The second significant period in Raglan’s history is exemplified by the Gatehouse. The Gatehouse is easily the most photographed spot of Raglan Castle – and that’s certainly because those hexagonal towers and pointy machilations (battlements) have a story-book quality. An aerial view of the Gatehouse of the castle, looking down from the top of the adjacent Great Tower. Feels like temperature considers other factors, such as wind speed and humidity. This gives you a better Embrace your inner inventor as you experience new installations, exhibitions and creations at the grandest castle ever built by a Welshman. It’s said that the noble family watched from this window in terror as the final defences of the castle fell, and Raglan was besieged.

Raglan Castle was built in the late 15th century by Sir William ap Thomas, a Welsh knight who had risen to prominence in the English court. The castle was designed to be a comfortable and luxurious home for Sir William and his family, and it soon became one of the most fashionable residences in Wales. The castle was badly damaged during the English Civil War in the 17th century, but has since been restored and is now open to the public. individual waves out to sea or at the beach can be higher than this number. If you are close to theThis is the average number of seconds between one wave and the next, 1-2 miles out to sea. A long wave Beware of offshore winds if you are using inflatables, paddle boards or kayaks. These winds can blow you 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.

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 Originally, the west wing had a two-story hall and pantry that was a little shorter. A grand staircase leads to the main entrance of the building, which was built in the second half of the 15th century and was dominated by residential structures. The building to the west of the tower was completely rebuilt in the 16th century. The Fountain Courtyard, which was linked to both courtyards, had windows facing both the keep and the moat. In the 16th century, a long, 38 meter gallery was added to the eastern part of the courtyard, and in the 17th century, a chapel was built on the eastern part of the courtyard. Inside, a stone vault with human heads carved in it was crowned with corbels. It has few similarities to other Welsh fortresses and was built in the late medieval period. Outside the outer bailey fortifications, there is a large keep, two parallel drawbridges, and some prominent machicolations, all of which imply continental influence. Although William ap Thomas and his son fought in France, this may provide a clue as to how the castle was conceived.

If the foundations of grandeur were laid in the 1460s, the flourishing touches were added in the from 1549 onwards. And, although it requires a bit of imagination today, the Tudor Oriel Window would have been one of the most majestic features of the castle – a grand stained glass masterpiece allowing dappled light to flood into the newly-built Hall. Looking out from the Oriel window onto the Cobbled Courtyard. 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 During 1460 to 1470, Raglan castle became reborn as a noble castle-mansion. As well as the Gatehouse, Sir William Herbert added the main features of the castle – elements of the large Cobbled Court behind the main Gatehouse; the incredible Fountain court to its left; and the chapel and parlour rooms. An internal view of one of the Raglan Castle towers, spiralling into the sky above.