Carmarthen Castle Uncovered

Many of you know that Carmarthen Castle has recently undergone a restoration and consolidation program aimed at uncovering and disentangling the castle from its modern surroundings and other intrusions. Indeed, before this much-needed restoration was begun, very little of the castle could be found at all. Today, much of the fabric of this historic and strategically important medieval castle has been recovered and can now be seen and appreciated by visitors to this busy market town in western Wales. Contributing editor John Northall recently visited Carmarthen and took a few photographs of the castle to document the progress of the restoration. In addition to the photographs and their descriptions, Mr Northall has also provided his own helpful sketch showing the extent of the existing remains at Carmarthen. Diolch yn Fawr, John! Below: Sketch showing the general layout of the remaining towers and curtain walls at Carmarthen. No attempt has been made to show any of the finer details. The castle was originally a motte and bailey but was rebuilt in stone by the Earl Marshal after being captured by Llewellyn ap Iorwerth in 1215. Left: The lofty gatehouse can be seen from the shopping street next to the castle and was protected by a portcullis. Right: A section of wall and two towers survive overlooking the steep slope to the river below. The council offices within the bailey replaced an earlier prison. There are sadly no traces of the original interior buildings of the castle. Left: The impressive bulk of the gatehouse as seen from on top of the square tower. Right:The square tower has a solid base and may have mounted a trebuchet or mangonel capable of hurling boulders at anyone attacking the castle's dock on the nearby river.

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