Castell Coch is the site of the castle of Strathmelthin, referred to in 1230 when it was the property of William de Braose. It occupies the apex of a precipitous-sided promontory at the confluence of two rivers. At the southern end of the site are the ruins of a small stone castle with a single ward of triangular plan enclosing a small but massive hall-keep measuring 16.7m by 10.3m externally, with traces of a ditch on the N side which may originally have cut off the end of the promontory. At its southern apex is a circular drum tower and south of this the slope has been scarped and cut off by a deep ditch with counterscarp bank. The curtain wall on the northern side of the ward has an inturned entrance at its E end and there is no sign of an outer ditch. The outer bailey covers 0.27ha. It shows no evidence of masonry and is protected on the east and west sides by scarping and on the north by a formidable bank almost completely blocking the promontory. A gap on the west is probably the original entrance. Earthworks on the immediate north, a hollow way and a pool, are probably Post-Mediaeval in date.

RCAHMW, December 2008.