the remains of the apron wall and a turret, the moat, the moat walk and a space for a classical statue]]

The Great Tower at Raglan Castle, sometimes called the Yellow Tower of Gwent, sits outside the rest of the castle, protected by a moat and linked to the Fountain Court by a bridge.<ref name="Kenyon 2003, p.49">Kenyon (2003), p.49.</ref> The fortification is representative of a trend during the 15th and 16th centuries in British castle building: tower keeps such as this, large, solid buildings designed for private accommodation, probably inspired by those in France, had started to appear in the 14th century at [[Dudley Castle|Dudley]] and Warkworth.<ref>Pounds, p.271; Johnson, p.111.</ref> In the 15th century the fashion spread, with the creation of French-influenced palatial castles featuring complex tower keeps, such as those at [[Wardour Castle|Wardour]] and [[Tattershall Castle|Tattershall]].<ref name=Pounds1994P271>Pounds, p.271.</ref> These were expensive buildings to construct, each built to a unique design and, as historian Norman Pounds has suggested, "were designed to allow very rich men to live in luxury and splendour".<ref>Pounds, p.270.</ref>

The hexagonal Great Tower was probably begun in the 1430s and 1440s, possibly on the motte of a previous castle.<ref>Kenyon (2003), pp.3, 49.</ref> The tower today has lost not only one of its walls but part of its upper structure, and would originally have been three storeys high with probably additional machicolations on top similar to those on the gatehouse.<ref>Kenyon (2003), pp.50–51.</ref> It was designed to be a self-contained fortification, with its own water and food supplies, and luxurious quarters lit by large windows on the upper floors.<ref>Kenyon (2003), pp.48, 51.</ref> Originally the tower was reached by a [[bascule bridge|bascule drawbridge]], usually considered to be drawn from contemporary French designs, such as those at [[La Ferté-Milon|Ferté-Milon]] and [[Vannes]].<ref name=JohnsonP86/> This drawbridge was designed to have two parts—a wide, heavy bridge that would be raised or lowered when the family was in residence, and a thinner bridge, easier to lift, designed for the use of servants at other times.<ref name=JohnsonP86/> The Herberts used the bridge as their badge, and it can be seen in the carved window designs around the castle.<ref>Johnson, p.87; Emery (1975), p.154 cited Johnson, p.87.</ref> The drawbridge was replaced with a grander stone bridge in the 1460s, probably at a cost of around £900 to £1000.<ref name="Kenyon 2003, p.49"/>{{#tag:ref|See above note on comparison of 15th century and modern prices.|group="nb"}} An apron wall with six turrets was also added around the tower at around the same time.<ref name=Kenyon2003P53>Kenyon (2003), p.53.</ref>

The original moat around the tower would have been a simple design, but it was redesigned in the 1460s to provide a walkway around the outside of the Great Tower. The niches in the walls of the walkway are of 17th-century origin, and would originally have held [[Classical sculpture|classical statues]]—the walkway would have provided a dignified way of admiring the Great Tower.<ref name=Kenyon2003P53/> It is likely that fish would have been bred in the moat.<ref name=Kenyon2003P53/>

===Landscape and gardens===

The former 16th- and 17th-century gardens of Raglan Castle are still visible in the form of several long [[Terrace garden|terraces]] to the north of the castle, overlooking the lower ground beyond. First created in the second half of the 16th century, these terraces would originally have included a number of [[knot garden]]s, probably with [[Culture of Italy|Italianate sculpture]] and carved stone balustrades.<ref name="Taylor p.60"/> The gardens at their peak would have probably resembled those at [[Nonsuch Palace]], where the Somersets also had an interest as the royal keepers.<ref name="Kenyon 2003, p.17"/> The valley below retains some signs of the drainage ditches that once formed part of the [[water garden]]s that flooded the bottom of the site, although the original "water-parterre" to the north-west of the castle, another water garden in the south, and the extensive gardens around the south-west of the castle are now no longer visible.<ref name="Taylor p.60"/> The castle's [[bowling green]] still survives, on a terrace just beyond the South Gate entrance.<ref>Kenyon (2003), p.54.</ref> The castle's parks reverted to agricultural use by the 19th century, and Raglan is now surrounded by fields.<ref name="Pugin, p.26"/> The gardens and park at Raglan are designated Grade I on the [[Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales]].<ref>{{NHAW|uid=295|num=PGW(Gt)42(MON)|desc=Raglan Castle|class=HPG|access-date=6 February 2023}}</ref>

{{wide image|Raglan Castle Panorama.jpg|900px|Panorama of the Fountain Court from the top of the Grand Stairs: left to right, the chapel and the Long Gallery; the ruins of the parlour and the dining room; the Great Tower and the moat; the apartments}}

==See also==
*[[Castle Farmhouse, Raglan]]
*[[Castles in Great Britain and Ireland]]
*[[List of castles in Wales]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group="nb"}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* Bradney, Joseph (1992) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=6fBVAAAAYAAJ&q=A+history+of+Monmouthshire+The+Hundred+of+Raglan A History of Monmouthshire – The Hundred of Raglan.]''London: Academy Books. {{ISBN|1-873361-15-7}}.
* Clark, Arthur (1953) ''[https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/249172228 Raglan Castle and the Civil War in Monmouthshire.]'' Newport: Chepstow Newport & Monmouthshire Branch of the Historical Association and Chepstow Society. OCLC 249172228
*Creighton, Oliver Hamilton and Robert Higham. (2003) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=8A1_Z1DTgYYC Medieval Castles.]'' Princes Risborough, UK: Shire Publications. {{ISBN|978-0-7478-0546-5}}.
*Durant, Horatia. (1980) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=dazwAAAACAAJ&q=Durant,+Horatia.+(1980)+Raglan+Castle Raglan Castle.]'' Risca: Starling Press. {{ISBN|978-0-903434-41-6}}.
*Emery, Anthony. (1975) "The development of Raglan castle and keeps in late medieval England," ''Archaeological Journal'' 132, pp.&nbsp;151–86.
*Emery, Anthony. (2006) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=g7EXvaDEYioC Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales, 1300–1500: Southern England.]'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-521-58132-5}}.
*Hainsworth, David Roger. (2008) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=NLPlVsS0Br0C Stewards, Lords and People: the Estate Steward and his World in Later Stuart England.]'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-521-05976-3}}.
*Kenyon, John R. (1987) "The gunloops at Raglan Castle, Gwent," in Kenyon and Avent (eds) (1987).
*Kenyon, John R. and R. Avent. (eds) (1987) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=B4ZnAAAAMAAJ Castles in Wales and the Marches.]'' Cardiff: University of Wales Press. {{ISBN|978-0-7083-0948-3}}.
*Kenyon, John (2003) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=EzvaAAAACAAJ&q=Kenyon+raglan Raglan Castle.]'' Cardiff, Wales: Cadw. {{ISBN|1-85760-169-6}}.
*King, D. J. Cathcart. (1991) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=fwwOAAAAQAAJ The Castle in England and Wales: An Interpretative History.]'' London: Routledge. {{ISBN|0-415-00350-4}}.
*Johnson, Matthew. (2002) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=W4tnpjhXdxYC Behind the castle gate: from Medieval to Renaissance.]'' Abingdon, UK: Routledge. {{ISBN|978-0-415-25887-6}}.
*Liddiard, Robert. (2005) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=ZzhUAAAAMAAJ&q=liddiard+castles+in+context Castles in Context: Power, Symbolism and Landscape, 1066 to 1500.]'' Macclesfield, UK: Windgather Press. {{ISBN|0-9545575-2-2}}.
*Newman, John. (2000) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=knRf4U60QjcC&dq=The+Buildings+of+Wales%3A+Gwent%2FMonmouthshire&pg=PA2 The Buildings of Wales: Gwent/Monmouthshire.]'' London, UK: Penguin. {{ISBN|0-14-071053-1}}
*Pounds, Norman John Greville. (1994) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=d8babfRDfxwC The Medieval Castle in England and Wales: a social and political history.]'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-521-45828-3}}.
*Pugin, Augustus. (1895) ''Examples of Gothic architecture selected from various ancient edifices in England.'' Edinburgh: J. Grant. OCLC 31592053.
*Rakoczy, Lila (2007). ''[https://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/11092/ Archaeology of Destruction: A Reinterpretation of Castle Slightings in the English Civil War]'' (PhD). University of York. {{open access}}
*{{Cite journal |last=Smith |first=Chris E. |date=2009 |title=Excavations at Raglan Castle, Monmouthshire, 2003-07 |url=https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/library/browse/details.xhtml?recordId=3213946 |journal=Archaeologia Cambrensis |language=en |volume=156 |pages=123–139 |doi=10.5284/1059186 |doi-access=free}}
*Strong, Roy. C. (1977) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=gYEwaJfjMIEC The Cult of Elizabeth: Elizabethan portraiture and pageantry.]'' Berkeley: University of California Press. {{ISBN|978-0-520-05841-5}}.
*Taylor, Christopher. (1998) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=AnhEr3mATpUC Parks and Gardens of Britain: a Landscape History from the Air.]'' Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. {{ISBN|978-1-85331-207-6}}.
*Tribe, Anna. (2002) ''[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005I4IFDC : Raglan Castle and the Civil War.]'' Caerleon: Monmouthshire Antiquarian Association.
*Whittle, E. (1989) "The Renaissance gardens of Raglan Castle," ''Garden History'' 17 (1), pp.&nbsp;83–94.
*Whittle, E. (1990) "The 16th and 17th century gardens at Raglan Castle," ''Monmouthshire Antiquity'' 6, pp.&nbsp;69–75.

==Further reading==
*Sambin, Hugues. (1572) ''[http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k79300d/f2.image Oeuvre de la diversité des termes dont on use en architecture, eduict en ordre par Maistre Huges Sambin, demeurant à Dijon.]'' Lyon: Jean Durant.
* Taylor, A. J. (1950) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=QOtzAAAAIAAJ&q=taylor+raglan+castle Raglan Castle : Castell Rhaglan.]'' London: HMSO. {{ISBN|978-0-11-670010-0}}.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Raglan Castle}}
*[http://cadw.gov.wales/daysout/raglancastle/?lang=en Information from Cadw] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927232909/http://cadw.gov.wales/daysout/raglancastle/?lang=en |date=27 September 2015 }}
*[http://resources.hwb.wales.gov.uk/VTC/2015/02/25/the_restoration_of_the_grand_staircase_raglan_castle.pdf Cadw article on the reconstruction of the Grand Staircase in the Fountain Court]

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[[Category:Grade I listed castles in Monmouthshire]]
[[Category:Scheduled monuments in Monmouthshire]]
[[Category:Castle ruins in Wales]]
[[Category:Tudor England]]
[[Category:Registered historic parks and gardens in Monmouthshire]]