Brecknockshire - Trtior Castle. The Antiquities of England and Wales was the product of Alexander Hogg who was well known as a partwork publisher. Under the claimed authorship of Henry Boswell it was issued serially from c1787-9, and subsequently made available as a complete work. The format was typically 2 (though sometimes up to 6) prints to a page, with one or two accompanying pages of descriptive text on each pair of subjects. It also included the set of English county maps by Thomas Kitchin first used in the London Magazine from 1747-54. Trtior (or Tretower) Castle was first built around 1200 by the Picard family, originally in timber, but soon with the addition of a stone keep. The walls were later also rebuilt in stone. In the early 14th century a new fortified house (named Tretower Court) was built by the family outside the castle precincts. This offered much more comfortable and modern accommodation, and over time the castle fell into misuse and decay. In 1540 the properties passed to the Vaughan family until they sold them in 1783, after which Tretower Court also declined. It was saved by Government intervention in the 20th century, and is today maintained and opened to the the public by the Wesh Heritage Agency CADW. This print, engraved by Carey, is supplied with the original, accompanying text.
Brecknockshire - Brecknock Castle. The Antiquities of England and Wales was the product of Alexander Hogg who was well known as a partwork publisher. Under the claimed authorship of Henry Boswell it was issued serially from c1787-9, and subsequently made available as a complete work. The format was typically 2 (though sometimes up to 6) prints to a page, with one or two accompanying pages of descriptive text on each pair of subjects. It also included the set of English county maps by Thomas Kitchin first used in the London Magazine from 1747-54. Brecon Castle was built in the late 11th century by Bernard de Neufmarche, brother of William the Conqueror. Its strategic position at the confluence of the Rivers Usk and Honddu, made it an iimportant military and administrative centre for the Lords of Brecon's control of the Welsh Marches.. The original castle was built in timber but soon strengthened and extended with new stoneworks during the 12th and 13th centuries. From the mid 16th century its defensive role declined, and it fell into disrepair and decay before its acquisition and restoration by the Morgan family, who gave it a new life as a hotel, which it remains today. This print, engraved by Carey, is supplied with the original, accompanying text.