Bronllys Castle

On Monday, the Brecon Beacons National Park announced it will only go by it’s Welsh name, Bannau Brycheiniog, from now on.

So it seems timely to introduce you to the second of the castles I visited in the park over the Easter bank holiday weekend: Bronllys Castle.

Bronllys Castle was founded in the late 11th or early 12th century by Richard fitz Pons, a wealthy Norman lord who was looking to protect his lands from the locals.

The present stone castle dates back to 1230 when another wealthy lord, William de Clifford III, decided it needed rebuilding.

The castle sits in a strategic location close to the border between England and Wales, and because of this, it’s changed hands more than once over the centuries.

In the early 15th century, the castle was refortified during the rebellion of the Welsh nationalist Owain Glyndŵr. But by the time Henry VIII helped himself to it in 1521, it was in a sorry state.

Today the castle’s in the care of the Welsh heritage agency Cadw and all that remains is the tower, along with the remnants of a few of its walls and the dry moat it sits upon.

The castle is tucked away down a little path just off the road between the town of Talgarth and the village of Bronllys.

On parking my car in a nearby layby, I walked along the path to the castle and climbed the long metal staircase that leads to the entrance.

There isn’t a huge amount to see inside the castle, but it has some interesting architectural features, including these pretty cinquefoil windows (above).

The windows were designed for decorative purposes and unsurprisingly, given how wide they are, wouldn’t have been much use to anyone trying to defend the castle.

I made my way from the ground floor up to the balcony on the floor above (above), where I stopped to take a look around.

And then continued up the second set of stairs to the viewing platform at the top of the tower (above).

The views over the Bannau Brycheiniog and the Black Mountains were spectacular (above) and as it was such a sunny day, I could see for miles around.

It’s safe to say, Bronllys Castle isn’t the biggest castle in the world – it only takes around 10 minutes to see everything, but it’s a lovely little tower in a beautiful setting and worth a visit if you’re passing.

Parking

As you drive along the road between Talgarth and Bronllys, keep a beady eye out for the brown signs marking the castle.

You can’t drive up to the castle, but you can park for free in the layby opposite the path that takes you to the castle.

Info

Bronllys Castle, near Bronllys, Powys LD3 0HL
Free to visit
Open daily, 10am to 4pm
cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/bronllys-castle