The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales has a leading national role in developing and promoting understanding of the archaeological, built and maritime heritage of Wales, as the originator, curator and supplier of authoritative information for individual, corporate and governmental decision makers, researchers, and the general public.

Forty-three castles and fortified sites here described were founded or given their most significant fabric after 1217. They include tower-houses, strong houses, possible castles, and twenty masonry castles ranging from the great Clare works at Caerphilly and Morlais to the small modestly fortified sites at Barry and Weobley, and the exceptional fortified priory at Ewenny. The density and variety of the medieval fortifications in Glamorgan are unrivalled, and their study is enriched by an exceptional range of works on the history and records of a historic county formed by merging the lordships of Glamorgan and Gower. Part la described the early castles and traced their role in the Norman conquest and settlement of the fertile southern lowlands down to 1217, when the Clares inherited Glamorgan. In that year the Welsh had expelled the English from Gower and remained unconquered in the Glamorgan uplands. Gower was soon lost again, and under two redoubtable Clare lords the Glamorgan uplands were appropriated in the mid-13th century and secured in a notable programme of castle works. The castle-building of Earl Richard de Clare (1243-62) and his son, Gilbert, the 'Red Earl' (1263-95), as they achieved this 'second conquest of Glamorgan', foreshadowed the later campaigns of Edward I against Gwynedd. At Caerphilly, above all, Earl Gilbert's castle deserves comparison with the great Edwardian works; it introduced defensive features later to be adopted by King Edward's Savoyard master masons. Gower sites considered include the impressive masonry castles at Oystermouth and Penrice. A notable ornately arcaded domestic range at Swansea is the only surviving vestige of the chief castle of Gower, which is tentatively described from a variety of records. AH the illustrated descriptions incorporate detailed historical accounts. The introductory survey outlines the later descent of Glamorgan and Gower to the end of the 15th century, and along with the sectional preambles it provides general discussion of the sites.

This Inventory forms Part ii of Volume IV of the series planned for the county of Glamorgan. Volume III is intended to survey the secular monuments of the Middle Ages: Part i, defensive, and Part ii, nondefensive. Volume IV is intended to survey the secular monuments of the period between the Reformation and the Industrial Revolution: Part i The Greater Houses, and Part ii The Farmhouses and Cottages. When complete, the series should provide a comprehensive description of the surviving dwellings of the people of Glamorgan, both fortified and unfortified, from the time of the Norman invasion until the accession of George III, together with a few selected monuments of later date. In Part i of the present volume were described the principal residences of the major land-owning families built between ca. 1540 and 1760. In all, 42 houses were fully illustrated and described. In Part ii will be found some of the secondary residences of those families, as well as houses of lesser landowners, but chiefly recorded here are the houses of minor gentry and the tenant farmers, yeomen, and husbandmen, effectively the 'middle class' of rural society. In all, 1,136 houses have been noted. In addition a selection of farmbuildings has been included, a total of 342 being noted. Contents Map of Ecclesiastical Parishes List of Maps Chairman's Preface Report, with List of Monuments selected by the Commissioners as especially worthy of preservation List of Commissioners and Staff Presentation of Material Abbreviated Titles of References Historical Survey Architectural Survey Maps illustrating Building Features Illustrated Inventory arranged by Plan Types MED Medieval Houses AL Sub-medieval, 'Direct-Entry' Houses with Lateral Chimney A Sub-medieval, 'Direct-Entry' Houses with Chimneys on the End Gable or on the Cross Wall away from the Entry B Sub-medieval, 'Hearth-passage', End-entry and Chimney-backing-onto-the-entry Houses BL Sub-medieval, 'Hearth-passage' Houses: Long-houses C Sub-medieval, 'Lobby-entry' Houses E Sub-medieval, 'Offset-entry' Houses H Sub-medieval, 'Gable-end-entry' Houses U Sub-medieval, 'Unit-system' Houses R Renaissance 'Central-planned,' Symmetrical Houses MISC Miscellaneous Domestic Remains L Llantwit Major CB Cowbridge F Farm Buildings List of Sites List of Ecclesiastical Parishes, with incidence of monuments List of Civil Parishes with incidence of monuments Glossary Index Map of Civil Parishes

Fifty-seven castles founded in Glamorgan by 1217 are here described. These include mottes. castle-ringworks, and presumed Welsh earthworks, all without masonry, as well as sixteen masonry castles ranging from well known sites at Cardiff, Coity, and Ogmore, to the Welsh stone castle now identified at Plas Baglan. Later defensive monuments will be described in part lb. Glamorgan castles occur in unrivalled density, their study enriched by an exceptional range of works on local history and records. County borders embrace the lordships ot'Gower and Glamorgan. Most castles lie in the fertile lowlands where Norman rule was imposed. Welsh independence endured in the uplands until the mid-13th-century conquests of the Clare lords. When they inherited Glamorgan in 1217 Norman rule had survived unbroken in the lowlands from the late-11th century, if not in Gower. Profusely illustrated descriptions incorporate comprehensive historical accounts. The Introductory Survey and Sectional Preambles discuss the evidence, illustrated by maps and diagrams. Significant conclusions emerge: William the Conqueror founded Cardiff in 1081; Glacial drift provides a determinant for the segregation of mottes and castle-ringworks; Roman roads, forts, and river crossings influenced Norman settlement; Early Masonry Castles, rare in Wales, were numerous in Glamorgan. Castle of the lords of Glamorgan are of particular interest, especially Newcastle, which might be attributed to Henry II. These lords included King John (1189-1216) and leading magnates of the realm: Rufus's favourite, Robert Fitzhamon (1093-1107); Robert, earl of Gloucester, base son of Henry I (fa. 1J13-47); and later, the great Clare earls (1217-1314) and Edward II's favourite, Hugh Despenser (1317-26). Content Map of sites treated in this Part (la) of Volume IIII Chairman's Preface Report, with a List of Monuments selected by the Commissioners as most worthy of preservation List of Commissioners and Staff Authorship and Compilation Presentation of Material Introductory Survey I The Division of the material; Parts la and lb Explained II The Geographical Background III The Historical Background (1072-1217) IV The Early Castles Discussed Inventory of the Early Castles Section MO: Mottes without Masonry Section CR: Castle-Ringworks without Masonry Section UW: Unclassified, probably Welsh Castles Section VE: Vanished Early Castles Section MM: Masonry Castles Built Over Mottes Section MR: Masonry Castles built over Castle-ringworks Section EM: Early Masonry Castles Abbreviated Titles of References Map and List of Ecclesiastical Parishes, with incidence of Monuments Map and List of Civil Parishes, with incidence of Monuments Index of National Grid References for sites treated in Part la Glossary: General Glossary: Welsh Terms and Place-name Elements List of Figures, including maps and photographs General Index Alphabetical List of sites treated in Part 1 b of Volume III Map of sites treated in Part lb of Volume III

The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales has a leading national role in developing and promoting understanding of the archaeological, built and maritime heritage of Wales, as the originator, curator and supplier of authoritative information for individual, corporate and governmental decision makers, researchers, and the general public.

TABLE OF CONTENTS MAP OF ECCLESIASTICAL PARISHES LIST OF PLATES LIST OF FIGURES CHAIRMAN'S PREFACE REPORT, WITH LIST OF MONUMENTS SELECTED BY THE COMMISSIONERS AS ESPECIALLY WORTHY OF PRESERVATION LISTS OF COMMISSIONERS AND STAFF LIST OF ECCLESIASTICAL PARISHES, WITH INCIDENCE OF MONUMENTS LIST OF CIVIL PARISHES, WITH INCIDENCE OF MONUMENTS ABBREVIATED TITLES OF REFERENCES PRESENTATION OF MATERIAL CONVERSION TABLES, METRIC TO IMPERIAL INVENTORY. PART ii: THE IRON AGE AND THE ROMAN OCCUPATION Introductory Note The Physical Background Communications. Iron Age and Roman Hill-forts and Settlements. Iron Age Hill-forts and Related Structures Unenclosed Hut Settlements Roman Remains Forts Other Military Works Roads Civil Sites Appendix: The Glamorgan section of Iter XII and the site of Bomium NAMES OF PLACES IN GLAMORGAN GLOSSARY INDEX OF GRID REFERENCES GENERAL INDEX MAP OF CIVIL PARISHES

In this volume, the first of those for Glamorgan, the Commission has dealt with the pre-Norman remains of the county; the accepted monuments total some 800, and the staff concerned have examined 1030 sites during the course of the work. At the same time, the investigation of later remains has proceeded.