Historic Places in Carmarthenshire

Norman stronghold is a match for the greatest castles of Wales See Kidwelly Castle rising above the river Gwendraeth on a misty morning and prepare to be amazed. This is the medieval fortress of everyone’s dreams. That’s probably why it appears in the very first scene of ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’. But it would have been no laughing matter to attack this military stronghold. Kidwelly began in the early 12th century as a Norman ‘ringwork’ castle made of wood and protected only by an earthen bank and ditch. Not surprisingly it was under constant attack by Welsh princes including the Lord Rhys, who captured it in 1159. Four decades later the Normans were back in charge. By the 1280s the Chaworth brothers, powerful Marcher lords, had created the stone ‘castle within a castle’ that still stands today. Imagine being a Welsh attacker. First you had to conquer the great gatehouse with its drawbridge and portcullis, a hail of arrows and rocks raining down on you. Breach these outer defences and you were faced by the four towers of the inner ward. No way forward – and nowhere to hide. A true killing zone. After centuries of see-sawing conflict between Norman invaders and native princes Kidwelly was now a match for any castle in Wales. The gatehouse added by the Duchy of Lancaster was the icing on the cake. Even the forces of Owain Glyndŵr couldn’t break through.

Iconic ruin offers an unforgettably romantic experience Welcome to officially the most romantic ruin in Wales – as voted by readers of Countryfile magazine. Perched on a great limestone crag nearly 300ft/90m above the River Cennen, the dramatic silhouette of Carreg Cennen dominates the skyline for miles around and commands stunning views over the Carmarthenshire countryside. From the moment you first glimpse the castle, probably built by Edward I’s loyal baron John Giffard at the end of the 13th century, you feel an incredible sense of drama and remoteness. In this wild setting, with few reminders of the modern world, the castle will seem like your own personal discovery. So feel free to enter the elaborate barbican overlooked by twin towers. Explore the natural cave and vaulted passage cut into the cliff-face. We guarantee an unforgettable experience.

Thought to have been built by Richard Fitz Pons around 1116 the castle changed hands several times until it fell to Edward I in 1277. Briefly held by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd the castle was then granted to John Giffard, 1st Baron Giffard, who it is thought to have had it rebuilt in stone in the late 13th century. In 1532 the castle was burnt in a rebellion led by Hywel ap Rhys and was never rebuilt.

Mighty medieval castle, Tudor mansion and poet’s hideout This is the ‘brown as owls’ castle beloved of Dylan Thomas, Laugharne’s most famous resident. He wrote Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog in the castle summerhouse perched above glorious views of the Taf estuary. Here two giant medieval stone towers stand guard over the remains of a magnificent Tudor mansion, all set in 19th century ornamental gardens. After centuries of conflict between Welsh and Anglo-Normans, Laugharne was rescued from near ruin by Elizabethan courtier Sir John Perrot. He turned the dilapidated 13th-century castle into a residence fit for a gentleman, including a grand hall whose gaping windows still stare out over the water. But his rapid rise had made him many enemies – and even the rumour that he was really the queen’s half-brother couldn’t save him. Convicted of high treason, Sir John died in the Tower of London in 1592 while awaiting execution. Some believe he was poisoned just as Elizabeth was about pardon him.

The castle at Carmarthen, on its rocky eminence overlooking the River Twyi, must have dominated the medieval town just as, a little way to the east, the Roman fort must have dominated the Roman town a thousand years before. Giraldus Cambrensis tells us that even in the late 12th century, parts of strong walls of the ancient city of the Romans were still standing. The castle was converted into a prison in the 18th and 19th centuries, and the building of the Council offices has also not helped its appreciation as a military entity. However, enough remains to make a visit worthwhile. The castle is first mentioned in 1094, when the name Rhyd y Gors is used. The earliest castle, built by the Norman William fitz Baldwin, may have been sited elsewhere perhaps further down the river. After 1105 the annals refer to Carmarthen by name, so by then certainly, the Norman castle was on its present site. The castle evidently became important early on, and passed into the hands of the crown. Carmarthen quickly became the administrative center of south-west Wales as it had been under the Romans, and inevitably underwent a series of attacks and rebuilding episodes during the turbulent struggles between Welsh and English in the 12th and 13th centuries. Among these episodes was the capture and destruction of the castle by Llywelyn the Great in 1215, after which extensive rebuilding work was undertaken by William Marshal the younger earl of Pembroke, who had re-captured the castle in 1223. It may have been at this period that the massive stone defences were built on the site of the original motte. A survey of the castle in 1275 refers to a dungeon, a great tower, a gatehouse, hall, kitchen and chapel, all of which apparently needed repair, and from 1288-9 much rebuilding took place; this probably included the construction of the stone curtain wall. Further buildings were added in the 14th century, including the present gatehouse and the south-west tower. The castle remained important in the 15th century and required considerable repair after being sacked by Owain Glyndwr in 1405. By 1456, Edmund Tewdwr (father of Henry VII) had gained possession of Carmarthen Castle as the king's representative, and died here in that year.

The stone castle was thought to have been built by Maredudd ap Rhys arounf 1240. From 1343 the castle was owned by the Edward, Black Prince, it was captured by the Welsh on 1403 in the Glyndwr Rising. Building repairs were carried out in the 15th century and the castle was stated as being in good condition in the early 17th century. The castle changed hands several times during the English Civil War and was besieged by Parliamentary troops in 1645 By 1700 the castle had been dismantled and left to ruin.

Much fought-over seat of the kingdom of Deheubarth Perched in a commanding hilltop position above the Tywi Valley, Castell Dinefwr occupies a similarly significant position in Welsh history. In the 12th century, the fortress was in the possession of The Lord Rhys, ruler of the ancient south Wales kingdom of Deheubarth. His reign saw a rare period of peace and stability that led to a flowering of Welsh culture, music and poetry. Sadly, it was not to last. After Rhys’s death, conflicts over succession led to turbulent years as the Welsh princes fought amongst themselves and against the English. Dinefwr eventually fell into English control in 1287 and remained there for centuries, despite Owain Glyndŵr’s attempt to wrest it back during his uprising of 1403.

Fragmentary – yet evocative – remains of a castle laid low by conflict Founded in the 13th century on an isolated hill in the verdant Tywi Valley, Dryslwyn was once an important seat of the ancient south Wales kingdom of Deheubarth. Not much is known about its early history, but in 1287 it was the scene of a significant conflict between Welsh and English forces. In response to an uprising by Welsh lord Rhys ap Maredudd, 11,000 English troops were dispatched to lay siege to the castle. The conflict lasted two weeks as siege engines and sappers (soldiers with engineering skills, including tunnelling) chipped away at the fortress’s defences. The attackers eventually brought down a large section of the walls and the castle fell into the hands of the English crown.

A prime piece of real estate Wow-factor views are part of Llansteffan’s appeal. This headland castle overlooking the green farmlands, swirling sea and gleaming sands of the Tywi Estuary and Carmarthen Bay, boasts one of the most stunning locations in Wales. That’s not to say that the stronghold itself is lacking in interest. Llansteffan, which controlled an important river crossing, occupies a site that has been defended since prehistoric times. Its rough stone walls, dating from the late 12th century, enclose an Iron Age promontory fort occupied in 600 BC. Although ruined, the castle retains its power to intimidate — especially when you approach its massive twin-towered gatehouse, built in around 1280 and still looming large.