Castle sights in Wales
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Cardiff Castle
The grafting of Victorian mock-Gothic extravagance onto Cardiff's most important historical relics makes Cardiff Castle the city's leading attraction. It's far from a traditional Welsh castle, more a collection of disparate castles scattered around a central green, encompassing practically the whole history of Cardiff. The most conventional castle-y bits are the 12th-century motte-and-bailey Norman keep at its centre and the 13th-century Black Tower, which forms the entrance gate.
In the 19th century it was discovered that the Normans had built their fortifications on top of the original 1st-century Roman fort. The high walls that surround the castle now are largely a…
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Chepstow Castle
Magnificent Chepstow Castle perches atop a limestone cliff overhanging the river, guarding the main river crossing from England into South Wales. It is one of the oldest castles in Britain (building began in 1067) and the impressive Great Tower retains its original Norman architecture.
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Conwy Castle
Rising from a rocky outcrop with commanding views across the estuary and Snowdonia National Park, Conwy Castle may look like a fairytale construction. But it's very much solid, with eight fierce, slightly tapered towers of coarse dark stone and four additional turrets poking from the interior. The castle took just five years (1283-87) to build, with 1500 workers helping at the height of construction, and remains today one of the greatest examples of medieval military architecture in the UK.
After the Civil War in the 17th century, it fell into disrepair and the Council of State ordered it to be partially pulled down. Inside it's more tumbledown than its Unesco partner at…
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Caernarfon Castle
Built between 1283 and 1301, this castle was Edward I's most impressive stronghold. The polygonal towers and colour-banded masonry were based on Constantinople's 5th-century walls, and set it apart from the other castles of North Wales.
It has proved almost impregnable; in 1404, 28 bedraggled men withstood a Owain Glyndŵr's siege, and during the 17th-century civil war it was unsuccessfully attacked three times.
Originally built as a seat of government rule and royal palace, the towers were decorated with ornate stained glass. The Eagle Tower is the finest remaining example. In the Queen's Tower is a museum celebrating Wales' oldest infantry regiment, the Royal Welsh…
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Penrhyn Castle
About 1.5 miles east of town, Penrhyn Castle is a fine example of neo-Norman architecture set in beautiful grounds with parkland and wooded walks. Managed by the NT today, it was built between 1820 and 1845 on the spoils of Welsh slate and Jamaican sugar, and designed by Thomas Hopper for the wealthy Pennant family.
It's a vast, extravagant place, with a great hall modelled on Durham Cathedral in England, rooms full of Hopper's mock-Norman furniture, stained glass and hand-painted wallpaper - not to mention a one-ton slate bed built for Queen Victoria. The lofty grand staircase took 10 years to build while adjacent stable blocks are home to several galleries and…
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Carew Castle
Looming romantically over the glassy River Carew, 12th-century Carew Castle and its restored tidal mill exude historic atmosphere. The Elizabethan tidal mill has a causeway that once trapped the incoming tide in a pond, then released water through sluice gates to turn the millwheels. For 400 years until 1937, the mill ground corn for the castle community.
The 1.6km (1mi) circular walk around the castle, mill, causeway and bridge is recommended. A tall 11th-century Celtic cross stands by the road near the castle entrance.
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Cardigan Castle
The shored-up and overgrown walls of Cardigan Castle make for a sorry sight. Long neglected by its private owner - a private house was built within the walls in the 19th century - the crumbling castle was purchased by Ceredigion Council in 2003; plans are under way to restore it and open it to the public. It holds an important place in Welsh culture, having been the venue for the first competitive National Eisteddfod, held in 1176 under the aegis of Lord Rhys ap Gruffydd.
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Oystermouth Castle
It wouldn't be Wales without a castle, hence the trendy shops and bars of Newton Rd are guarded by a majestic ruin. Once the stronghold of the Norman lords of Gower it's now the focus of summer Shakespeare performances. There's a fine view over Swansea Bay from the battlements.
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Monmouth Castle
Nearby on Castle Hill are the meagre remains of Monmouth Castle, where Henry V was born in 1397. Except for the great tower, it was dismantled in the 17th century and the stone used to build Great Castle House next door, now headquarters of the Royal Monmouthshire Regiment.
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Norman Castle
What little remains of Brecon's Norman Castle was incorporated into the Castle of Brecon Hotel. Across the road from the hotel is the original Norman motte (mound), capped by the ivy-clad Ely Tower (not open to the public).
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Norman Castle
On top of Castle Hill are the ruins of the Norman Castle, a memorial to Prince Albert, and a fine view over the coast.
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Laugharne Castle
Built in the 13th century, Laugharne Castle was converted into a mansion in the 16th century for John Perrot, thought to be the illegitimate son of Henry VIII. It was landscaped with lawns and gardens in Victorian times.
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Dolbadarn Castle
Wales is so spoilt for castles that this one gets little attention. Built before 1230 by the Princes of Gwyneth, the keep rises like a perfect chessboard rook from a green hilltop between the two lakes. It's a brief stroll from town, rewarded by wonderful views of the lakes, quarries and Snowdon itself.
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Beaumaris Castle
The last of Edward I's great castles of North Wales, and the largest, Beaumaris is deservedly a World Heritage Site. The four successive lines of fortifications and concentric 'walls within walls' make it the most technically perfect castle in Great Britain – the castle with the wow factor.
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Harlech Castle
Edward I finished this intimidating building in 1289, the southernmost of his 'iron ring' of fortresses designed to keep the Welsh firmly beneath his boot. Despite its might, the storybook fortress has been called the 'Castle of Lost Causes' because it has been lucklessly defended so many times. Owain Glyndŵr captured it after a long siege in 1404. He was in turn besieged here by the future Henry V.
During the Wars of the Roses the castle is said to have held out against a siege for seven years and was the last Lancastrian stronghold to fall. The siege inspired the popular Welsh hymn Men of Harlech, which is still played today in regimental marches and sung with patriotic…
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