St Athan Village

Castles

East Orchard. Although East Orchard, the residence of the Berkerolles, was called a castle, there is no evidence that it was fortified as such at any time, even when it was destroyed by Llywelyn Bren.  It was probably a fortified manor house.  Both the East and West Orchards were built by the Berkerolles who received the land from Robert Fitzhammon after the conquest of Glamorgan in 1091.  They may have been fortified at a later period in order to protect the two famous orchards which had also been constructed and flourished from the time of Richard III, 1377, to Henry IV, (1399 -  1413).

East Orchard is one of the mysterious ruins in the vale. It had a chapel, barn and dovecote which stood on the brow of a hill. The columbariurn was 20 feet square with exterior steps leading to the upper floor. It had about 200 recesses for doves or pigeons.  There was no east wall to offer protection from attackers. The fortified castles of Flemingston, Castleton and Bonvilston were for this purpose.

A century ago it was an abandoned ruin, black with age and defaced by the elements.  In 1868 it was examined and found possible to measure some of the rooms.  The hall on the ground floor was 40 feet by 25 feet, the fireplace 6 feet wide with a deep hearth and spacious chimney. The outside kitchen, which had been built away from the house, was 28 feet by 25 feet.  The outside measurements of the chapel were 44 feet by 19 feet. The walls were 12 feet high and 3 feet thick.

It is believed that the bellcote had been taken down and replaced over the stables at Fonmon Castle. It had eight sides with apertures, the stonework tapered to a point at the top. This was probably erected at East Orchard around 1350 before being transferred to Fonmon Castle approximately a century and a half ago, where it can still be seen.  If you visit today, you will find very much less than a century ago.

Although East Orchard was for many years the seat of the Berkerolles, the first being being a knight who came with Fitzhammon, some think that the Nerber family were the original possessors of the manor house. It is know that in 1165 de Nerber held four knights fees under the Earl of Gloucester, which were no doubt in St Athan.  Of those fees one had been held in 1315 by William Berkerolles. The Nerbers were only lords of Castleton.

A survey was carried out in 1632, the manor’s boundaries being described as Castleton to the North, the River Thaw to the East, the sea to the South and West Orchard and Gileston to the West.

West Orchard.  The castle was built around 1240 by the Berkerolles.  When an heiress of Sir Lawrence Berkerolles married a Stradling, the castle passed to the Stradling family.  It was then upgraded to rival East Orchard Castle. It is said that the castle was destroyed by Ifor Bach in his rising against the Normans. Much of the stone has been reused  to build West Farm, West Orchard Farm and building roads etc.

The remains indicate a manor house designed in the shape of an irregular courtyard to the west of marsh land. To the north and east are the remains of greatly eroded rectangular buildings. Clearly defined two east side buildings skirt the marsh. They are outlined by banks and traces of walls.  To the north are further traces of buildings and a large stony mound. The mound could possibly be the remains of a Dovecote. To the north are signs of a group of undefined buildings.  There are no signs of any buildings to the west.

A survey was carried out in 1632, the boundaries described as Eglwys Brewis to the North, Llantwit Major to the West, Gileston and the sea to the South, and East Orchard to the East.

Copyright 2006. stathanvillage.co.uk.  All rights reserved.