St Briavels Castle was a royal castle largely dating from the reign of King Edward I. It occupies a low polygonal platform set high on a spur overlooking the River Wye with a strategically important location.
The castle offers beautiful view of the Welsh mountains from the west and northwest, Herefordshire from the north and the Forest of Dean from the northeast. On a clear day the river Severn can also be seen.
The castle was extant in 1129 and included a moat, gatehouse, keep, kitchen, chapel and great hall.
The castle is operated as a public youth hostel.
The oldest surviving part of the castle was built for King John between 1209-11. In 1292-93 King Edward I rebuilt the gatehouse to help protect the building from Welsh attack.
The castle ceased to be a royal possession on 25 July 1141 when the Empress Matilda granted it to Miles Gloucester upon making him earl of Hereford. The castle remained out of royal hands until 1155 when King Henry II took the forest back.
After that, the castle fell into royal hands occasionally throughout the 12th c. but no building work was done to the site during these periods.
The castle was eventually used as a school before being purchased as a private house. Finally, in 1948 the castle became a youth hostel.
During the 13th c. a good deal of rebuilding was undertaken at the castle including the reparation of the tower in 1224-25 and other buildings between 1235-50.
The last great building work at the castle occurred in 1292-93 on a new gateway into the castle. and the chapel was rebuilt in the 14th c.
In 1752 the keep was allowed to collapse.
In the 19th c. the hall was refronted and in 1906 the building was once again made habitable. In 1961the moat was partly infilled and turned into a garden.
