UK Bound: Raglan Castle and Llanthony Old Priory

One of my very early notes was made after Chepstow Castle. However, the same thought fits all of the abbeys and castles. To me, reading about each site as we explored them – even places with barely a hole for a window or doorway yet alone a wall – had one major difference. At times palpable, others just sad reminders. Abbeys were built to impress God, and perhaps as an afterthought the brethren; whereas castles were built to oppress, and therefore impress upon, the people. Of course the latter were also built as protective forts – from whom might remain up to discussion.

On the day we visited Raglan Castle, plus the Llanthony Priory neither had been on my list for that day. However, after discussing our plans with our host she suggested we switch our order of exploring which would give us time to drive to Hay-on-Wye. One place I was quite looking forward to that did not include castles.

Raglan Castle still has a very impressive moat around its Great Tower. This was indeed a Fortress-Palace. Crossing over it on a now solid bridge did cause me to pause in thought but I was not willing to pause my steps.

The view from the Great Tower. (To the best of my recollection)
The Welsh ‘blue knight of Gwent’, (Sir Willam ap Thomas) built the tower in 1435.
His son, Sir William Herbert, would continue to build a castle fit for a king. (Confused yet?) Henry Tudor, the future King Henry VII, was sent to Sir William to be brought up at Raglan Castle.

Approaching the main Gates was impressive. As one writer says, the Castle was built to impress and intimidate. Sir Herbert added apartments to suit his status.

Of course, many great men fall hard. Sir Herbert was captured and executed in 1469 during the battle of Edgecote. He was buried at Tintern Abbey.
Nothing more was done to build the castle until William Somerset, Earl of Worcester (1548-89) made even grander additions and changes to the Hall and apartments. This window had heraldic stained glass in it. Imagine cleaning all that glass!

The 3rd earl’s heraldic crest is still above the entrance to the hall.

The First English Civil War (1642 – ?) forced an extended siege then the eventual surrender of the Castle. (Being on the wrong side usually meant being on the short end of a stick or some other nasty demise. The Earl died in prison.) After losing the battle a command to pull down the Great Tower was not completely successful, with one wall finally pushed into the moat. There was another floor above that was destroyed. Even climbing to the top of the truncated section is not for the faint of heart! I failed that winding stairway. It is quite breathtaking to discover fireplaces midway up the inner walls, windows that look outward and inward – to peer down on what was happening below – and consider the workmanship to build these grand castles.

Shattered or stolen windows, the frames are all we have to look into the past of mighty men fallen. Their bricks and stones bearing witness to our stares.

A sad reminder of the library that included Welsh documents and books that were either destroyed or stolen.

After a farewell and turning away Raglan faded back into the past. However, we were not quite prepared to completely enter the present beyond some intense focus on the roads we had to traverse. We had two goals. Llanthony Priory and Hay-onWye, all before dinner. The Abbey was, according to our SatNav, only 30 minutes away and Hay-on-Wye a mere 40 minutes beyond that. Perhaps SatNav had not considered the horse and carriage roadways.

We nearly missed the turn to Llanthony Priory. However, once we realized that the Brecon Beacons National Park was indeed where we wanted to be, with nearby washrooms (ask for the toilets though), we discovered the priory on the edge of the park. Although now privately owned, and therefore why we could not find it, thinking it was the Llanthony Priory Hotel, it is considered a historical site and is open to visitors.

No swinging on this massively heavy gate! Although not dated I imagine it is about as aged as the 900 year old remains of the priory.

The large archway in the background led into the chapel. The arches in the foreground remain an impressive, and somewhat intimidating, nave leading up to the chapel.

You can see where winding stairs narrowed as they go to the top of the tower – I could visualize a monk climbing these in his billowing black robe to possibly ring the bell. (Recent archeological research have found there was possibly a 13th c. clock in one of towers)

Additions were made to the priory over a couple of hundred years, this is one of the 13th c. vaulted ceilings that remains.

The views are breathtaking, it is easy to understand why a knight in the 1100s would decide to put away his armour and want to remain in such a peaceful setting for prayer and reflection. Unfortunately, it was also so remote it was subject to dispute and the first priory was destroyed. Not that the second buildings did much better, they were sold off by Henry Vlll for £166.00!

Although I do not like the idea of a hotel attached to the corner of the site it appears the owners are maintaining the priory and area as historic treasures. There is a small bar that cleverly appears to be part of the Old Priory. We never did make it Hay-on-Wye having been turned around at a sign that claimed the narrow back road was closed due to a ‘landslip’. Rather than take our chances we turned around and headed back, this time to discover the bar is aptly named Cellar-Bar, where we were told the sign had been there for ages and we could have made the trip. I guess the lesson here is to ask before setting out. We had coffees, my daughter managed to get some more charge on her phone, for a charge, then we headed off. Back to Tintern for our last night and a fabulous meal at Parva Farm. (UK Bound: Wales – the Food)