LYONSHALL

Lyonshall castle dates back to the period following the Norman conquest and from its probably simple original form it was added to and extended over the next 400 years with a circular keep, a large hall, a gatehouse and lodging buildings. Of these only traces of the keep tower and a curtain wall remain. The earliest documentary evidence is a mention of it in 1209. Ownership of the castle passed into and out of the hands of the Devereux family until the 17th century by which time it had decayed into a ruin. Records exist that show work on a great hall and repairs and alterations to a gatehouse in 1391. The castle was also fortified during the Glendwr revolt in the early 15th century. The site is currently fenced off although the various enclosures and moats can be seen.
St Micheal's church was founded around the same time as the adjacent castle and along with that structure received extensions and additions over the next four centuries. The oldest surviving part is the west wall of the tower with a Norman window. The rest of the tower, the north aisle and chancel are c1300, the south aisle being added about 100 years later. Many of the windows were later restored by the Victorians.
Nearby are sections of Offa's Dyke as well as a partly accessible network of disused railway tracks, now paths. The village has a pub but no shops.