TRUTH MATTERS Raglan Baseball Tee

Product Information

The second significant period in Raglan’s history is exemplified by the Gatehouse. The Gatehouse is easily the most photographed spot of Raglan Castle – and that’s certainly because those hexagonal towers and pointy machilations (battlements) have a story-book quality. An aerial view of the Gatehouse of the castle, looking down from the top of the adjacent Great Tower. Raglan Castle is a late medieval castle located in Monmouthshire, Wales. The castle was built by Sir William ap Thomas in the late 15th century, and was the family seat of the Herbert family for centuries. The castle was partially destroyed in the English Civil War in the 17th century, but was later partially rebuilt. The castle is now a tourist attraction and is open to the public. Whereas the Cobbled Court was a focus for everyday domestic life (housing the kitchen and buttery, for example), the adjacent Fountain Court acted as the centre for prestige and entertainment – the state apartments, chapel and later library were build around this focus of privileged life. the beach. If the arrow is parallel to or pointing away from land, the wave height is likely to be lower Raglan castle is an impressive late medieval building and although now ruined, it remains a striking presence in the landscape of south-east Wales.

beach will be from these waves. If the arrow points towards land, most of the waves’ power will reach The castle was besieged for ten weeks in 1646 by parliamentarian troops and ultimately destroyed. In the years that followed Raglan was abandoned and left to decay. Raglan Castle today The result of the civil war was the deliberate destruction (slighting) of the castle – which saw hundreds of precious manuscripts, paintings and antiques being engulfed in flames. It also reduced the castle to the ruins we see today. Visiting Raglan Castle Today: Tips and AdviceThis is the average number of seconds between one wave and the next, 1-2 miles out to sea. A long wave Intricately carved wooden panels were de rigueur and Raglan’s very own lost (and found!) Tudor panel is on show in our visitor centre.

When the siege was over, the building was an independent defense structure built with the kitchen and latrines to withstand long sieges, as well as a residential structure during war. The fireplace could be found on the lowest floor of the keep, along with a well that was embedded in one of the walls. The entrance to Raglan Castle’s Great Gate was originally vaulted and protected by three double-leaf doors and two portcullises. There were machicolations and battlements built on both sides of the gate and towers, as well as gargoyles that drained rainwater from the surrounding area. Round holes were also found at ground level, but many were pierced by holes in latrines and fireplaces. The Great Gate was framed by a spacious Pitched Stone Court, as well as the addition of a large hall on the west side, which was surrounded by kitchens, breweries, and other utility rooms. In the northwestern section of the courtyard, there was a well. It’s said that the noble family watched from this window in terror as the final defences of the castle fell, and Raglan was besieged. The Great Tower would once have been the crowning glory of Raglan Castle: and it’s a good spot to first focus your attention. The Military Might of Raglan’s Great Tower Rather than provide an extensive history, I’m going to focus on three sections of the castle: the Great Tower, the Gatehouse, and the Tudor Oriel Window. I’ll use these three parts of the castle to illustrate three crucial periods in Raglan’s history. The Three Ages of Raglan Castle

The Tudor Oriel Window, towards the end of the new, hammer-beamed hall, was a particularly lofty achievement. This delicate window would have been filled with the finest stained glass and would have allowed light to flood onto the raised stage (dais) at the end of the hallway. This dais would have been reserved for the most important guests at dinner. Under various earls of Worcester Raglan was transformed into a magnificent country seat with a fashionable long gallery and one of the finest Renaissance gardens in Britain. But loyalty to the crown was to prove its undoing. Raglan Castle is the dramatic ruin of a 15th century castle built by Welsh nobleman Sir William ap Thomas and completed by his son. The castle met its end during the English Civil War. Raglan Castle history

The first of these is the Great Tower (or Keep); and the second is the highly impressive Gatehouse (flanked with hexagonal towers, and easily the most photographed part of the castle). The impressive gatehouse facade gives way to evocative ruins surrounding the Cobbled Courtyard.Raglan Castle was built in the late 15th century by Sir William ap Thomas, a Welsh knight who had risen to prominence in the English court. The castle was designed to be a comfortable and luxurious home for Sir William and his family, and it soon became one of the most fashionable residences in Wales. The castle was badly damaged during the English Civil War in the 17th century, but has since been restored and is now open to the public. During 1460 to 1470, Raglan castle became reborn as a noble castle-mansion. As well as the Gatehouse, Sir William Herbert added the main features of the castle – elements of the large Cobbled Court behind the main Gatehouse; the incredible Fountain court to its left; and the chapel and parlour rooms. An internal view of one of the Raglan Castle towers, spiralling into the sky above. Aside from the finish, the Gatehouse design appears defensive, too: the construction includes two portcullises, a drawbridge and numerous arrow-loops; but these features were more likely to demonstrate strength than to be used in battle. That’s because the Gatehouse was built in 1462 – during the third wave of Raglan’s construction, well after any military threat had subsided. individual waves out to sea or at the beach can be higher than this number. If you are close to the The arrow shows the direction of the wind (up is north). If the arrow points from land to sea, the wind

Everything’s great about this place, from its great tower, which evokes memories of earlier fortresses like Caernarfon, to the great gatehouse, which ‘wows’ the visitor just as its owner intended. If, as they say, an Englishman’s home is his castle, then William Herbert’s Raglan is the Welshman’s equivalent. The unmistakable silhouette of Raglan crowning a ridge amid glorious countryside is the grandest castle ever built by Welshmen. It lit up the high table at the dais end of the hall. Raglan also boasted a long gallery, the very height of fashionable living in the Tudor period.

Opening times

Outside the castle, they landscaped a series of water-gardens and even a bowling lawn: completing the image of a perfect country house. This bridge from the Southern Gate of the castle once lead to an ornate and delicate c17th bowling green. The sheer height of the tower – in its heyday, it measured five stories high (nowadays, it’s three-and-a-bit) – granted Raglan a touch of prestige and a defensive advantage. The tower could be seen (and was a vantage point) across vast swathes of the Welsh countryside – and, today, the views are still jaw-dropping.