The peaceful South Wales town of Hay-on-Wye offers few clues today of its brutal past on a violent frontier. A monument to this history can be found in Hay Castle. Once right on the border between England and Wales, it sits in a region densely packed with castles that saw border skirmishes and bitter warfare for centuries.
Known as the Welsh Marches, this borderland attracted tough people seeking their fortune at the expense of the Welsh people. There are few better examples of these folk than William and Matilda de Braose, the Lord and Lady of Hay. Their story is steeped in blood and myth before a dramatic and gory fall from favour.
Open to the public for the first time in its 900 year history, Matt Lewis visited Hay Castle to find out what it can reveal about life in England’s medieval Wild West.
Up Next in Buildings and architecture
-
Bignor Roman Villa
West Sussex has its fair share of stunning Roman sites: Fishbourne Roman Palace, Stane Street, the Novium, the list goes on. But one of the region's star Roman attractions has to be Bignor Roman Villa. Situated deep in the heart of the Sussex countryside Bignor is home to some of the most impress...
-
Paestum: A Tale of Three Cities
The story of ancient Italy is so much more than just Rome. Tristan Hughes visits the extraordinary site of Paestum in southern Italy, home to some of the greatest ancient Greek temples from anywhere in the world.
From majestic temples to pristine wall paintings more that 2,500 years old, he exp...
-
Stourhead: The Grand Tour
Kicking off our new series, Great British Houses, we join Alice Loxton and Dan Snow on a journey through one of the gems of the National Trust’s collection, the magnificent Stourhead.
In this documentary Alice and Dan set off on a whirlwind tour of the social and cultural movements which influen...
15 Comments