Raglan, The Castle 1906

Photo ref: 54519

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Welsh castles but not necessarily carried out were: Aberystwyth (blown up); Abergavenny (substantial demolition); Caernarvon (make untenable); Cardigan (extensive demoli- tion); Carmarthen (make untenable); Chirk (Major General Lambert to see castle demol- ished and made untenable); Conwy (Scottish Committee to consider how garrison may be slighted); Denbigh (extensive demolition); Flint (extensive demolition); Harlech (demo- lition of outer curtain); Haverfordwest (some demolition); Monmouth (dismantle works); Montgomery (demolish, material to be sold for paying costs); Newcastle Emlyn (negotia- tions with owner for assurances it will not be used against Parliament); Raglan (extensive demolition, all materials to be sold to best advantage of the State); Powis Castle (out- works to be demolished, walls breached); Rhuddlan (slight new works); Swansea (dis- garrison and slight). When Raglan was slighted, the sale of lead stripped from its roofs brought in £8000. It did, of course, cost money to slight a fortress. On 11 June 1649 the Council of State ordered the complete demolition of Monmouth Castle, though its owner, Richard Lord Herbert of Cherbury was allowed £1611- 10s for his losses, which would be deducted from his £4000 fine for supporting the King. The work took four months, and salvaged material was offered for sale. The pay rates for workers were gradually reduced as the weeks went by. Carpenters were on 2s 6d a day at the start, but only on 1s 3d during the last couple of weeks or so. Similarly, the wages of masons dropped from 1s 6d a day to 1s, miners from 2s to 1s 4d, and labourers from 1s to 10d.

An extract from Welsh Castles.