beach will be from these waves. If the arrow points towards land, most of the waves’ power will reach The beauty of Raglan Castle can be seen for miles around the countryside. The Great Tower serves as the predominant feature of the castle. It is surrounded by a moat, which is crossable by a bridge from the main castle Getting to Raglan Castle The Tudor Oriel Window, towards the end of the new, hammer-beamed hall, was a particularly lofty achievement. This delicate window would have been filled with the finest stained glass and would have allowed light to flood onto the raised stage (dais) at the end of the hallway. This dais would have been reserved for the most important guests at dinner. period (more than 10 seconds) means the waves at the beach may be more powerful. Lifeguards can give you The Great Tower would once have been the crowning glory of Raglan Castle: and it’s a good spot to first focus your attention. The Military Might of Raglan’s Great Tower

The first of these is the Great Tower (or Keep); and the second is the highly impressive Gatehouse (flanked with hexagonal towers, and easily the most photographed part of the castle). The impressive gatehouse facade gives way to evocative ruins surrounding the Cobbled Courtyard. Sir William ap Thomas was a veteran of the French wars and started work on the structure around 1435 including overseeing the construction of the Great Tower. Raglan Castle is the dramatic ruin of a 15th century castle built by Welsh nobleman Sir William ap Thomas and completed by his son. The castle met its end during the English Civil War. Raglan Castle history The castle was besieged for ten weeks in 1646 by parliamentarian troops and ultimately destroyed. In the years that followed Raglan was abandoned and left to decay. Raglan Castle today The arrow shows the direction the wind is blowing. The letters show the direction the wind is blowingindividual waves out to sea or at the beach can be higher than this number. If you are close to the

Raglan underwent its final transformation when the castle passed to the Somersets, earls of Worcester. William Somerset, the third Earl of Worcester, remodelled the hall range, built a long gallery and extended the Pitched Stone Court. He also created a garden with long walled terraces and a lake.Raglan Castle has anunmistakable silhouettecrowning a ridge amid glorious Monmouthshire countryside, and is the grandest castle ever built by Welshmen.

Evidently, the purpose of the castle had shifted dramatically – from military outpost to noble home. And the design of the Gatehouse helped fulfil this aim. It was the architecture of grand pretensions – a breath-taking entrance to the building, highlighting the social importance of Raglan’s owners. The Third (and final!) Age of Raglan: The Tudor Oriel Window

Outside the castle, they landscaped a series of water-gardens and even a bowling lawn: completing the image of a perfect country house. This bridge from the Southern Gate of the castle once lead to an ornate and delicate c17th bowling green. After Sir William’s death in 1461, his son William Herbert became Baron Herbert of Raglan and embarked on an ambitious building programme to reflect his new status. He developed suites of accommodation around the Fountain Court, built the Pitched Stone Court, and constructed the gatehouse to both impress and intimidate visitors to the castle.

The Buttery which is located behind the Great Hall has reopened to the public. Come and see where an episode of BBC’s Merlin was filmed. Evidently, the more modern segments of Raglan Castle mushroomed around the Great Tower, but the Tower’s strength and purpose remained intact throughout its existence. Successive owners – such as Sir William Herbert – could effectively move into the castle and ‘pull up the drawbridge’ if they wanted peace and quiet. The ruined state apartments of Raglan, latterly built behind the Great Tower. Note the delicate frieze above the ruined archway on the left. Aside from the finish, the Gatehouse design appears defensive, too: the construction includes two portcullises, a drawbridge and numerous arrow-loops; but these features were more likely to demonstrate strength than to be used in battle. That’s because the Gatehouse was built in 1462 – during the third wave of Raglan’s construction, well after any military threat had subsided.The unmistakable silhouette of Raglan crowning a ridge amid glorious countryside is the grandest castle ever built by Welshmen.