Clifford Castle is a substantial 11th century earthwork motte and bailey fortress, founded by William fitz Osbern. Standing on a cliff above a fording point on the River Wye, Walter de Clifford founded the stone castle in the early 13th century. A small triangular-shaped hornwork and the remains an irregular polygonal walled court, flanked by three round angles towers, an eastern gatehouse with D-shaped towers and a northern hall-block, crown the large motte. The earthen causeway leading east from the gatehouse, crosses the motte ditch to the bailey and is possibly a Victorian improvement. The large bailey is divided into two wards, the inner ward was encased by a curtain wall, with a substantial central gatehouse, flanked by a barbican with round turrets to the fore. The outer ward is still partly encased by the earthen rampart of a probable timber palisade and below it the sides of the spur have been scarped. The castle was provisioned against an attack by Owain Glyndwr in 1403 but after that it fell into decay. 3 miles south is Hay Castle and 7 miles north is Huntington Castle.