St Quentin's Castle, Llanblethian

Broadway, Llanblethian, Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan, CF71 7EY.

FINE AND COUNTRY-CARDIFFA unique and exceptionally well appointed detached three bedroom bungalow with generous open plan living. South facing garden with superb uninterrupted rural views, in the heart of arguably one of South Wales most sought after Villages.

St Quentins Castle south Wales

You have probably never heard of Llantrithyd Place.

Today it lies derelict and ruined in fields a few miles south of the A48 between Cardiff and Cowbridge.

Not a very promising candidate for this series on important buildings and places in Welsh history. In its very obscurity, however, lies the story of what was once Wales’s most powerful ruling class: the gentry.

Glimpses of its former glories can be seen in the extensive ivy-clad ruins, but enter the small church only yards away from the broken walls and you are confronted with striking evidence for the faded significance of Llantrithyd Place and its residents.

Around 1102 Robert Fitzhamon, the first Norman Lord of Glamorgan bequeathed the lands of Llanblethian as a lordship to Herbert de St Quentin who is thought to have built the first fortification at the site of the castle. This initial construct was believed to have been a simple ringwork defence with timber walls, a bank and ditch. A rectangular stone keep was built in the late 12th century, whose remains can now be found within the later gatehouse. This keep may have replaced a similar wooden structure.