conflict with the welsh continued, and following a period of detente under henry ii in the 1160s, the de mortimer and de braose marcher families attacked their welsh rivals during the 1170s, leading to a welsh assault on nearby abergavenny castle in 1182. in response, the crown readied the castle to face an attack and, between 1184 and 1186, work costing £128 was carried out by ralph of grosmont, a royal official, probably to build a stone curtain wall around the inner ward and to add a small stone keep to the defences.