Architecture
The earthworks were steeply banked and oval in shape, enclosing an area of 164 feet (50 m) in length by 115 feet (35 m) in width. The inner ward was flat and constructed of timber structures. After completion of the ringwork, the building material was stone. The windows were round-headed with Sutton stone ashlar. The first-floor great hall had an ornate fireplace.
William's son Maurice is credited with building the oblong keep; it is perhaps the oldest Norman keep in Glamorgan. Situated north of the main gateway, the keep was the first masonry building and was probably built in the 1120s. It is both the castle's tallest surviving building, and one of the oldest buildings in South Wales. Though only three of the original walls survive, their structure is characterized by irregularly shaped field stones, glacial pebbles, Lias limestone slabs, and brown mortar. Thomas de Londres replaced a timber palisade with a stone wall in around 1200.
In the early 13th century, a second storey was added that housed private apartments. Garderobes were featured on two levels and a latrine tower was part of the exterior. A well-preserved lime kiln was built over an indeterminate 13th-century structure. Subsequently, a courthouse dating to the 14th century and rebuilt in the mid-15th century, was probably the third building to occupy the same spot. The building was rectangular in shape with a simple doorway and was flanked by two chambers. Having sustained damage during Owain Glyndŵr's revolt, a new courthouse, situated in the castle's outer bailey, was built in 1454 and was in use until at least 1631.
The present-day castle remains consist of the keep and some outer walls.
Read more about this topic: Ogmore Castle
Famous quotes containing the word architecture:
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