Whereas the other two castles are situated on hills overlooking the terrain below, Skenfrith Castle is alongside the river Monnow. It was located there to guard an important crossing over the river, which even today designates the border between England and Wales
The castle was flooded during certain periods in winter due to its low-lying position with the river alongside it. It was protected by a water-filled moat fed by the river.
Nothing remains any longer of the original hall range except the foundation. Inside the curtain wall the ward is now dominated by the keep standing proud at 12 metres high. The ground floor of the keep was a storeroom. You entered the keep via an external staircase to the first floor, and the second floor was the private chamber of the lord.
Not far from the castle is St Bridget’s Church, an ancient church consecrated in 1207. As such it is one of the oldest churches in Wales in continuous use since it was erected. The short tower is crowned by a dovecote belfry with a roof designed like a pyramid. The conversion of Skenfrith Castle from the original wooden palisades into a more “modern” stone castle had only just commenced, when the church was consecrated.
