ABERGAVENNY CASTLE

Monmouthshire

Abergavenny is a very attractive little town.  The Castle was started in wood by Hamelin of Ballon between 1087 and 1100.  Stone walling was added before Henry II's reign when the Castle was given to William de Braose.  De Braose's uncle had been killed by Sitsyllt, leader of the Welsh tribe of Dyfnwal.  In 1175 de Braose invited Sitsyllt and his warriors to a great feast at Abergavenny Castle.  During the meal the Welsh were all put to death whereafter de Braose rode out to Sitsyllt's Castle which he completely destroyed.

In 1182 the surviving sons of Sitsyllt invaded the Castle, burning brushwood in the moat and killing anyone who didn't reach the safety of the keep.  De Braose, typically, was not in the Castle at that time.  Eventually he lost his favour with the fickle King John and died in France a penniless beggar.  His son, Reginald, then became the owner of the Castle, but he sided with Llywelyn the Great and his lands were confiscated by Henry III.

During the Glydwr rebellion the Castle was owned by William de Beauchamp.  His constable was killed in 1402 when an angry mob broke into the Castle after rescuing three townsmen from the gallows.  They imprisoned Lady Beauchamp in the keep.  It isn't clear of the outcome of this event.  In the Civil War Charles I came to Abergavenny to attempt to drum up support (not very successfully) and he had the Castle slighted to stop it falling to the Scots in 1645.

The Castle houses a small museum and is open to the public during the summer months.

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2001