Perched atop a lofty bank that swoops down to the Llynfi River, this Grade II*-listed Georgian house and its adjoining properties are guarded by a Grade I-listed medieval motte-and-bailey castle under the guardianship of Cadw. The grounds encompass four separate dwellings: a house currently divided into two apartments, an adjoining cottage, a barn and a coach house, encompassing over 8,000 square feet of accommodation in total with several more outbuildings. Well-loved by the current owners for many years, some parts of the home may require updating. 14 acres of mature gardens and land are also included, as are fishing rights. The house is set in Bronllys, a small village on the northern edge of Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park, with Brecon and Hay-on-Wye both a 10-minute drive away.
Setting the Scene
First built at the turn of the 12th century, it is thought that Bronllys Castle occupies the pre-Norman court, or Llys, of the princes of Brycheiniog. The two-storey tower sits on a nearly nine-metre high motte, raised well above the floodplain of the River Llynfi and with far-reaching views of the Black Mountains. The surviving keep is the second stone tower built on the site in the 13th century and is among the best-preserved examples of the round tower fortifications once widespread in Wales and England, and characteristic of the Marches.
Development of the site has been continuous since the 11th century and while each structure on the land has its own distinct character, there is a clear shared materiality and vernacular vocabulary idiosyncratic to the area. This is the Welsh Marches after all, a defensive border land rich with historic and geographic interest. For more information, please see the History section.
The Grand Tour
Set within the old bailey of the castle, the late 18th-century house is a smart Georgian home, built of local stone, faced with well-proportioned windows and topped with a slate roof. The main façade is draped in a mature wisteria that adorns the house in blousy purple blooms in late spring.
As it has done for centuries, the porched front door opens onto a broad hallway, where smooth floorboards run underfoot and a staircase climbs up to one side. From here, the primary living spaces of the house unfold with views of the Black Mountains in the east and the castle keep to the south.
Elegantly proportioned, the living and dining rooms sit alongside one another and are brightly lit by tall sash windows and a canted bay. Fireplaces are focal points in both rooms, while distinctly Georgian details such as deep and ornately panelled door reveals and shutters add the sort of grandeur associated with the period.
A kitchen to the rear serves the more formal spaces in the home and is well-located for garden access. Two en suite bedrooms with charming fireplaces sit at the other side of the reception hall, along with a WC. An extensive cellar runs beneath the main house, accessible from ground level to the rear of the building.
The first floor has been converted into an independent apartment, with private access possible from the rear of the property. Here, a shaker kitchen leads up to a living room, part of which is currently being used as a bedroom, sharing the same orientation and views of the grand ground-floor rooms. A wood burner warms in the living area and wooden floorboards run throughout. There are three further bedrooms; one with an en suite. The others share a bathroom and a shower room. A handy utility room completes this storey.
Built originally to serve the main house, a two-bedroom cottage sits on the building’s western flank. Sharing the same Georgian sensibilities, large windows punctuate the front façade and a pilastered doorcase with panelled reveals opens out onto the gardens.
The rest of the buildings are arranged around a courtyard of sorts, eclectically housing a now-redundant phone box and the remnants of the medieval wall. From this space, a converted barn runs east to west. The primary living space is double-height and vaulted, and the texture of the rough stone walls and exposed beams have been retained. A kitchen area is topped with a mezzanine level reached by a spiral staircase. At the far end, a well-proportioned en suite bedroom has views out over the surrounding fields.
Running perpendicular to the main house and alongside the lawn is the coach house, where the northern end of the building also contains part of a medieval wall. This part of the building has vaulted double-height ceilings that reveal its development over time, of such historical importance it is protected with Grade-II* listed status. A pointed arch doorway nods to its origins as a 14th-century meeting hall, while its transformation and extension into a stable for the main house is visible from the retained cobbled floor and double-height doors. Above, a second-floor apartment has an open-plan living space with a kitchen and a large en suite bedroom. A second bedroom adjoins the bathroom. Throughout, the structure of the building has been exposed and utilised to create a characterful space, though some work would be required to update this building. The coach house is directly connected to other outbuildings, mostly used as storage.
The Great Outdoors
In total, 14 acres of land surround the house, including native woodland, pasture and an extensive kitchen garden.
The property is approached from a dual-ended drive, from each end through a deciduous copse of oak, beech and cherry. There is plenty of space for vehicle storage in a large, covered parking area and in a gravelled parking area that has immediate access to each of the dwellings.
Extensive gardens stretch out from the main house. Irises, geraniums and euphorbia sprout from the base of the front façade. From the main plan is a south-facing stone terrace orientated towards a vast copper beach that shimmers in front of the castle keep. Perennial planting here includes fragrant swathes of lavender, buddleja, oregano and rosemary. From these soft banks, architectural cardoons and conical conifers strike out.
Tracking the edge of the lawn, a deep border runs along the side of the coach house where ferns, crocosmia, and climbing roses foreground a scented honeysuckle that traverses the building’s face. The large lawn, perfect for summer parties, rolls away to a bank at the bottom. Here, the shallow Llynfi River runs, meandering its to meet the River Wye at Glasbury.
As a Grade I-listed monument, the astonishing castle keep is accessible to the public from a separate entrance and is under the guardianship of Cadw who maintain the structure and its access.
Out and About
Bronllys Castle is located on the edge of its namesake village as it stretches out towards the Black Mountains and the neighbouring village of Talgarth. Between them, the villages are home to several pubs and cafes, including the perennially popular Honey Cafe in Bronllys, and the wonderful working water mill at Talgarth Mill, where Pobl Bakery produces peerless sourdough and pastries. For a perfect distraction on a hot summer’s day head to the river Llynfi and follow the footpath that runs alongside its wooded banks to Sobramesa’s tap room, where a sheltered courtyard opens out onto views over the valley, swifts swoop overhead, and the farmhouse cider is dry.
A 15-minute drive away, Hay-on-Wye is a lively town famed for its many bookshops and revered literary event, the Hay Festival or, as it’s been coined, ‘the Woodstock of the mind’. Richard Booth’s Bookshop and Cinema is a local institution. The Old Electric Shop is a well-curated emporium, stocking the work of local artisans alongside vintage clothes and books. It also serves delicious modern vegetarian food. Chapters is a celebrated local restaurant with serious foodie credentials. The beloved borders sheep’s milk ice cream maker, Shepherds, can also be found in Hay. Hay Castle is a centre for arts, literature and learning with a full range of events, exhibitions and workshops throughout the year.
There are opportunities for canoeing and swimming on the River Wye both at Hay and Glasbury, within a five-minute drive of the house.
The closest train station to Bronllys is Abergavenny, which lies approximately 20 miles to the south and provides direct to London Paddington via Newport in just over two hours. It also runs direct services south to Cardiff, west to Carmarthen, and north to Manchester and Holyhead. Hereford is under an hour away and Cardiff and Bristol are all reachable in around an hour and 40 minutes by car.
Council Tax Bands:
Main house: B
Main house apartment: A
Cottage: D
Barn: B
Coach House: C
History
Originally constructed by Richard Fitz Pons in the early 12th century, the keep of the castle would have been formed of timber. A later, stone tower was built after the castle came under the control of Walter de Cliffordblack . The cylindrical form was designed to ricochet canon fire from its rounded walls.
The castle experienced several conflicts due to its strategic positioning overlooking the Llynfi valley. Following turbulent Welsh-Norman relations throughout the 13th century, it was attacked and briefly captured by Welsh forces led by Prince Rhys ap Gruffydd of Deheubarth during his campaign for resistance against Norman rule. Later in the 15th century, the castle played an important role in the Owain Glyndŵr rebellion following the death of Richard III, before falling into disrepair in the 16th century as the decline of feudal warfare and the rise of more centralized political control reduced the need for such fortifications.
Set within what would have been the inner bailey, the house and it’s outbuildings are evidence of sequential occupation of the site. Remnants of a medieval wall form the basis of a 14th-century meeting hall, which was later converted and extended into the stable block and coach house to serve the main house, built in the 18th century.
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