St Briavels *Free Site*

Every now and then one stumbles across a site that you wasn't expecting to be that good and it turns out to be awesome!

Although St Briavels is a free site and open to the public via English Heritage the access is only the inner courtyard.
However being cheeky and nosey I noticed the door to the 17th centaury chapel open so I crept in to have a bit of a nose, sadly curiosity is like a virus it takes hold and thus did my creeping until I stumbled on a member of the YHA staff, I explained my passion for castles and although extremely busy they offered to give me a quick tour round, my heart skipped a beat and couldn't contain my excitement or stop saying thank you!

First recorded mention of this castle is in 1129 so there is plenty of  history to be found on the internet about this site, personally it is the period after 1752 when the keep collapsed, the great hall had been demolished, later east tower collapsed in 1777 destroying the adjoining buildings. although it was still being used as a debtors’ prison until 1842.

The graffiti on the walls are just amazing, If I went back I would love to stay in gaol part just so I can read all that is writing on the wall

'Robin Belcher. The Day will come that thou shalt answer for it for thou hast sworn against me, 1671.'
We are told the Belcher family are very well know in the area, I wonder what he did to receive such a curse?

The other bit that excited me was tunnel that supposedly runs from the castles store pit to the nearest pub, although this pit has been partly excavated the tunnel hasn't!

Only Guide dogs are allowed on this site
You can also do ghost hunts in the castle but I don't really care for spooky stuff!

This is a brilliant little castle, It's access is pretty level and the car park is just outside, short walk into the inner courtyard, there are benches if you need to rest.
Not sure about general access to the toilets but I am sure if you asked you could use the YHA facilities.
I love the fact that this castle is in constant YHA use, when we visited the castle was full of kids, running around, playing games, drinking squash, using their imaginations, a castle squire in costume escorted bedazzled kids on the verge of adventure, the place was buzzing! All the members of staff all had happy faces, friendly, happy and proud of there little castle.
I left feeling jubilant!

See:
YHA
http://www.yha.org.uk/hostel/st-briavels

Wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Briavels_Castle

E.H
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/st-briavels-castle/

Castle Wales
http://www.castlewales.com/stbrivls.html


Interestingly St Briavels has a chapter in ' Just leave the dishes' by Sue Garard - You can read this on google if you search - It's her visit to the Youth hostel with 8 Christian young gals in the 1970's

Turn Spit Dog - Turnespete - Dog Wheel

The other item that caught my interest was this Dog Wheel, I have known about them before but never actually saw one in situ, there is more to be found on this subject on this wiki page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnspit_Dog




1862 Illustration

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Copyrighted to me!