According to the Close Rolls, Lady Rohesia de Verdun, granddaughter of Bertram de Verdun, commissioned the castle’s construction in 1236, though most of the surviving structure appears to date from later rebuilding, likely undertaken by her son John before his death in 1274. By 1464, the castle had fallen into such disrepair that Richard Bellew received a grant specifically for restoration work, suggesting centuries of turbulent history had already taken their toll.

The castle’s design makes clever use of its natural defensive position, with curtain walls of roughly coursed limestone and greywacke rising directly from the bedrock edges. Within these walls, visitors can explore the remains of a great hall on the southern side, mysterious free-standing rectangular ruins near the centre, and an impressive twin-towered gatehouse in the eastern wall. The gatehouse towers, semi-circular at the front but rectangular behind the curtain line, once rose four storeys high with barrel-vaulted ground floors; remarkably, some sections still preserve the original wicker centring used during construction. A rock-cut fosse fronts the entrance, originally crossed by a causeway that featured a gap, presumably once bridged and defended by a barbican.

The great hall showcases sophisticated medieval architecture with its two-centred arched windows featuring diagonally-tooled grey sandstone and comfortable window seats with large embrasures. Multiple garderobe chutes, including one in the southeast angle of the gatehouse and another in the northwest curtain wall, speak to the practical considerations of castle living. The enigmatic free-standing structure in the courtyard remains something of a puzzle; whilst its poor-quality rubble masonry and cellar suggest it’s a later addition rather than an earlier tower incorporated into altered defences, its exact purpose remains unclear. A D-shaped tower projects from the northeast angle, its ground floor still showing the barrel vault with wicker centring and the beam holes that supported it during construction, offering a fascinating glimpse into medieval building techniques.