Wales 2002
Text & photographs copyright © 2002 by Jeffrey L. Thomas
Wales 2002 Text & photographs copyright © 2002 by Jeffrey L. Thomas
An Introduction
This page provides a description of the two week trip my wife and I made to Wales in April of 2002, a holiday that was part relaxation and part research involving the castles of Wales. It should be noted that what follows is not a detailed description of each castle and its history (although there will be some of that), but rather simply a brief account of some of our impressions of the castles we visited. As such, what follows is more travel essay than historical survey.
Right: Jeff & Parthene Thomas at Dolforwyn Castle, April 2002.
We spent much of our time in mid-Wales near the town of Builth Wells. A quick glance at any number of general guidebooks might lead one to believe that there are few historic sites to see in this remote part of Wales. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. This region is positively littered with ancient burial mounds, standing stones, Iron Age hillforts, Roman ruins, early-medieval religious sites, and, yes, castles. In terms of the latter, although there are no substantial masonry castles in mid-Wales, there are nevertheless many interesting castle sites with lesser remains to be explored.
Although we revisited several sites, most of the castles we saw were new to us. Many of these were of the simple motte-and-bailey variety found on privately owned land. As such, it was necessary to seek permission before visiting some sites, which resulted in us having several friendly and interesting conversations with castle-site owners. Throughout the trip the owners we spoke with were friendly and very accommodating in granting us permission to visit and photograph their castles, and for that we are profoundly grateful.
Actually, visiting these lesser-known sites was the primary objective of this trip and in that regard we enjoyed great success. I wasn’t quite sure how I would react to these castles, wondering at times if they would truly be worth visiting. By the end of the trip I had become absolutely hooked on them. (You're not really surprised, are you? :-) I learned long ago that most castles are still interesting despite the absence of substantial masonry remains. Also, I have to confess that the challenge of finding these remote sites accounts for some of the attraction. Some sites are found atop remote hills, others deep in the woods, and some in the middle of agricultural fields, and finding these sites can present a challenge even if the "hunter" is armed with the latest site surveys and OS maps.
Day 1 & 2: Caerphilly Castle, Abbey Cwmhir
Week 1: Llanafan Fawr, Powys, Mid-Wales
It had been 10 years since my wife and I visited Caerphilly , home to Britain’s 2nd largest castle. Although the weather forecast had called for clouds and drizzle, it was bright and sunny as we parked the car near the park leading to the castle. From here a lazy path winds its way around Caerphilly’s artificial lake towards the town and castle. This is actually the best way to approach the site because the short walk allows one to appreciate the castle and its impressive water defenses from across the lake. Before exploring the castle we decided to first grab a quick lunch at the pub overlooking the site. Although the pub is recommended in the 1999 CAMRA Good Beer Guide, ownership had changed hands since then and I was disappointed by the bland selection of ales being offered (although the food was good).
Following lunch we began our exploration of the castle. Caerphilly is one of a select few castles in Britain that can be described as giving visitors the complete package. Caerphilly was the first truly concentric castle constructed in Wales, and was the high-tech castle of it's day, a tremendous military engineering achievement, and a tribute to its builder, Gilbert de Clare. Many say that the great Edwardian castles of North Wales were patterned after Caerphilly. The castle’s impressive remains are supplemented by several on-site exhibits to help visitors understand not only the history of the castle, but what it was actually like to live and work in one; there are several working siege engines, and a complete medieval hall with its flooring, roofing and furniture. Caerphilly also features interior passageways, towers and halls to explore. We were impressed by an interesting section of reconstructed castle wall featuring its defensive medieval wooden platform or hoarding, something you don’t see in most restored castles. Indeed, Caerphilly offers more for the castle explorer than just about any other castle in Britain.
By mid-afternoon it was time to leave and head for our accommodations near Builth Wells. There would be no more castle hunting on this first day. It took us a couple of hours to finally arrive at Cwm Chwefru Country Cottages, a small group of lovely safe-catering accommodations located down a one lane track off the B road between Newbridge-on-Wye and Beulah. We enjoyed dinner that night at the nearby Red Lion Pub in the tiny village of Llanafan Fawr. The pub dates to the 12th century and serves excellent food and ale. The proprietor of the pub has spent a lot of time researching the rich history of the area surrounding the pub, the fascinating details of which can be found by following this link.
The next morning we awoke to overcast, misty skies, one of only three less than perfect days we experienced. After breakfast we decided to begin the day's activities by seeking out the impressive earthwork remains of Tinboeth Castle just up the road from our accommodations. Armed with our OS map and two descriptions of how to get to the site we set off in search of our quarry. After passing the spot several times, we finally located the public footpath leading to the castle, the remains of which rest high on a hill above the A road to Newtown. It had been raining that morning and the ground was wet, which made climbing the steep hill a bit difficult, even with good boots. We finally made it to the summit of the hill, but the castle was no where to be seen. I rechecked my OS map and it certainly looked like we were in the right location. Then, as I began looking at the countryside around me, I finally saw the castle - on the hill opposite! We had climbed the wrong hill, and, given the weather conditions, we were not keen to correct our error. Fortunately, this initial bit of bad luck proved to be an aberration as we managed to locate just about every other site we attempted during the next two weeks.
After failing to capture Tinboeth, our next quarry was nearby Abbey Cwmhir. Although the ruins here are slight, the abbey has a special place in Welsh history because it is said that the headless body of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd (the Last) was buried here in 1282 following his death in a minor skirmish nearby. Although the exact spot where the last native prince of Wales rests is unknown, it is thought to be somewhere near the abbey’s high alter. Today, a memorial slab marks the former site of the alter. The ruins are signposted and lie in a farmers field just outside the small village. Access to the site is provided courtesy of the land owner, and you do not need to seek permission in advance to visit the ruins. Just follow the signpost and make sure you close the gate behind you! Although the weather cleared by the time we left the site, fog was on the ground when we arrived which gave the ruins a somewhat somber if not eerie appearance, perhaps somewhat in keeping with Llywelyn’s sad fate. Today, a small herd of cattle and a couple of horses have free range of the abbey grounds. Some of the abbey walls still stand to a height of over ten feet; this helps indicate the general plan of the abbey nave, however beyond this there is little to see at Abbey Cwmhir other than the beautiful countryside framing the site. We lingered at these haunting ruins for a while, chatting briefly with the farmer who owns the site and admiring the peaceful tranquillity of the surroundings. We then concluded our trip to Abbey Cwmhir with a visit to the local church back in the village. By then it was time for lunch but unfortunately the local pub was closed. After finding a grocery store in Llandridnod Wells to stock up on food, we headed back to our accommodations for a bit of rest and relaxation before our dinner reservations later that evening.
That evening we enjoyed a lovely dinner at the Caer Beris Manor Hotel in Builth Wells, an opulent Tudor house and former home of Lord Swansea. The occasion was our 18th wedding anniversary. Later I learned that our table in the dining room that night looked out towards the site of a minor Norman castle located on the grounds of the hotel! (It's difficult to get away from castles in this part of Wales :-) We enjoyed delicious food and good wine that evening and later returned to the Red Lion pub for a night cap.
The next day we awoke to beautiful, sunny weather. Following breakfast we decided to devote most of the day to visiting some of the English castles just over the Welsh border. We really didn’t see the first one, Bleddfa, rather we simply took photographs of the overgrown motte from the road below. The second site was different, and in fact had been one of my main targets of the trip - Wigmore Castle. Here’s why.
Those of you who have followed the Castles of Wales web site newsletter are probably familiar with the range of opinions regarding the recently completed conservation efforts at Wigmore Castle in Herefordshire, England. The castle commands a fine position on a hill overlooking the scenic Herefordshire countryside was at one time the seat of power for the infamous Mortimer family of the Marches. As for the ruins themselves, the gatehouse is still quite impressive, and the tall motte with its keep still dominates the site. Unfortunately, brush and other growth makes it difficult to see, yet alone explore some parts of the castle.
Wigmore was a much-neglected ruin for hundreds of years, then in the late 1990s one million pounds was spent on a minimalist approach to conserving the castle. Instead of clearing and excavating the site in the traditional manner, English Heritage simply removed the thick vegetation choking the site, stabilized the ruin, then replaced the vegetation, leaving the castle as a, quote, "romantic ruin". While some agreed with this approach, arguing that a million pounds was inadequate for undertaking a proper excavation, others lamented at the archaeological opportunities that were lost at Wigmore.
I was anxious to see the site for myself so I could make up my own mind. And now I have. Let me first say that Wigmore Castle is a wonderful ruin that is very much worth visiting. We spent a marvelous afternoon there exploring as much of the site as we could, and I would definitely recommend Wigmore as one of the best and most interesting castle sites in the Marches.
However, having now also seen the results of several other completed castle restoration projects, namely, Dolforwyn, Dryslwyn and Dinefwr, I am convinced that Wigmore would have been better served had the traditional archaeological approach been used. Although there are certainly impressive masonry remains to be seen and explored at Wigmore, much of this once-great castle along with doubtless countless artifacts, still lie buried beneath the ground. For those who share in this opinion, there's even something of a cruel tease found on one of the castle information signs, that states that interesting artifacts were discovered during a preliminary excavation of the site!
To be fair, English Heritage has done some impressive work at Wigmore in regards to stabilizing areas of the castle that were in imminent danger of collapse, and with this important work there can be no argument. In this regard, it was a job well done. Nevertheless, spending precious funds on preserving Wigmore's thick undergrowth that prevents a some of the castle from being seen or explored, seems to me like an instance of environmental political correctness gone amok.
I guess that those who have never seen the dramatic results that can be achieved using a traditional approach to castle archaeology, would indeed see Wigmore Castle as a wonderful, romantic ruin. The problem is, I am not such a person. The next day as I was standing atop the impressive, once buried, now extensively-excavated Welsh castle at Dolforwyn, I couldn’t keep my thoughts from returning to Wigmore and the lost opportunities there.
After visiting the castle we visited a pub in the village serving two local Herefordshire ales. Afterwards it was up road in search of Hopton Castle, located in the village of the same name. I had seen several photographs of the castle prior to our visit, however they failed to convey the tremendous size of Hopton’s keep (the only surviving masonry portion of the castle). It was huge! Unfortunately, the site was fenced off and there didn’t seem to be anyone around to ask permission to visit the site, so we had to content ourselves with photographing the castle from the road and from a field in front of the site. The keep at Hopton rests on a large mound and is nearly complete on all four sides. The stone has a reddish hue, and there are some wonderful surviving exterior details to be seen in the windows and in the ground-level entrance door to the keep. Fortunately, we were able to capture much of this detail using the camera’s telephoto lens, the results of which can be seen by visiting our Hopton Castle page. Hopton was the first of many castles that surprised us, either by their greater-than-expected size or by the greater-than-expected extent of the remains.
Next it was on to lovely Clun Castle. Clun is situated on the English side of the border with Wales in the town of Clun. The castle is found in a public park overlooking the town and the beautiful countryside. We approached the castle from a path leading from a car park next to a stream. The ruins of Clun are perched dramatically on a tall motte easily commanding the valley below. The bulk of the ruins at Clun consist of a large keep resting on top of the motte, along with a substantial section of a hall with one side of its foundations curiously built into the steep side of the motte (large buildings are almost always built on the top of the motte). The keep is largely complete on three sides and the interior retains substantial detailing in the form of surviving windows and fireplaces. After exploring these ruins we descended the motte to survey the castle from the ground level. From here the height of the motte at Clun is even more impressive viewed from the stream running below the castle. Although perhaps not as well know as other castles of the March, there is a lot to like about Clun. The site offers free access, and features a still-impressive motte containing substantial and detailed masonry remains, with beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. What's not to like!
By this time it was late in the afternoon, but we still had one more site to visit back in Wales on our way home. Knucklas Castle is located high on a hill overlooking the town of the same name. The modest stone castle was probably built in the 1240s by the Mortimers and was apparently destroyed by Llywelyn ap Gruffydd in 1262. The castle's fate after that is uncertain. The site is reached via a paved track leading from the town, past houses, that eventually beings you level with an impressive arched railway bridge rising above the town. Continuing along the track you come to a public footpath next to a farm cottage. From here the ascent was steep as we hiked through sheep fields and a small stretch of woods until finally breaking through to the base of the site. At the top, the interior of Knucklas was occupied by a small herd of sheep, who, upon our approach, formed a single file line and scampered across a narrow ridge along the summit of the castle. There are substantial portions of this masonry castle buried just below the ground, and scattered sections of rubble litter parts of the site, however the fact that there is no surviving above-ground masonry made interpretation of the castle difficult. Still, there are several impressive sections of banks and ditches at Knucklas which clearly demonstrate the site’s defensive capabilities. There is also a plaque carved in slate near a scattering of masonry stating that this was once the site of a Mortimer castle. As was the case in Dolforwyn, Knucklas would apparently benefit greatly from a traditional archaeological excavation, although the chances of this happening would seem remote. Despite the lack of remains, a climb to the summit of Knucklas is rewarded by commanding views of the surrounding countryside, and a greater appreciation for the strategic siting of this hilltop castle.
The next morning we got up bright and early and made our way north towards the day's primary objective - the Welsh castle of Dolforwyn near Montgomery. First we stopped in the town of Newtown. It was market day and we enjoyed spending time in the busy town browsing through various stalls lining the main street. Afterwards we attempted to find the motte located just outside the town but were frustrated in our efforts by certain obstacles that prevented easy access to the site. We decided instead to head up the road to Dolforwyn.
Dolforwyn Castle is somewhat unique in Welsh history as it is said that it is the only native Welsh castle built entirely by Llywelyn ap Gruffydd (the Last). Llywelyn built the castle in the early 1270s which was taken by King Edward I as a direct threat to the nearby English castle at Montgomery. After being ordered by the king to cease construction at Dolforwyn, Llywelyn issued his famous reply saying that, as Prince of Wales, he did not require the king's permission to build a castle within his own territory. Some historians feel that Llywelyn’s raising of a castle at Dolforwyn was the final straw in a chain of events that brought the last native Prince of Wales into a state of war with the king. Unfortunately, the prince’s hold on Dolforwyn did not last long, as the castle was captured by the English in 1277, only a few years after it was completed.
Until recently, this important Welsh castle lay all but forgotten and buried beneath the ground. Indeed, photographs of the site from the early 1980s show a series of grassy mounds interrupted by a single piece of masonry protruding from the ground. The transformation of the castle since then has been nothing short of amazing. My wife and I had visited the site in 1996, and, although the work to that point was substantial, the work that has taken place since then is even more impressive.
When we visited the site in 1996, much of the southern portion of the castle, the curtain wall, the keep, two gateways, and some of a round tower on the northeast side of the castle, had already been excavated, however most of the northern side of the castle was still buried some 10-20 feet below the ground. The northern side has now been excavated and those excavations have resulted in some exciting finds. A Welsh D-tower has been uncovered, along with a hall block east of the tower. A large storage cellar some 20 feet below the ground was also discovered, a feature that had been mentioned by certain contemporary documents but never proven. In addition, the round tower on the northeast side of the castle has been further excavated so that one can now better appreciate it's size and position.
The excavations at Dolforwyn have revealed a wealth of new information that is causing a reinterpretation of the form and function of the native Welsh Castle. This has not been without controversy, however, as different historians have interpreted the finds at Dolforwyn differently. Of much debate has been the nature and height of the towers of Dolforwyn, and the curious and seemingly inexplicable placement of a weak gateway on the southern side of the castle. Although some historians feel that this entrance was a Welsh construction, I tend to side with those who insist that this unstrategic placement was a product of the castle's later English occupation.
It's difficult to express the tremendous feeling of satisfaction I felt as I stood atop the ruins of this important yet previously ignored chapter of Welsh history. In my opinion, the remarkable resurrection of Dolforwyn Castle is a great success story that argues directly against the approach taken at Wigmore.
Next it was on to nearby Montgomery Castle in the town of Montgomery. The castle at Montgomery was begun during the reign of Henry III and was the successor of nearby Hen Domen. Unlike Hen Domen, Montgomery was an impressive stone castle featuring a large fortified outer ward protecting an equally impressive inner ward. Although the castle was slighted during the Civil War, this purposeful destruction failed to diminish the impact this castle still makes on the visitor today. Before visiting the castle we stopped at the Dragon Hotel for a bite of lunch and were rewarded with good food (and more importantly) good ale! As was the case with Dolforwyn, this was our second visit to Montgomery, and, although the castle looks the same as it did in 1996, I had forgotten how large this castle is. We approached the site from a paved track beside the Dragon hotel, turning right down a dirt path leading to Montgomery’s outer ward. From there we crossed the modern draw bridge spanning a deep rock-cut ditch that separates the castle’s inner and outer wards, arriving at the gate passage into the castle interior. The gatehouse tower at Montgomery is still impressive with ground level rooms and portcullis grooves surviving on both sides of the passage. The buildings of the inner ward are mostly destroyed down their footings, although there are interesting surviving details in the kitchen and brew house. To get a better sense of the castle’s siting we ended our tour by walking around the base of the castle (the ditch). From this vantage one can better appreciate the extent of the surviving ruins at Montgomery, and the castle's strategic siting on its large outcropping of rock commanding the valley below. The stretch of curtain wall on the eastern side of the inner ward in particularly impressive. Although it had not been on our original agenda, we were glad that we had taken the time to revisit this important fortress, however the real reason for visiting the area was still ahead.
About a mile down the road lies the remains of the forerunner to Montgomery Castle, a motte and bailey today known as Hen Domen. The castle was raised in the late 11th century by Roger of Montgomery, and underwent several subsequent building phases that transformed the original castle into a truly impressive fortress. Although the castle played a modest role in the history of the Welsh Marches, the excavations at Hen Domen undertaken by the late Philip Barker were critical to our present-day understanding of timber castles. Barker eventually teamed with Robert Higham to produce a book based on their excavations at Hen Domen, titled "Timber Castles". Considering that this type of castle dominated the British landscape for about the first 150 years following the Norman conquest, the importance of the excavations at Hen Domen cannot be understated.
We pulled into Hendomen farm in search of the owner in order to seek permission to visit the site. After several minutes we were met by Mr John Wainwright, who graciously consented to allowing us to visit and photograph Hen Domen, also known as Old Montgomery. We approached the site across a field heading towards what appeared to be large area of trees. However, as we got closer we saw that a tall ditch was concealing the interior of the castle. In fact, two different sets of ditches, one which is still quite deep, protect a large, tall motte on the western side of the site, overlooking an inner bailey to the east. Entrance to the castle was apparently gained through a gateway on the eastern side of the bailey, and is still apparent today. The western quarter of the motte along with the entire western side of the ditch was obscured by vegetation, however the remainder of the motte was clear and offered a wide view of the bailey, ditches, and the outer ward at Hen Domen. As with other motte and bailey castles we encountered on this trip, I was surprised at the size of the motte and surviving ditch work. I spent much time walking around appreciating and photographing every aspect of this site that I could. I felt very fortunate to have had the opportunity to explore the remains of a site that helped rewrite the book on the nature of motte and bailey timber castles.
Returning to the farm we spent some time chatting with Mr Wainwright, who gladly told us about several experiences he had had over the years with visitors to the site, and with Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments. Before we left he recommended that we visit the Iron Age fort located on the hill between Hen Domen and Montgomery for better views of the surrounding countryside. We followed his advice and soon found ourselves climbing the hill to the summit of Ffridd Faldwyn the aforementioned hillfort. Unlike other hillforts we've visited, the fortifications are difficult to appreciate from the ground, as the banks and ditches protecting the site are not always apparent. Nevertheless, Mr Wainwright was correct in saying that there are wonderful views of the countryside from the summit of the fort. Additionally, I found it interesting that you can see both Hen Domen and Montgomery Castle from the top of the hill, the only time I've really been able to appreciate the relative sitings of these two important medieval castles.
It had been quite a day. We were dazzled by the results at Dolforwyn, impressed by the castle at Montgomery, and inspired by the opportunity to finally explore Hen Domen. Surely, after all this, the following day would be one of rest and relaxation. Guess again! :-)
We began the next morning with a quick visit to nearby Builth Wells Castle located in the town of the same name. The castle at Builth began as a modest Norman castle but was later transformed into a large and impressive masonry fortress by Edward I. Builth has its place in Welsh history because the garrison here refused to support Llywelyn ap Gruffydd when he and his 7,000-man army came calling on the castle shortly before Llywelyn's untimely death in December of 1282. In the post-medieval era as the castle fell into ruin, the stone from the castle was removed and used elsewhere. Today, only the motte and tall banks and ditches stand to testify to Builth’s former glory. There are a couple of different ways to approach the site. We choose the sign-posted alley off the high street close to the bridge. This leads behind a group of houses and finally through a gate and to the castle. We crossed a steep outer bank and soon found ourselves standing in the moat at Builth with the motte directly in front of us. The motte and ditches at Builth were some of the most impressive we encountered, matched only by those found at Painscastle. The moat still encircles the motte at Builth and is best preserved on its western side. The motte is equally impressive - tall and wide, with a large platform on the top. From the top of Builth’s motte we were able to better survey the entire site, and from this vantage point the castle’s system of protective banks and ditches are even more apparent. The motte also provides panoramic views of the countryside, the town below, and the two rivers (the Wye and Irfron) that converge at Builth. After visiting the castle we returned to the town and explored some of the shops. We both liked the town of Builth. It was small enough to still be charming, yet provided all the necessary shops for the essentials (grocery store, butcher shop, bakery, tea rooms, pubs, restaurants, clothing stores, pharmacy, etc...). After enjoying a morning tea we left Builth and headed for the day’s main objective.
The real target of the day was a hike to the summit of Bwlch y Dinas Castle, also known as Castell Dinas, about three miles south of Talgarth. Bwlch y Dinas is a Norman castle dating to the middle of the 12th century. As such, the castle experienced the region’s turbulent times as the fortunes of Norman and Welsh swayed back and forth. The Castle Pub provides a convenient parking place and starting point for hiking to this hilltop castle, but unfortunately the pub was closed on this day. We walked along a paved track paralleling the road before turning up another paved track that winds its way around the back of the castle. We passed fields and farms before crossing through a gate leading to a partially-paved, uneven (and muddy) track that circles behind the castle. There we found another gate that finally led through a field towards the summit of Bwlch y Dinas. We crossed the field with its gentle rise and passed through another gate and arrived at the base of the main hill. From here the climb was steep, and as we paused for a moment about half way up, we began to appreciate the siting of this castle as we admired the commanding views of the valley below. From this vantage we could see the castle’s outer ditch, much eroded but still a very prominent obstacle. Another steep climb brought us to the northern side of the castle and the remains of a mural tower, the only standing masonry remains at the site. Although the masonry remains are slight, enough survives at Bwlch y Dinas so that a basic plan of the castle can be discerned from the ground. Entering the castle’s inner ward we were immediately impressed with the large tall mound directly in front of us. These were the remains of the castle’s collapsed keep, which could easily be mistaken for a motte. This is the tallest part of the castle. Circling around to the east, we walked along the ruined curtain wall. Although the wall rises to less than three feet in most places, you can still easily trace its course along the northern and eastern sides of the castle. When we reached the eastern side of the castle we turned and headed back towards the inner ward and climbed the mound of the keep in order to better survey the interior of the castle. The inner ward features several mounds of various size, the buried remnants of towers, walls and other buildings that once stood here. We then crossed to the western side of the castle. Here, besides the aforementioned mural tower, the remains of the castle are even less apparent, however the views of the surrounding countryside are outstanding. We probably would have lingered longer at this interesting site, however an unrelenting wind soon drove us back down the steep northern approach to the castle. We enjoyed our hike to Bwlch y Dinas. The castle’s siting and the views of the surrounding countryside were outstanding, and there were just enough masonry remains to make the site interesting.
Afterwards we ventured into Brecon in search of lunch. We had seen Brecon Castle in 1998, so this time I only snapped a couple of photos of the site from the town. In Brecon we enjoyed fish & chips at the Bull’s Head Hotel, which also offered 4 different real ales on the hand pump. The Bull’s Head was recommended by Britain’s AA Guide for food and drink.
We ended the day with a visit to the village Aberedw where two different medieval castles are found. We drove through the village and parked at the small church next to the pub. We walked to the back wall of the church’s cemetery where we found a stile going over the wall leading to a path running alongside a steep river bank. We first came across a mound that looked suspiciously like a motte, however a closer examination revealed that the mound was a naturally formed hill. However, a little further along we came upon the site. This time there was no doubt that we had found the castle. Aberedw I consists of a tall motte protected on one side by a weak ditch and on the other by a dramatic drop over the edge of a bank to a stream below. Both the castle and the church are of Welsh origin and are associated with the final days of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd (the Last). Legend claims that Llywelyn visited both the church and the castle the night before his death on 11 December 1282, and that he stayed in a cave nearby that today is known appropriately as "Llywelyn’s cave". The motte is well preserved and still commands a fine view of the farmland below it. There’s a stream of rubble running down the front side of the motte, although this is not an indication that this early Welsh castle was fortified in stone. A ditch encircles the motte except on the side overlooking the stream, where such defenses were unnecessary. Our trip to Aberedw had not been planned so I had neglected to bring along the appropriate OS map for the area. Because of this we were unable to locate the second castle (although we came close). We know that Aberedw II had been partially destroyed by a railway bed, and, although we found the bed just down the hill from the first castle, we chose the wrong direction and ended up walking away from the castle. The conquest of Aberedw II would have to wait for another day.
We returned to the village of Aberedw the following morning, and, armed with the proper OS map, soon found the second castle. The map indicated that the castle was located close to the intersection of the main road and the smaller road running into the village. We parked our car near the intersection and walked up the adjacent dirt driveway leading to a farm. We immediately recognized the railway bed just beyond the farmer’s gate, and at that point knew we were close to the site. Sure enough, as soon as we went through the gate I immediately spotted piles of masonry on the right-hand side of the railway bed, an indication that we had arrived at the castle. The other thing we noticed was that we could clearly see Aberedw I from the site of Aberedw II.
Aberedw II is a modest Norman masonry castle built following the defeat of Llywelyn the Last, when the first Welsh castle became redundant. The castle consisted of four corner towers connected by a curtain wall protecting a modest-sized courtyard. The aforementioned railroad bed is cut about a third of the way through the eastern side of the site, and has destroyed most of that section of the castle. Nevertheless, although badly damaged, I could still make out the form of the two eastern towers close to the railway bed, although the curtain wall that once connected them is no longer in evidence. The western side of the castle enjoys a better state of preservation. Here both towers, although only a few feet high, are recognizable, especially an interior section of the northwest tower. A ditch encircling this side of the site, helps highlight the remnants of a low curtain wall on the western and southern sides of the castle. In a couple of places the curtain is interrupted by large trees growing through the middle of the wall in an eerie juxtaposition of man and nature. There is an entrance to the castle courtyard on the western side, however I don’t know if this feature is original to the site. The entrance leads to the castle’s interior, an overgrown courtyard containing few remnants or recognizable features. Again, the best views of Aberedw II are definitely from the surrounding ditch, not from the barely-recognizable courtyard.
We were met at the site by the farmer who owns the land on which both Aberedw I and II reside, and he had had no objections to us surveying the site. We chatted for a while before a light rain forced us to say our farewells and head for our next quarry. Although I can’t say exactly why, I really liked the two castles at Aberedw. Perhaps it was the tranquillity of the location, or the area’s association with Llywelyn the Last, or maybe it was because we got two castles for the price of one! For whatever reason, this was one of my favorite sites.
Although overhead photographs can be helpful in revealing the layout of a castle, I’ve found that such bird’s-eye views often make it difficult to judge the ground-level appearance of a site and the actual extent of its ruins. I had seen several such photographs of Painscastle over the years and had been largely unimpressed. As such, I was almost totally unprepared for the tremendous earthworks found at this most interesting castle, our next stop of the day.
We knocked on the door of the farmhouse asking permission to visit the site, and were soon escorted to the base of the motte by the wife and mother of the family that owns the handsome farm surrounding the castle. She was very interested in the history of the site and appeared to enjoy telling us something about her various experiences there (She told us she had lived there for most of her life.) This is yet another Norman castle that was destroyed and rebuilt several times. In it’s final incarnation Painscastle was an impressive stone fortress that unfortunately shared the fate of other masonry castles in Wales; it was robbed of most of its stone and what was left now lies buried beneath the ground, such that today no above-ground masonry survives at this site. However, the surviving earthworks at Painscastle are the most impressive I’ve ever seen. (These suckers are huge!) The banks and ditches surrounding the motte are tall and deep, wide enough for two people to walk comfortably shoulder to shoulder the top. The banks, ditches and other mounds of buried rubble at Painscastle indicate the former positions of towers and walls, and are prominent enough for one to gain some appreciation for the layout of the castle. After walking on top of the main ditch surrounding the motte, we crossed to the large bailey fronting the motte, itself protected by a wide and deep ditch. Crossing the center of the bailey we then ascended to the summit of the motte. From this vantage point it was easier to make out the overall plan of the castle, and also to appreciate the castle’s command of the surrounding countryside. After walking around a bit more we returned to the farm where we chatted again with the family before heading on down the road. Painscastle proved to be yet another of those unexpected, pleasant surprises. We left in awe of the most substantial earthworks we had yet encountered, fully ready for the day’s next adventure!
It was about noon when we left Painscastle, time to head back to Llanafan Fawr for lunch at the Red Lion. That previous Sunday the pub's proprietor, Adrian Foster, had promised to show us the interesting sites surrounding the pub, and, following lunch we took him up on his kind offer. Details about these sites can be found by following this link. Here I will speak only of the "castle" at Llanafan Fawr. There is no recorded history for Llanafan Castle, a modest ringwork protected by a weak double-ditch. Most historians feel that the castle is connected with the Norman lordship of Builth, however there are some who think the structure might actually date to the Iron Age. My own observation is that the castle seems similar in nature to the moated platform found at Old Radnor, a site associated also with the local church.
We ended this day by visiting an interesting site about 3 miles east of Llanadridnod Wells. Driving down a small track road leading from the town, we came to a picnic area on the edge of the woods surrounded by pristine nature trails. Across the way we found a trail and a stream crossed by the so-called "shaky bridge" leading to a path that took us to the beautiful little church at Cefnllys. The church rests peacefully on the edge of the woods but is fronted by a steep hill where you’ll find the remains of two different medieval castles on opposite ends of the ridge.
In preparation for this trip I had asked Paul Remfry and Adrian Pettifer (two historian/authors who contribute to the Castles of Wales web site) about recommendations for castles in the region, and both had enthusiastically endorsed the castles at Cefnllys, primarily because of the wonderful views from the summit of the ridge. Both Cefnllys I & II were built by the Mortimers in the 13th century, the castles being a point of bitter dispute between the Mortimers and Llywelyn ap Gruffydd. From the church we crossed a field, went through a gate and started up a very steep path leading to the top of the ridge. The first castle we encountered was the later castle, Cefnllys II, begun about 1273. There is no standing masonry at either castle, however there is a good deal of rubble to be seen at Cefnllys II indicating that this was once a stone castle of some size. The dominate feature of Cefnllys II is a tall mound rising from the center of the complex, the remains of the castle’s collapsed keep, and an impressive rock-cut ditch to the west. Mounds that surround what was the castle courtyard indicate the position of collapsed towers. We walked around the far side of the castle to inspect the defensive ditches found there, then ascended the ruins of the keep (the mound). The summit of the keep is the highest part of the ridge at Cefnllys and from here we enjoyed beautiful views of the surrounding countryside, the massive rock-cut ditch below and Cefnllys I on the opposite of the ridge. After spending time a bit more time surveying the rubble in the aforementioned ditch, we made our way towards Cefnllys I.
Making our way towards Cefnllys I, we first traversed a protective ditch cut all the way across the width of the ridge. After crossing another ditch we entered into the main castle compound. Most of Cefnllys I consists of low grassy mounds and ditches, some of which hide the remnants of masonry towers and walls. Although not as impressive as Cefnllys II, the most noticeable feature at Cefnllys I is again the collapsed keep rising from the middle of the site. We spent some time exploring both the interior of the castle and the outer banks and ditches, taking care not to disturb a group of sheep and their new-born lambs who were not yet able to walk entirely under their own power. Although the day was bright and clear, by this time the wind had kicked up to an almost intolerable level and we soon found ourselves scrambling back down the steep ridge. Although the remains of the two castles at Cefnllys are slight, I found them interesting, especially the remnants of the Cefnllys II, and, as promised, the views from the summit of the ridge were outstanding. The castles at Cefnllys, the views from the summit of the ridge, the church, the woods and hiking trails, and the green fields full of grazing sheep, made this little corner Wales one of the most attractive settings of the entire holiday.
The next day was jam-packed with castles, as we managed to visit no less than 9 different sites, (I think that's a record for me), although some of these we only photographed from the road. As we made our way west that morning, our first stop was at Castell Crug Eryr, which rests on a hill surrounded by farmland. Crug Eryr is a Welsh-built castle dating from the middle of the 12th century. The castle’s place in history was assured when it was mentioned by Gerald of Wales during his 1188 tour of Wales with Archbishop Baldwin. Today the site consists of a fairly well preserved motte and surrounding ditch work, one particular section of which still rises to an impressive height. We pulled off the main road in order to view the site, and once again the telephoto lens came through as I was able to get some very nice close-up photographs of the castle.
Our next stop was at the impressive earthwork remains of New Radnor Castle, the summit of which still towers over the village below. Parking the car on the high street, The Norman castle at New Radnor may date from as early as the 1070s and in its initial form was likely constructed of earth and timber. The castle was rebuilt several times and eventually fortified in stone, although no traces of above ground masonry survives today. What does survive at New Radnor is an impressive motte surrounded by a still formidable system of two wide and deep dry ditches, almost as impressive as the ones we found at Painscastle. This system of defense also extended to the town where you can still see surviving traces of fortified town wall that protected the inhabitants of the borough. I approached the castle from a public footpath in the middle of the village. After passing through a gate I found myself in the ditch or moat surrounding the tall motte. After surveying most of the ditch, I climbed up a path leading to the summit of the motte, and was rewarded with outstanding views of the town now far below and the surrounding countryside. The top of the motte was flat and very wide, something that had not been apparent from the ground. The size and siting of New Radnor has to be appreciated from the summit of the motte looking down, not from the ground looking up. We left the site again very satisfied to have explored yet another impressive Welsh earthwork castle.
The towering castle at New Radnor stands in sharp contrast to the simple site at nearby Old Radnor, the next castle we visited. In fact, the castle at Old Radnor is thought to have been a moated site connected with the medieval church across the lane rather than a true medieval castle. In fact, Old Radnor reminded me of the moated site at Llanafan Fawr we had visited the day before. We pulled into the village and parked the car in the parking lot of the village church. Our OS map indicated the castle was near the church. Sure enough we soon found the site just beyond a farm gate across the lane from the parking lot. The castle at Old Radnor consists of a platform of modest size protected by a well-defined bank and ditch. Both the platform and the ditch are D-shaped with a spring or well at one end of the "D". There is no recorded history for the site, nor is it known if there was a relationship between the castles of New Radnor, Old Radnor, and a third castle (Castle Nimble) found nearby. I walked around the ditch then crossed the ditch to the motte, making a mental note of the likelihood of a relationship between the site and the church across the lane. Afterwards we visited the church which was in the process of having its slate roof replaced. The large church at Old Radnor features several historic artifacts that predate the arrival of the Normans.
There was one more castle to visit before heading into Hay-on-Wye for lunch - lovely Clifford Castle perched dramatically on a cliff overlooking the river Wye just over the border in England. One of the reasons I wanted to see this particular castle is because it’s currently up for sale, something that has focused a lot of attention on the site. As we drove through the village we located the castle by spotting the "For Sale" sign. (How many times does one get to see a Realtor's sign proclaiming "Castle for Sale"? :-) Records show that the present Clifford Castle was one of three in the area, the others being earlier less substantial mottes found nearby. Clifford too began life as a simple motte castle made of earth ant timber, but the motte was later crowned with a polygonal enclosure featuring five round towers. We parked the car in a lane across from the site. We walked up the driveway towards the castle, approaching from the outer bailey now occupied by a later house and farm. The first thing we noticed were the low remains of a once-impressive twin-towered gatehouse at Clifford. These are apparently the only surviving masonry remains of the outer bailey. We knocked at the house to see if the castle owners were home, but they were apparently not in. We decided to respectfully continue exploring the site on our own. The motte at Clifford, where almost all the remains of the castle are found, lies just beyond the house. The motte sits high above the river Wye and easily commands the immediate surrounding area. The summit of the motte is surrounded by a gated fence, and beyond the gate are the remains of the castle keep, a single nearly-complete tower, one substantial section of curtain wall, and low remains of other walls and towers. An interesting arched double doorway leads to the ground level interior of the keep and its lone surviving tower, enough of which survives to give one some idea of its form and function. After exploring the interior of the keep, we went around to the back where the tower was even more apparent and dramatic, perched precariously over the river below. Although the ruins at Clifford are not substantial, enough of the castle survives to make the site well worth visiting. As we left the village we saw one last view the castle from the adjacent road, perhaps the best vantage point from which to appreciate the castle’s siting. We left the village of Clifford, wishing we had enough money to purchase the castle, as we made our way down the road and back into Wales.
We arrived in the lovely Welsh border town of Hay-on-Wye a little after noon. Hay is famous for its second-hand books and shops selling antique prints and maps. This was our second visit to Hay, and, unlike our first visit, the skies were sunny and blue on this afternoon. Before checking out some of the shops along High street we decided to grab a quick pub lunch. We once again enjoyed good food at the "Blue Boar" a local pub featuring 4 different real ales on the hand pump. Following lunch we returned to the shop where we had purchased a set of castle prints in 1998, where I was able to find several additional prints from the 18th and 19th centuries to add to my collection. We then visited the masonry castle at Hay just down the street. I've never been too fond of the castle at Hay, probably because over the years it’s managed to lose most of its medieval appearance. Although the impressive stone keep survives, it's been incorporated into a later Elizabethan mansion that all but robs the facade of its medieval appearance. Actually the back of the castle is a bit more medieval looking. Here you'll find an impressive arched doorway, some fine windows, and a section of wall with merlons and arrowloops.
After visiting the castle we walked back through the town, stopping at several shops as we made our way towards the church of St Mary's, and the remains of the simple motte castle at Hay. This 12th-century motte and bailey castle sits unassumingly overlooking a steep gorge and a tributary leading down to the river Wye. The relationship (if any) between the motte at Hay, the later masonry castle, and the castle at Clyro just across the river, is unknown. It is possible that both castles at Hay were occupied simultaneously for a period of time. King John destroyed the (motte) castle in 1216 during his campaign through Wales. Despite this, the motte is still very recognizable as such, although the bailey was destroyed in modern times. I made my way around the surrounding ditch, finally climbing to the summit of the motte for a better view of the position the site commands. After finishing photographing the site, Parthene and I made our way back to the car. We had spent a satisfying afternoon in Hay-on-Wye, but there were three other sites to visit on the way back home.
Unlike the easily-recognizable motte castle at Hay, the castle at Clyro just across the river is wild and overgrown. It sits in the woods behind a housing complex criss-crossed by several footpaths. So hidden is this castle that it would have been difficult to find without the OS map. We parked the car on a side street next to what I thought might be the outer bank of the castle ditch. Traversing the wall of the bank I soon found myself standing in a substantial ditch looking up at a fine large motte. Practically every inch of the site was overgrown, the motte, the bailey, and the ditches, making a substantial portion of the castle inaccessible. Even so, the overgrown site was not without its attraction, as much of the growth consisted of beautiful ferns and spring bluebells. Even with trees of varying sizes covering the motte, it was still apparent that this was a castle of some size, decidedly larger than the motte and Hay. I could only explore half of the castle ditch - the remainder was too choked with vegetation. After doing so I made my way up the steep motte via one of the paths criss-crossing the site. I could tell from the ditch that the motte was a large one, however I still didn't expect the wide platform I found at the summit. Here the overgrowth was so thick that I appeared to simply be standing on a path in the woods, rather than on a castle mound many feet above the ground. The trees and other heavy growth made it impossible to see from one end of the platform to the other. Nevertheless, I was able to appreciate size of the summit by walking across the top as best I could. Again, although the site was overgrown, it was clear that there was once a substantial castle here. As I made my way back down I pondered the differences in the way communities treat their motte castles. While some communities go to great lengths to maintain and preserve these medieval treasures, others seem content to let nature reclaim these forgotten sites, and I couldn’t help thinking that the sadly-neglected motte at Clyro would benefit greatly from a little community attention.
Following a half-hearted and unsuccessful attempt to catch a glimpse of mostly destroyed Broughrood Castle, inaccessible and on private land, we turned our attention to locating one of two ringwork castles near the small village of Crickadarn. Using the appropriate OS map we were able to locate Crickadarn I. The castle is located in the middle of a field not too far from the village church. The site is on private land but the road brought us close enough to the site to allow us to snap several good photos at fairly close range. From our vantage point we could clearly see a large oval mound and ditch surrounding a platform on the left and bailey to the right. Even at a distance we could see that much of the ringwork at Crickadarn survives to a substantial height, and although the ditch was-tree clad along some of its length, it was obvious (to me, anyway) that this was once a castle. As I was setting up my camera and tripod I attracted the attention of a flock of sheep in the field opposite, who assumed that I was there to either feed them or move them to another field for the night. As soon as they spotted me they all came down to gate loudly bleating their annoyance at my inattention to their expectations. It was quite a cacophony of sound! By this time it was late in the day and time to head back to our accommodations. Although we failed in our efforts to catch a glimpse of Broughrood Castle, we had managed to see eight different castles on this day in addition to spending a lovely afternoon in Hay-on-Wye.
Below: the church dedicated to St Afan at Llanafan Fawr
With that, we concluded our first week in Wales. We had enjoyed a marvelous week of traveling through the beautiful countryside, visiting small villages, and exploring many of the castles and other historic sites found in mid-Wales. I received a valuable education regarding both early medieval motte and bailey castles, and masonry castles that today retain only their earthworks. I spent the week in awe of sites like Painscastle, Hen Domen, and New Radnor. We had seen several impressive castles on the English side of the border, like Wigmore, Hopton, Clun & Clifford, and we definitely enjoyed our climbs to the three hilltop castles of Knucklas, Dinas and Cefnllys. Of these three, Cefnllys was the most enjoyable. Finally there were the two castles at Aberedw, smaller than most of the other castles we visited, but somehow managing to exude their own captivating ambiance. Of course all of the countryside in mid-Wales and Herefordshire was beautiful. We managed to explore wide stretches to the north, south & east of our accommodations. Speaking of which, our accommodations were among the nicest we’ve ever experienced - stone cottages tucked in a peaceful valley surrounded by tall hills and grazing sheep. As such, we departed mid-Wales the next morning a bit sad to be leaving such an outstanding area, wondering if our next week could possible match what we had just experienced.
We spent the second week of our Welsh holiday in self-catering accommodations about half-way between Llandeilo and Carmarthen in the county of Carmarthenshire. We departed mid-Wales in the morning and headed south. Our first stop of the day was in the market town of Llandovery, where we decided to stop and revisit the castle there. Llandovery Castle was built by the Normans in the early 12th century and changed hands several times during the wars between the Welsh and English. The castle was originally constructed of earth and timber but was later fortified in stone. Today two masonry fragments of the castle (remnants of a D-shaped tower and gatehouse) survive atop the still-impressive motte located in the middle of the town. Only a portion of the bailey survives below the motte, a corner of which has been turned into a playground. With only slight masonry remains to explore, the impressive motte at Llandovery is the castle’s most compelling feature, as it still commands wide views of the surrounding countryside. After exploring the castle we visited the adjacent visitor’s center highlighting the area’s rich history. We then stopped in a local cafe for morning tea before continuing on towards our next destination - the recently restored castle at Dinefwr.
The castle at Dinefwr is located in Dinefwr Park on the outskirts of Llandeilo. The park is operated by Britain’s National Trust, and, in addition to the castle, features a restored period mansion, a new deer park, and several nature trails for the visitor. The history of Dinefwr castle goes back to the mid-12th century when was built during the reign of the Lord Rhys, Rhys ap Gruffydd, prince of the ancient Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth. Although Rhys built or rebuilt several castles within his territory, the castle at Dinefwr was his principal stronghold. Dinefwr Castle rests high on a steep natural hill overlooking the Twi river and the beautiful surrounding valley. From the summit of the castle (on a clear day) you can see the nearby castle of Dryslwyn Castle, itself located on an even more imposing hill to the west. Having walked a good portion of the park in 1996, we decided this time to simply head straight for the castle. After paying our admission at the visitor center, we set off with great anticipation. Although visible in the distance it takes a while to actually reach the site. We walked down a path leading to the base of the castle hill, then up the fairly steep slope to a ditch below Dinefwr’s medieval hall that still towers over the ground below. As we rounded the hall we entered the site through the now-vanished outer ward. The entrance to the castle is through a weak arch in the battlemented curtain wall. The castle’s most notable feature is its large round keep built in the early 13th century. A curtain wall connects and encloses the keep along with other towers and halls. A defensive moat cut out of solid rock protects the north side of the castle, while the southern side is protected by a natural drop off down the steep hill.
A long running program of restoration at Dinefwr was completed in the late 1990s. We first visited the castle in 1996 when this work was not yet complete, so I was anxious to return to the site in order to survey the final results. We were not disappointed. The restored Dinefwr Castle is an impressive piece of work. The great overgrowth of vegetation that made the site all but inaccessible has been removed, and impressive repair work has been carried out in other parts of the castle. The medieval hall at Dinefwr has been restored so that you can now climb stairs to its top for outstanding views of the castle and surrounding countryside. But perhaps the best repair work involves the restored magnificent wall-walk, now complete for about 3/4 of its circuit. Here the repairs included rebuilding the wall where necessary and installing a new walkway with safety railings on top. Again, the views of the river and valley from this vantage point were outstanding, some of the best of the trip. We continued our tour by visiting the castle’s great round keep. A ground level entrance provides access into the keep where we noted the presence of corbels and fireplaces testifying to the building’s former glory. Ascending the stairs next to the keep, turning right takes you down the aforementioned wall-walk, while a left hand turn takes you up to a wall-walk surrounding the top of the keep. From here we once again enjoyed views of the castle and countryside. We lingered at the castle for some time admiring the results of this important castle’s rebirth. The restoration of Dinefwr is yet another remarkable Welsh castle success story. As we left I said a silent “thank you” to all those who helped rescue Dinefwr from its former sorry state. I think the Lord Rhys would be both pleased and impressed.
Following our visit to Dinefwr we enjoyed a pub lunch at the busy Castle Hotel back in Llandeilo. I had targeted the Castle Hotel because they had a reputation for good food and are an outlet for Tomos Watkins Brewery. We arrived amid a busy Saturday crowd but soon had our drinks and had placed our food order. As we began to relax back at our table, the first thing we noticed was that, unlike the pervious week, the majority of people in the pub were speaking Welsh. Although it’s probably true that most Welsh speakers are found in north Wales, there are many communities in Carmarthenshire where Welsh is the first, or everyday language. We were seated next to a large wedding party that had just come from the local church, and their lively conversations were fun to listen to (even if we couldn’t understand them). The home-cooked food at the Castle Hotel was very good, but the ale was outstanding. We sampled all four Tomos Watkins cask-conditions ales being offered that day, and each and every one was a delicious well-crafted beer. If I seem to be spending more time on this topic than usual, it’s because these ales are among the best I’ve ever sampled (and I’ve sampled quite a lot :-). In fact the Tomos Watkins OSB (old style bitter) is the best British ale I’ve ever tasted, period! OSB is a perfect beer in every possible way, and harkens back to the days before British bitter was transformed into the mild, uninteresting brew found in so many pubs today. Needless to say, this was not the last time we found ourselves enjoying food and ale at the Castle Hotel! :-)
Following lunch we headed for the town of Carmarthen about 14 miles west of Llandeilo. We had enjoyed a pleasant visit to Carmarthen in 1992 and were therefore looking forward to revisiting the town and castle. Carmarthen was an important settlement as far back as the Roman era, and the Norman castle that was built later was quite prominent in the long struggle between Welsh and Norman for control of the area. Up until recently most of the remains of this important castle were covered over by modern buildings. Indeed, in 1992 the only parts of the castle that could be seen were a bit of the gatehouse and a short stretch of curtain wall. Then in the late 1990s Carmarthen received a 1 million pound Heritage Lottery grant which was used to uncover and untangle much of the castle; it was the results of this work that I was anxious to see. I was happy to discover that there has been much progress made in resurrecting parts of the castle. The still-impressive gatehouse has been cleaned up and can now be explored from both sides. The long stretch of curtain wall to the left of the gatehouse, still complete to its original height, has also been cleared. The castle’s main keep, a portion of which survives to battlement height, has been cleared and restored. The keep and gatehouse are the most interesting parts of the castle because both have retained a substantial amount of their medieval detailing (windows, doorways, corbels, and other interior details). Other sections of curtain wall and previously hidden remnants of walls and towers have also been cleared. This restoration work has transformed Carmarthen Castle from a largely inaccessible historical footnote into a castle that today is very much worth visiting.
We walked around the town for a while, stopping in a few shops and purchasing Welsh cakes in a bakery for tomorrow morning’s breakfast. By then it was late afternoon and time to check into our accommodations for the week - the cottages at Pantglas Hall just down the road and immediately across from the imposing ruins of Dryslwyn Castle. Our accommodations were in a lovely, quiet self-catering cottage that we very much enjoyed. Even so, when it was all said and done, we both preferred the rugged and more remote accommodation we enjoyed the previous week.
Our first full day in the area found us heading north towards the town of Tregaron in search of gold (actually a gold shop that was unfortunately closed), however our first stop on this day was at Talley Abbey about 7 miles north of Llandeilo. The ruins of this abbey are found in a peaceful valley in the town of the same name. Talley is more impressive than Abbey Cwmhir, although the ruins fail to measure up to those at either Tintern or Valle Crucis. At Talley a single tall arched cross wall of the nave dominates the site. The rest of abbey consists of low ruins of the nave, chapel and other buildings. There are some interesting details to see here, including a staircase next to the chapel, corbels, piers, and arched doorways piercing the abbey’s crosswall high above the ground. This was our second visit to Talley and we were fortunate to enjoy sunny skies on this day. There are two lakes just north of the abbey separated by a narrow strip of land, and on this strip of land are supposedly found the remains of a medieval motte castle. Although I photographed the site from the road I did not bother to actually visit the castle.
Our next stop was at the interesting Dolaucothi Gold Mines. While most people know something about the Roman occupation of Britain, some don’t realize that part of the reason the Romans came here was to exploit Britain’s mineral wealth (gold and copper). It was on the way to Tregaron, so we decided to stop and have a look (plus there’s a motte castle located on the site, which, unfortunately we did not see). There’s a small museum and a gift shop at the entrance to the site. Beyond the entrance is the main complex of mine building and equipment restored to its Victorian era appearance. Although we walked around the immediate grounds and looked into several mine shafts, we opted not to take a tour of the mines which lasted for an hour and a half; we simply didn’t have the time.
We departed the mines and made our way to Tregaron where we enjoyed a Sunday lunch and good ale at the local pub. Afterwards headed up the road to visit the atmospheric ruins of Strata Florida Abbey. Strata Florida has a special place in Welsh history. It was founded and patronized by the princes of Deheubarth, several of whom are buried in the abbey’s cemetery. It was also the place where Llywelyn the Great assembled all the nobles of Wales in 1238 for the purpose of swearing allegiance to his son Dafydd as his successor. The primary features at Strata Florida include the beautiful arched Norman-style doorway leading into the abbey and the collection of intricate tiles that once graced the abbey floor. Although most of the ruins here have been reduced to low level walls, pillars and footings, there is something about this site that is quite compelling. Perhaps it’s because of the associations with Llywelyn or the house of Deheubarth, or perhaps it’s the abbey’s isolated location in the hills. Either way, once you visit this site you’ll understand why it’s the favorite of many. We parked the car in the car park immediately across from the site and headed towards the admissions hut/gift shop. The shop houses a nice collection of artifacts from the abbey, including some well preserved decorated tiles from the chapel. Exiting the gift shop we approached the entrance to the abbey, that wonderfully-carved arched doorway, the abbey’s most famous feature. The door’s intricate carving and scroll work is a beautiful and impressive piece of medieval craftsmanship. Entering the abbey we headed for the three roofed chapels on the far end of the site that house Strata Florida’s remaining decorated tiles. The low remains of one of the nave’s massive piers sits to the left of the chapels. Strata Florida’s colorful tiles are a remarkable survival, especially considering the brutal destruction of many British abbeys under Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries. Other highlights of the abbey include the memorial stone to medieval Welsh poet Dafydd ap Gwilim, and the graveyard behind the chapter house. Here, graves that are marked by low carved crosses are said to be those of members of the royal house of Deheubarth, several member of whom were know to have been buried at Strata Florida. We spent a fair amount of time at Strata Florida. Although we had visited the site before, we continued to enjoy sunny blue skies on this day so we took even more time to explore the ruins and soak in the atmosphere. We finally departed and began the long trip home. It had been a long day but we were again quite happy to have spent almost this entire day the company of the beautiful Welsh countryside and its marvelous history.
The next day we visited three castles we had seen on previous trips, plus one new motte and bailey. Easily visible from the intersection of road leading to Pantglas Hall and the A40 are the remains of the Welsh-built castle at Dryslwyn. Looking at the impressive hill on which the castle rests, one is tempted to suspect that this commanding site was perhaps once used as an Iron Age hillfort, although to this date there is no concrete evidence to support such a supposition. The medieval castle at Dryslwyn is first mentioned in the mid-13th century, although it is likely that the castle predates this reference. It was not, however, contemporary to the neighboring castle at Dinefwr begun in the mid-12th century. Dryslwyn began its life as s simple enclosure castle, and like Dinefwr, the core of the castle was its now-ruined great round keep. A large hall block followed and the castle was eventually enclosed by a curtain wall. Later these defenses were strengthened and expanded by the addition of fortified middle and outer wards with their own sets of walls and gatehouses. By the time construction at Dryslwyn was completed in the later 13th century, it had been transformed into the most formidable native-Welsh castle in the region. The castle will always be remembered for the siege that took place beneath its walls in 1287. For a little over two weeks Dryslwyn withstood a siege force of 11,000 men led by the earl of Cornwall. At one point about 100 Englishmen were killed in an accident as they were attempting to undermine the castle walls.
We had visited Dryslwyn in 1996 when the castle’s long-running restoration program was well underway, and I was pleased to see that a good deal more of the castle has been recovered since then. This once buried castle is now a substantial ruin that ranks as one of the most interesting and most educational castle experiences in the region. As was the case with the Welsh castle at Dolforwyn, Dryslwyn literally had to be dug out of the ground. Indeed, until the restoration program began, the standing ruins at the site consisted primarily of two pieces of hall block protruding from the side of the castle hill facing the Tywi river. Today a great deal of the castle has been recovered and the site is a pleasure to explore.
That morning we pulled into the convenient picnic area next to the river at the base of the castle. The winding walkway from the base of the hill took us first to the ruined gateway of the large outer ward at Dryslwyn. There we found a helpful information sign with a artist’s reconstructive drawing for this part of the castle. Entering the outer ward we were still a good distance from the actual castle that towered in front and above us. The steep path continued up the hill, leading us through the eastern entrance into the middle ward of the castle. There we were rewarded with outstanding views of the surrounding countryside. In fact, it was so clear that morning we could actually see the castle at Dinefwr from the summit of Dryslwyn! From here we walked towards the gatehouse leading to the inner ward of the castle. To the left of the gatehouse entrance were the remains of Dryslwyn’s great round tower, standing now only from basement to ground level. Although most of the tower is gone, its position on the highest point of the summit still commands the rest of the castle in all directions. A good portion of the gatehouse has been recovered, although the two hall blocks of the inner ward are perhaps the most interesting part of the castle. The buildings of the inner ward include the southern hall block and the chapel, the latter featuring arched windows that provide a poignant picture frame of the valley below. Both medieval halls have been excavated down to basement level revealing a whole host of interesting detail, including the remains of a hearth and chimney, stairways, an interesting system of drains, and well-preserved latrine chutes. I was most impressed by a tall section of curtain wall connecting the round keep to the chapel and the southern apartments. We lingered at the castle for quite some time in order to fully appreciate the dramatic results achieved by the recently-completed excavation. As we made our way back down the hill we couldn’t help but again marvel at how another important piece of Welsh history had been pried from the earth. Although the actual castle at Dryslwyn is less complete than the one found at nearby Dinefwr, I preferred Dryslwyn because of the site’s more dramatic and isolated situation.
Next we headed down the road to visit marvelous Kidwelly Castle in the town of the same name. Kidwelly is one of the best-preserved and most interesting castles in all of Wales, if not all of Britain. The history of the site spans practically the entire medieval castle building era. The first castle at Kidwelly was an early 12th century earth and timber ringwork built atop a prominent D-shaped bank. Over the centuries Kidwelly was modified several times, transforming into the massive masonry fortress you see today. Kidwelly exhibits just about all the features one would expect in a powerful medieval castle, and, best of all, most of these features are remarkably well preserved.
We pulled into the parking lot opposite the castle's impressive gatehouse-barbican complex, pausing to admire the view before heading inside. Going through the gate we entered the castle's outer ward with it's complete circuit of curtain walls still standing to wall-walk height. Although not quite as large, the outer ward at Kidwelly is reminiscent of the one found at Beaumaris Castle. Making our way around the outer ward, we passed the ruins of Kidwelly's great hall, the bakehouse and the chapel, the latter being one of the castle's finer features. After descending to examine several basement rooms, we climbed a flight of stairs near the chapel leading to a mid-level walkway, entering the inner ward of the castle from the first floor rather than the ground floor level. From this vantage one gets a much better perspective of Kidwelly’s well-preserved outer curtain wall with its large mural towers, nearly-complete wall-walks and their well-preserved stairways. All four towers of the inner ward are well preserved, and at least one can be climbed to the top where you'll find outstanding views of the entire castle and the surrounding countryside. Ascending this tall tower was the highlight of the visit. After lingering a while longer, we left the and enjoyed a packed lunch in the car park opposite the gatehouse (along with a pint Marston's Pale Ale). On the way out of town we stopped to photograph the one surviving section of town wall/gate, itself an impressive structure. We then drove to the neighborhood across the stream for better views of the entire castle resting on its D-shaped bank. Kidwelly Castle is the complete package. In addition to being able to explore an impressive gatehouse, the castle offers mural towers, halls, vaulted basements, wall-walks, a section of town wall, and three levels from which to view the castle. Kidwelly also offers the visitor some finer details as well, such as its chapel windows, window seats, corbels, fireplaces, stairways, and other interior details. While many ruined castles in Britain can offer a few of the above, wonderful Kidwelly Castles offers them all, and more.
I've never been too fond of Laugharne Castle, our next stop, although I can't really say why. Like the castle at Carew, Laugharne began as a simple Norman castle, was transformed into a sizable stone fortress and eventually was remodeled as a Tudor residential palace. The de Brian family was responsible for building most of the castle, however it is Sir John Perrot's later Tudor-era alterations at Laugharne that remain prominent today. We had visited the castle in 1994 when the long-running program of restoration was still far from complete, and I can report that the now finished project is indeed impressive. Two medieval towers survive at Laugharne, along with the still impressive gatehouse and part of the facade of a later hall. One of the towers has been restored so that it can now be climbed to its summit where the castle and surrounding countryside are better appreciated. The wall, walkway, and later gazebo on the side of castle fronting the Taf estuary have been restored, and neat Victorian gardens, lawns and other walkways now occupy much of the castle's outer ward. Having seen the castle when it was still basically an ugly collection of ruined walls and towers, I couldn't help but once again be impressed at the conservation efforts have transformed Laugharne into a very respectable site. After visiting the castle we walked about the town and visited several of the shops. By this time it was late in the afternoon and time to head back home, although surely we could find at least one more interesting site to visit along the way?
Although it was late in the afternoon by the time we left Laugharne, we had one more stop to make before heading home. The motte and bailey castle at St Clears is located east of the village close to the confluence of the Taf and Cynin rivers. The castle is mentioned in the history books, having been destroyed by the Lord Rhys in the mid 12th-century, recaptured by him later in the century and captured yet again by Llywelyn the Great in the early 13th century. Heading north from Laugharne, we spotted the castle on the horizon about a mile from the town. One problem with motte castles is that they are often difficult to get far enough away from so that one can appreciate their true size. Fortunately, from the road above the village we were able to see just how impressive the motte castle at St Clears is; even after hundreds of years the castle still dominates the small houses and farms surrounding it. Entering the village we parked the car on the side of the road next to a gate with the castle just beyond. I found a historical sign to the left of the gate providing information on the history of the castle and the region. Going through the gate the first thing I noticed was that the motte was relatively clear of vegetation. To the south of the motte was the large bailey the western part of which now incorporates a playground. I walked around the base of the motte then around to the back of the bailey in order to appreciate the castle from the far end of the site. I then climbed to the top of the very tall motte in order to survey the surrounding countryside. The motte still commands the two rivers converging near the town and it was easy to understand why a castle was placed here. I was once again pleased to visit a substantial motte and bailey castle that was still mostly intact. By the condition of the site it was obvious that the people of St Clears have gone to some effort to care for their castle, something that's always refreshing to see. This concluded our castle hunting for the day, and we retired to Pantglas Hall for dinner and a quiet evening.
The next morning was overcast and misty, however this less than perfect weather failed to discourage us from venturing west into Pembrokshire. Our first stop of the day however was at nearby Pencader, where we searched for the remains of the village’s medieval motte and bailey castle built by Gilbert de Clare in 1145 (not Gilbert "the Red" of Caerphilly Castle fame). Although we had the right OS map with us, we had to ask for directions to the site at the village post office. We turned left down a small lane below the post office, crossed the bridge over a stream and parked the car on the right hand side of the road below the old school house and next to a disused railway track, (now a wide path), running along the base of a substantial hill. Although it was not possible to see the actual motte from here, the steep hill next to the path was a clear indication that we were on the right track. Climbing the hill I soon found myself at the base of another large hill, and from there a path led up that steep hill, through an outer bank and then to the motte itself. The motte at Pencader is some 22m across, rises to a height of about 7m, and is surrounded by a much-reduced ditch. Unlike the castle at St Clears, parts of the motte and ditch were overgrown and it appears that most of the bailey is now occupied by the old school house. I walked around the ditch then climbed the motte to better appreciate the ground the castle would have commanded. In my mind’s-eye I eliminated the modern buildings and trees and came to the conclusion that Pencader was indeed a well-situated castle. I felt satisfied visiting this largely forgotten and obviously neglected site, built by one of the most infamous Norman families of the Welsh March.
The main target of this day was the motte and bailey castle at Wiston. Wiston is a mid-12th century castle attributed to a settler known as "Wizo the Fleming" from whom the town and the castle take their name. The castle took part in the many conflicts between the Flemings and the Welsh, was captured by the Welsh, retaken several times, and visited by Gerald of Wales in 1188. Wiston is one of only six motte castles in Britain retaining their original stone shell keep. Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments, recently completed work on clearing and shoring up the important castle so it can be enjoyed by future generations.
We found the castle and village north of the A40 just east of Haverfordwest. We parked the car at the church across from the site. Again, photographs had failed to prepare me for the size of this castle. The motte was taller and wider than I expected, and the bailey is simply the largest I’ve ever seen for a castle of otherwise modest size. We entered the site through a break in the protective outer bank of the bailey opposite the church. From here the first thing I noticed was the tremendous size of the bailey. According to Mike Salter the bailey at Wiston is an incredible 125m by 80m across, and is protected by a still substantial system of banks and ditches. The motte stands about 12m high and is crowned with the remains of a stone shell keep, complete except for a portion on the northern side of the motte. As we approached we took note of the ditch surrounding the base of the motte. We ascended the motte via a convenient set of stairs cut into the front, without which, the climb to the summit would have been difficult. The stairs brought us to a modest gateway cut into the shell of the keep leading to the interior of the castle. We noticed holes on either side of the gate that were possibly used for some type of drawbar. Although the motte at Wiston is quite large, the area inside the keep is surprisingly small. The interior retains some detail, including the remains of a crosswall used to strengthen the castle and parts of a stairwell. From the summit of the motte Wiston’s large bailey is even more apparent, and one can just imagine the many buildings that used to occupy the bailey (all long gone) and the busy activities that once took place within its confines. We descended the motte and walked around the back where the protective ditch is deeper than on the front side, that part of the castle not having the protection of the bailey. We then walked along the top of the eastern bank of the bailey before returning to the car. We ended our stay at Wiston by enjoying another packed lunch in the car park opposite the castle, from which we had a clear view through the bailey to the stone keep atop the motte (a great view). Wiston Castle is a truly remarkable and fascinating survival, another of those lovely surprises we’ve come to expect from our trips to Wales. I highly recommend this site for a Welsh castle experience like no other.
It was too early in the afternoon to return home, and since the weather had started to clear, we decided continue on by visiting lovely Carew Castle near Pembroke (first visited in 1994). Carew has been described as being second only to Raglan as Wales’ premier "handsome" ruined castle, due primarily to certain Tudor alterations at the hands of Sir Rhys ap Thomas and Sir John Perrot. We made our way to the tiny village of Carew and parked in the pub parking lot across from the castle. From here we could see the magnificent Carew Cross standing close to the road in front of the castle. The Carew Cross is one of three outstanding pre-medieval crosses found in Wales, and exhibits both Celtic and Viking influences. The original castle at Carew was built by the de Barri family in the late 12th century, and, like many of the other castles we visited, was rebuilt, and eventually transformed into a comfortable residence. One interesting note is that recent archaeological excavations at the site have revealed a series of banks and ditches in the castle’s outer bailey, indicating that Carew was at one time a fortified Celtic settlement predating the castle by several centuries.
There is a tremendous amount of late surviving detail to be found at Carew, including large ornamented windows and fireplaces along with several heraldic carvings. As mentioned, some of the surviving detail at Carew harkens back to the castle’s association with Rhys ap Thomas, who was responsible for organizing the last Welsh medieval tournament in 1507 held on the grounds of Carew, however the castle’s most notable feature is the later range of buildings built by Sir John Perrot. After paying our admission at the gift shop we found ourselves in front of the main gatehouse admiring the beautiful details of the Chapel and the eastern end of Perrot’s range. Going through the gate we arrived at the inner ward of the castle. Here the buildings survive in most places to their original height and retain much of their finer detail. Beautifully carved windows and fireplaces occupying what were obviously once very comfortable accommodations, testify to the castle’s former glory. The earlier hall to the right features an ornate carved fireplace in a large room featuring a modern tapestry depicting the 1507 tournament as its centerpiece. This range of buildings can be explored at four different levels, including the basement, and also houses the old tower, kitchen, and chapel. Next we moved to the northeast end of Sir John Perrot’s range to examine details of the surviving windows and fireplaces. However, the majesty of this part of the castle can only be appreciated the millpond across from the castle. We therefore concluded our visit to Carew by driving to a park located next to the millpond for a better view of this magnificent range. Afterwards we decided to quench our thirst at the local pub before journeying on. Carew is definitely a castle that dazzles the senses, and we very much enjoyed revisiting this impressive castle with its fine surviving detail. In a way it was a welcome break from our steady diet of simple motte castles! :-)
Since we were only a stone’s throw away, we decided to end the day by visiting lovely Manorbier Castle, birthplace and boyhood home of Gerald of Wales. Like Carew, Manorbier was built by the de Barri family, although the castle is actually more fortified house than true castle. Nevertheless, Manorbier feels every inch the castle and features an impressive gatehouse, a well-preserved hall, solar, chapel, and a nice set of interior passageways. As a bonus the castle is surrounded by gardens brimming with beautiful plants and flowers. The only Welsh castle that can match Manorbier in this regard is Usk Castle near Abergavenny. The tower directly south of the gatehouse is complete to its original height and features restored rooms on all floors, some of which (unfortunately) offer wax figures of Gerald and family. There are marvelous views from the top of this tower. Looking over the gatehouse towards the entrance to the castle you can see the village’s ancient church, itself a fixture on the landscape for several centuries. Looking back towards the castle, one is presented with a bird’s-eye view of Manorbier’s inner ward framed by the beautiful Pembrokeshire coastline in the distance. Inside the tower we explored the rooms featuring intact walls, floors, ceilings, windows, fireplaces, and interesting passageways and stairs. Overall, this part of Manorbier provides visitors with an important glimpse into the inner workings of the castle, an educational opportunity not afforded by most other Welsh castles. South of this tower a range of modern accommodations has been built into the castle wall, and this part of the castle is available for holiday let throughout the year. After we finished exploring the tower we walked around the perimeter of the inner ward to the range of buildings on the southwest side of the castle - the hall, solar and the chapel. These buildings are generally more ruinous than the aforementioned tower, although we also found some impressive surviving details here, including impressive fireplaces and windows. Later we spent some time chatting with Mr Thomas, the caretaker at Manorbier for the past 18 years (he and his wife). It is Mr Thomas who is responsible for the castle’s remarkable gardens, and Parthene enjoyed asking him about the beautiful plants and flowers found through the castle grounds. By this time it was late in the afternoon and time to leave. We very much enjoyed our visit to Manorbier. We first visited the castle in 1994, although today additional areas of the castle have been opened to visitors. In addition, a new guidebook for the castle is scheduled to be released soon, which is certainly welcome news given the shortcomings of the present guide. A day that had begun with bad weather and only one firm objective (Wiston) had turned into a lovely afternoon visiting the handsome and interesting castles at Carew and Manorbier. Still, a sense of melancholy began to settle over us later that evening as we realized that the following day would be our last in Wales.
Our final day in Wales was a busy one. We began the day by visiting the new National Botanical Gardens just south of Carmarthen. We enjoyed walking around the outdoor gardens and those inside the large-domed arboretum. However, the National Botanical Gardens simply cannot compare with magnificent Bodnant Gardens just south of Conwy in north Wales. (Then again, perhaps it’s unfair to compare a new garden with a well established one.) We were a little disappointed with both the ongoing construction and with the lack of native plants and flowers on display. Perhaps it was too early in the year, or perhaps the site will improve once all the construction work has been completed. The potential seems to be there, anyway.
Afterwards we decided to have lunch at the Castle Hotel in Llandeilo, where we again enjoyed great food and great ale. This was a prelude to the day’s main activity - a trip to nearby Carreg Cennen Castle. When you ask people about their favorite Welsh castles, you’re bound to get a variety of answers. Inevitably people will mention the "big-four" Edwardian castles of north Wales, Conwy, Caernarfon, Beaumaris, Harlech, or perhaps some of the more impressive strongholds of south Wales like Chepstow, Caerphilly, and Raglan. However, I have found that many people who have experience beyond these better-know and very worthy claimants often list Carreg Cennen as their favorite Welsh castle, and I'm not sure I could disagree. A visit to this majestic site demonstrates why this is so.
The first thing you should know about Castell Carreg Cennen is that its dramatic siting is matched by only one other castle in Wales - magnificent Castell Dinas Bran perched high above the Dee Valley in north Wales. Although the views from the summit of these two castles are equally beautiful, Carreg Cennen has the advantage because its ruins are far more extensive than those found at Dinas Bran. Carreg Cennen rests high on an outcropping of natural rock south of Llandeilo near the village of Trapp. The original castle was Welsh-built by the princes of Deheubarth, but was eventually captured, destroyed and completely rebuilt as an impressive Norman castle. No traces of the earlier Welsh castle survive today. As you approach the site the castle suddenly appears dramatically on the horizon and your first instinct is to stop the car and get out to admire the view (which is exactly what we did). The view of the castle remained with us all the way to the car park. We parked the car and I strapped on the backpack containing our provisions for the hike to the summit of Carreg Cennen. We immediately attracted the attention of one of the beautiful resident male peacocks patrolling the parking lot, no doubt in search of a easy handout! By this time the overcast morning had transformed into a brilliantly sunny day with not a single cloud in the sky. It seemed as though the gods were smiling upon us for our final day in Wales.
The castle at Carreg Cennen overlooks a working farm. The owners of the farm operate a combination cafe-gift shop that also serves as the admissions hut for the castle. We paid our admission and soon found ourselves hiking behind the farm up a fairly steep path leading to the castle. As we wound our way towards the summit, we entered the castle proper through the low ruins of the fortified outer ward. Before entering the castle’s inner ward we walked around to the south side of castle to admire the dramatic 300 foot cliff on which the castle rests. Here the inner curtain wall is complete and joins with a surviving section of outer curtain containing arrowslits, both dramatically perched high over the valley below. We then walked back around to the outer ward and approached the gatehouse via a bridge spanning the ditch in front of the castle. The gatehouse itself is impressive. In fact, one side of its tower represents the castle’s tallest point. Also if interest here are a set of well-preserved arrowslits found in the chambers on either side of the gatehouse. Although the interior of Carreg Cennen is ruinous, the inner curtain wall survives intact and the surviving halls and towers, some of which retain substantial detail, are well worth exploring. There are sections of stairs to climb and several rooms to explore at Carreg Cennen, including the ruins of the chapel and the King’s Chamber, both of which retain their finely-detailed windows.
Of course the feature that's probably most memorable at Carreg Cennen is the cave that runs deep beneath the castle. We entered the passage to the cave through a arched doorway on south side of the castle next to the King’s Chamber. From here we walked down a corridor lit by slits in the wall facing the cliff. The passage (and the light) eventually ended at a steep set of stairs that took us down to the actual cave. If you don't have a strong flashlight (torch) this is where your journey ends, as there is nothing but blackness ahead. From this point on things become interesting. Even with the aid of a flashlight, a trip down to the cave at Carreg Cennen is not for the faint of heart. The passage is dark, cramped in some places, and the footing is fairly treacherous for much of the way. The cave finally ends at a cistern that some claim was the castle's main water supply, although others maintain that the cistern is too small to have supplied the needs of the castle. Following our subterranean adventure, I have to admit that we were more than a little glad to be reacquainted with the warm sunshine above ground! :-)
Having finished with the inner ward, it was time to go back outside the castle to admire the stunning views of the countryside surrounding us. From in front of the gatehouse we could see castle farm far below and the green fields separated by neat hedgerows and their grazing sheep. The view on the southern side of the castle is further enhanced by the slopes of the Black Mountains looming in the background. The last part of the castle we explored was the area to the west of the gatehouse. We crossed the castle ditch and climbed to an outcropping of rock to the west of the castle. Here we enjoyed what are perhaps the best views the castle itself. From here the towers and curtain wall stand to almost full height, and the view of the dramatic south side cliff is even more impressive. We chose this spot to enjoy a bite to eat along with some refreshment (Marston's Pale Ale) and take in the dramatic scenery surrounding us. After lingering for some time at this spot, snapping photos and just enjoying the beautiful day, we reluctantly began making our way back down the hill. Although we had visited some beautiful and impressive hilltop castles the week before in mid-Wales, they all came up short in comparison with the magnificent castle at Cennen Cennen. The best castle in Wales? I’d say, yes!
It was about 4 pm when we left Carreg Cennen. We decided there was more than enough time left in the day for a quick visit to nearby Aberglasney Gardens, located about half-way between Llandeilo and Dryslwyn. Aberglasney is a late medieval residence once owned by the bishops of St Davids. Restoration work is currently being carried out on the medieval ruins, the later mansion, and the grounds and gardens, the combination of which makes for an interesting mix of ecclesiastical and secular elements. For example, a late-period mansion is attached to a medieval-style cloister. Although far from complete, the gardens offer several interesting and beautiful sections of plants and flowers. We enjoyed walking through the formal gardens framed by a lovely pond, the adjacent Victorian garden with its stands of colorful tulips, and were surprised by the many wild plants and flowers we encountered on a wooded path just above the main house. Aberglasney was a pleasant and peaceful surprise that promises even greater things for the future.
After our visit to Aberglasney I was still reluctant to end the day, especially since we were still enjoying sunny blue skies. We therefore decided to make one last quick stop at a castle nearby. Llanadog is a still-impressive motte and bailey castle just over the bridge beyond the village of the same name. This Norman castle is mentioned in 1160 and was destroyed by Rhys Gryg in 1209. The motte, now covered with trees, and the adjoining bailey are both plainly visible from the road, and there are even better views of the site from the edge of the surrounding farm. It was late in the day so instead of trying to visit the site I settled on photographing the castle from the road and from the edge of the farm. From here the large motte was obvious and even the remains of the castle bailey to the right of the motte were apparent. As had been the case at Crickadarn, my photographing the castle attracted the attention of a flock of sheep across the lane, all of which suddenly came running towards me with anxious expectations. Although I was sorry to have disappointed them, I was very glad to grab some photos of the castle! Although the highlight of the day had been our trip to Carreg Cennen, it was fitting that our final site in Wales this year had been a smaller motte and bailey castle; it created an appropriate coda to a trip that had featured my first extensive explorations of these marvelous sites.
We spent the final two days in Bath in order to get a bit closer to London for our morning flight home. We had stayed in Bath before and enjoyed revisiting the impressive Roman ruins there. On our final day in Britain we visited beautiful Wells Cathedral and equally beautiful Glastonbury Abbey nearby, (had to drop in on Arthur & Gwen! :-), but I will withhold those details from this essay that is primarily concerned with the medieval castles of Wales.
Our trip to Wales had been a fun-filled and resounding success. We spent most of our time outdoors in the (sometimes wild) countryside, visiting castles, churches and lovely towns & villages. Along the way we met and talked with many genuinely friendly and helpful people, which is actually one of the best things about Wales. We explored and documented many new castles and revisited others that had been extensively restored since our last visit. I became positively hooked on those minor motte castles, and I take great comfort in knowing that, although I’ve succeeded in conquering the masonry castles of Wales, I have only just begun to scratch the surface in regards to the dozens of motte castles that dot the Welsh landscape. All of this, I’m afraid, makes our return to Wales something of a foregone conclusion.
Jeffrey L. Thomas
May 2002
Return to Castle Index, Castle Database, or Castle Location Maps Return to main castle page menu 
