Location : Skenfrith, Abergavenny NP7 8UH

After travelling up through Somerset and Bath, we road tripped up to the South of Wales for a small time and came across Skenfrith Castle on our way to the beautiful Brecon Beacons. The castle can be located in the small village of Skenfrith in Monmouthshire. It is here that you will find the ruined fortification that was established in 1066 by the Normans whom built this to protect the route from Wales to Hereford in the beginning of the invasion of England.

The castle is part of a lordship that was brought together in 1135, by King Stephen or Stephen of Blois as he is also known, to form the castles of the trilateral or the Three Castles. The three castles are formed of Skenfrith, Grosmont and White Castle and is now a very popular hiking and trekking route, over 19.4 miles between all of the castles that take you to views of mountains in south wales that include the beautiful Black Mountains and the Forest of Dean, an explorers paradise.

The castle is circled by what would have been a motte back in the day that was built next to the river to defend its border. Skenfrith is similar to its sister castles in that they arnt on high ground and its placed at wall height. The fortifications are very simple and you can see the two round towers in the corners, a large circular keep in the middle and an entrance to the water gate, one of the towers is ruined, as is the entrance gate and the site has been filled in from where the moat would have surrounded the area. You can also see excavated rooms to the right of the keep where a large hall and some rooms once were.

Overall, your visit to Skenfrith is going to pleasant but short as there isnt anything to walk up or around aside from the site of course, there is the usual breif but informative information placed at the entrance and the site and just outside there is a nice picnic area. A suggestion would be to visit all three of the castles so that you are able to understand the story between them and see how well preserved the ruins are.

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