Inside The Tower - Newport Castle

The blip photo is of inside the tower of Newport Castle, South Wales (UK). It's not a view that you will see very often as the castle is out of bounds to the public. Whilst many photo's are taken of the outside, one inside or from this angle is rare.

The extra photo shows the whole castle seen from the river side on a high tide. It's one I have been wanting to do for a long time but with work, the weather, or time of day, have conspired against me until early this morning.

The castle was built sometime between 1327-1386, probably by Hugh De Audley 1st Earl of Gloucester or his son-in-law, Ralph, Earl of Stafford with the purpose of managing the crossing of the River Usk.

In 1402 it was sacked by Owain Glyndwr. It was in disrepair by 1522, and was taken by Oliver Cromwell's forces during the Civil War. Its use declined further in later centuries. It has been a Grade 2 listed building since 1951.

The castle surviving today consists of the east range which faced the river.  Originally there would have been a curtain wall, roughly rectangular in plan, running behind the east range. There would also have been a surrounding moat with presumably drawbridges for entrances that were on the north and south sides.  The surviving stone castle was greatly altered in the 20th century.