What is recorded here

No king’s permission is needed to ask which men threw that earth. The church stands beside the castle because the castle made the town and the town kept the castle alive. A man may have lived there who never entered a book. He would have known the weight of the gate, the smell of the guard room and the reason the border needed watching.

The National Heritage List for England records Knockin Castle: a motte and bailey castle immediately east of St Mary's Church as a scheduled monument. The saved point comes from the centre supplied by the official record. Listing does not by itself mean that the public may enter the place.

Built in the late 11th or early 12th century, Knockin Castle was constructed by the Norman de Lacy family, likely Roger de Lacy, to consolidate control over the Welsh Marches. It is remembered as an important strategic stronghold in the early medieval period, reflecting Norman expansion into Wales.

The historic-place record does not grant public access. Check current conditions and ownership before entering land or a building.