Castle Nimble (also called Knapp; Maes Hyfaidd; Maes Hyvaidd) was a
motte and bailey
A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or Bailey (castle), bailey, surrounded by a protective Rampart (fortification ...
defensive fortification near
Old Radnor
Old Radnor ( cy, Pencraig) is a village and community in Powys, Wales. The community includes Old Radnor and the villages of Yardro, Dolyhir, Burlingjobb, Evenjobb ( cy, Einsiob), Kinnerton and Walton. In the 2001 census and the 2011 Census t ...
, in
Radnorshire
, HQ = Presteigne
, Government = Radnorshire County Council (1889–1974) Radnorshire District Council (1974–1996)
, Origin =
, Status = historic county, administrative county
, Start ...
(modern-day
Powys
Powys (; ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county and Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county in Wales. It is named after the Kingdom of Powys which was a Welsh succession of states, successor state, petty kingdom and princi ...
),
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
. Castle Nimble appears to have had an oval-shaped ditched motte, with a semi-rectangular bailey, and some other enclosures, including possibly a pond.
History
Little of Castle Nimble's history is known, but some believe it may have been established by
Philip de Braose
Philip de Braose, 2nd Lord of Bramber ( 1070 – c. 1134) was an Anglo-Norman nobleman and Marcher Lord.
Origins
Philip was born about 1070 to 1073, the son of William de Braose, 1st Lord of Bramber (d. 1093/96) by his wife Eve de Boissey or A ...
. De Braose is known to have erected a castle at Radnor in 1096, believed to be either Castle Nimble or the castle at
New Radnor
New Radnor ( cy, Maesyfed) is a village in Powys, Wales, to the south of Radnor Forest, and was the county town of Radnorshire.
In the 2001 census, the community's population of 410 was split evenly between male and female, in 192 household ...
. It is known that after
Harold Godwinson
Harold Godwinson ( – 14 October 1066), also called Harold II, was the last crowned Anglo-Saxon English king. Harold reigned from 6 January 1066 until his death at the Battle of Hastings, fighting the Norman invaders led by William the ...
, Earl of Hereford, had defeated
Gruffydd ap Llywelyn
Gruffydd ap Llywelyn ( 5 August 1063) was King of Wales from 1055 to 1063. He had previously been King of Gwynedd and Powys in 1039. He was the son of King Llywelyn ap Seisyll and Angharad daughter of Maredudd ab Owain, and the great-gre ...
in 1063, he erected a castle, and this may have been Castle Nimble, although an alternative view is that it was New Radnor Castle. Castle Nimble is sometimes known as Old Radnor No 1 to distinguish it from Old Radnor No 2, a more substantial but damaged motte, some away at Knapp Hill Farm.
[
]
The site
Little remains visible nowadays except the remains of an oval motte, some and about high, surrounded by a ditch. The flat summit is about across. To the east lies a semi-rectangular bailey with a ditch round it. There are traces of a further, larger enclosure to the south of the bailey, which may have been a pool or pond, similar to water features found at certain other castles in the district.
References
Welsh castles: a guide by counties, Adrian Pettifer
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nimble Castle
Castles in Powys
Castle ruins in Wales