Medieval Welsh Castles

Swansea Castle

Nov 6, 1116

Built on a cliff top, and now surrounded by modern buildings and roads, only part of Swansea Castle is left over looking where the Tawe river once flowed.

Usk Castle

Nov 7, 1120

This Norman castle and town is located on a hill at the northernmost area of a Roman fort site. It has round towers, a spiral staircase, and is ruined in some places.

Laugharne Castle

Nov 7, 1189

This castle sits over the Taf estuary on a low cliff. It is a strong, masonry castle with round towers, and has undergone investigation and gradual restoration for at least 20 years.

Pen y Bryn Castle

Nov 7, 1211

Pen y Bryn, or "The Prince's Tower," is in fact the lost palace of Llywelyn Fawr the Great, as folktale would also suggest. Its windows and doors are boarded up, and its tower is clearly older than the rest of the structure. Hidden stairways, rooms, and tunnels have been discovered under this castle.

Pembridge Castle

Nov 7, 1215

This castle includes a restored round tower, a chapel, semi-circular and oblong towers, and a monumental gatehouse. It is enclosed by a rectangular moat.

Stokesay Castle

Nov 7, 1240

Stokesay Castle is a fortifed manor house left remarkabley intact over the years. It was built with some defensive capabilities, a large hall, comfortable solar, and a private apartment.

Aberstwyth Castle

Nov 6, 1277

Fought over by the Welsh and Normans, and built on the site of one of the largest Iron Age fortifications of the region, Aberstwyth Castle is now entirely ruined. What is left is a jumble of towers near the sea.

Harlech Castle

Nov 10, 1283

Linked in Welsh myth to the tragic heroine of Branwen, Harlech was once part of an "iron ring" of castles. Its ground floor was most likely for the constable or governor, and its top floor rooms were probably suites for visiting dignitaries, like the King.

St. Donats Castle

Nov 7, 1296

St. Donats is on a promontory with cliffs to the west. It includes a dry moat, small original tower, modern towers and a modern dining hall.

Raglan Castle

Nov 10, 1415

With its multiangular towers and Tudor-styling, Raglan Castle is truly unique. It is built mainly of two types of sandstone and is located three miles from the Wye river.