From my archives (2008)
#windowsonwednesday #windowswednesday #raglan #raglancastle #photograph

There are so many possibilities for #MouseFavouritePhoto from #RaglanCastle but this seems to fire the imagination. The way the #YellowTowerOfGwent must have dominated this vast landscape when complete, "Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough" it seems to shout

And as #FireplacesMeanFarewell, what of #RaglanCastle #Wales? Love a castle? You'll love this place. An opulent statement of power, wealth and status it gives an interesting insight into how castles are constructed and the change from military to domestic use #MusVisit 🐭🐭🐭🐭🐭

A last thought from Mouse from #RaglanCastle #Wales. Believe it or not the upper section of these defensive walls have mason's marks etched into them even though they are 30 feet off the ground. Zoom in to see if you can find some. Mouse found six

#FridaysFacesInStone #RaglanCastle #Wales

Always look up. Terrible advice for pedestrians, great advice for lovers of architecture. A great view of the machicolations but there's more....
#RaglanCastle #Wales

They left me behind! This little fella (worry not, pronouns checked) has been left to 'look after the fort' both metaphorically and in reality. This corbel predates the castle by some way, so it's at least a second home for this #Spolia #RaglanCastle #Wales #FridaysFacesInStone

Be ye not fooled. The moulded fillets may be held on by rather authentic looking rose nails, you could even believe they were hand made and medieval, but them screws holding the loop handle on blow the gaff completely #YellowTowerOfGwent #RaglanCastle #Wales for #FerrousFriday

A clever trick dispels all thought of the Devil's work... the flue forks around the window. Early chimneys, particularly in castles where built directly into their thick walls #RaglanCastle #Wales for #FireplaceFriday

You can tell from the fire surrounds where the posh rooms were in these C16 apartments. The detail on the mantlepieces is lovely #RaglanCastle #Wales for #FireplaceFriday

Always #LookForTheLittleDetails. They often tell more of a story than the obvious features. Zoom in. You can see there is one upright of a fireplace, ornately decorated. You can clearly see where the other side and mantle have been hacked out #RaglanCastle #Wales #FireplaceFriday

A fireplace directly under a window? What devilry and witchcraft is this? #RaglanCastle #Wales for #FireplaceFriday

Mouse's #FridaysBitsAndPieces from #RaglanCastle #Wales. All of the interesting bits and pieces Mouse didn't share over the week: The way we see them today, it's easy to think that castles were all made of rubble fill. But many surfaces were faced with dressed stone or plastered

Mouse's #FridaysBitsAndPieces from #RaglanCastle #Wales. All of the interesting bits and pieces Mouse didn't share over the week: This is very high up and Mouse have her paws over her eyes

Mouse's #FridaysBitsAndPieces from #RaglanCastle #Wales. All of the interesting bits and pieces Mouse didn't share over the week: Not just 500 year old plaster, but 500 year old plaster covered with 400 years worth of #HistoricGraffiti. Mouse in raptures it's a double whammy

Mouse's #FridaysBitsAndPieces from #RaglanCastle #Wales. All of the interesting bits and pieces Mouse didn't share over the week: And the award for 'building that looks most like a medieval helm(et) goes to'...

Mouse's #FridaysBitsAndPieces from #RaglanCastle #Wales. All of the interesting bits and pieces Mouse didn't share over the week: The Yellow Tower of Gwent interior. This gives just a tiny sense of how much was robbed out from buildings like this. Timber, worked stone, plaster

Mouse's #FridaysBitsAndPieces from #RaglanCastle #Wales. All of the interesting bits and pieces Mouse didn't share over the week: The fabulous C16 panel windows of the pitched stone court great hall. The upper panels are cusped. By C17 this window feature would largely disappear

"These pitched stone floors are made by highly specialised craftsmen"
"Cobblers"
"No. It's absolutely true"
The cobbles or pitched stones of the pitched stone court #RaglanCastle #Wales

The rather fine leaves of the Yellow Tower door. A bit of a waste in a way seeing as the east wall has disappeared but it's got fillets and styles that extend around the segmental arch of the head. All good then #RaglanCastle #Wales for #AdoorableThursday

Run away! No. really. Run away!
#RaglanCastle #Wales

Grand entrance to the C16 range from the cobbled court #RaglanCastle #Wales for #DoorwayThursday

Th style of the 3-light windows with square heads and cusped lights is distinctly C15 and the lower of the pair is a repair anyway

There's something about a doorway. It seems more than just a portal from one space to another. Sometimes the 'other side' takes on a decided other-worldly air. Like stepping back in time. Very beautiful wave moulded pseudo-4-centred arch #RaglanCastle #Wales for #DoorwayThursday

Escape through the south gate #RaglanCastle #Wales for #DoorwayThursday

This gatehouse dates to early C15 apparently, but this solidly carved double chamfered pointed arch could be mistaken for much earlier still. especially with that 'new to Gothic' wonk to the outer order

Oooo (or should that be woooo?). Looks a bit spooky down here. Suitable, perhaps, for Halloween #RaglanCastle #Wales

Tiny glimpses of an opulent past: moulded 3-centred arch set in a square head with moulded hollow spandrels. Some form of decoration has been robbed out from above the doorway #RaglanCastle #Wales for #DoorwayThursday

The kitchen tower #RaglanCastle #Wales for #DoorwayThursday

And back into the courtyard from whence Mouse came. The footings of the walls ahead show that this was once a corridor down which many culinary delights once doubtless passed into the great hall

The kitchen tower #RaglanCastle #Wales for #DoorwayThursday

Interior. Matching doorway and (probably) servery. For no other reason than Mouse likes the light on the different colours of stone

The kitchen tower #RaglanCastle #Wales for #DoorwayThursday

There was no need to be particularly careful about the rubble fill and brick around the doorway as it was once rough cast with a yellowish plaster. These survivors always please Mouse

The kitchen tower #RaglanCastle #Wales for #DoorwayThursday

Entrance. A low 4-centred arch with relieving arch above of regular dressed voussoirs. The brick infill bottom right is interesting as it post-dates the tower