(All Properties) in (All Categories) in Wales

Wales

Beaumaris Castle

Beaumaris Castle is a great unfinished masterpiece. It was built as one link of the 'iron ring' of North Wales castles by the English monarch Edward I, to stamp his authority on the Welsh. Begun in 1295, this was the last and largest of the castles to be built by King Edward I in Wales during his programme of royal castle building.

The castle is possibly the most sophisticated example of medieval military architecture in Britain and has few equals anywhere in the world. It is surrounded by a water-filled moat with a seaward entrance protecting a tidal dock and allowed supply ships to sail right up to the castle.

Its symmetrical concentric design, involving four successive lines of fortifications, represented the state of the art for the late 13th century. This outstanding castle, built in Gritstone, is a World Heritage inscribed site.

Bodelwyddan Castle

Bodelwyddan Castle is a fifteenth century castle in Denbighshire, Wales, originally built as manor house around 1460. The castle that stands today was reconstructed between 1830 and 1852.

The castle is set in a large area of parkland, and formal gardens. It is a partner of the National Portrait Gallery and possesses a fine range of portraits. Both house and gardens are open to the public. The castle offers tours and a range of educational services, along with other facilities for children. Rooms are available for private hire, and the castle is licenced for civil marriages. Bodelwyddan also hosts a wide range of events, including paranormal investigations. The castle grounds feature trenches built for troops to practice in during the First World War. Bodelwyddan Castle is a Grade II* Listed Building.

Caernarfon Castle

Caernarfon is a well preserved great stone castle, built by King Edward I. It is thought that Edward's architect, James of St. George, modelled the castle on the walls of Constantinople. On higher ground on the outskirts of the town are the remains of an earlier occupation, a Roman Fort called Segontium.

It was besieged by Welsh rebels on several occasions and three times during the later English Civil War.

On 1 July 1969 the investiture ceremony of Charles, Prince of Wales was held at Caernarfon Castle. It is open to the public.

Caerphilly Castle

Caerphilly is a huge castle, well preserved with fascinating water defences. It is a medieval castle that dominates the centre of the town of Caerphilly in south Wales. It is the largest castle in Wales and the second largest in Britain after Windsor Castle.

Built mainly between 1268 and 1271, it is an early example of a concentric castle with extensive water defences.

The castle is now a tourist attraction and includes a small shop in between its two main bridges. It is also licensed to perform wedding ceremonies - the Great Hall providing facilities for 100 guests. Fishing is available in the north and south lakes for carp and other coarse fish.

Cardiff Castle

Cardiff Castle is a medieval castle but also a nineteenth century Gothic Revival mansion. Located in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, this is a castle that has been transformed from a Norman keep into a Victorian fantasy of a medieval castle.

The Norman keep, of which the shell remains, was constructed about 1091 by Robert Fitzhamon, lord of Gloucester and conqueror of Glamorgan. The keep was built on a motte on the site of a Roman castrum, first uncovered during the building campaign of the third Marquis of Bute in the nineteenth century.

Today the castle is run by Cardiff Council and is open to the public. The Victorian interiors are spectacular.

Chepstow Castle

Chepstow Castle is the oldest surviving stone fortification in Britain. It was built on the the instructions of the Norman lord William fitzOsbern, soon to be made Earl of Hereford.

The castle was started in 1067, and was to become the southernmost of King Edward I's "iron ring" of castles built along the English-Welsh border in the Welsh Marches.

Today Chepstow Castle is open to the public, and since 1984 has been in the care of Cadw. There are special events held often in the castle and visitors are able to walk along the battlements and into Martens Tower.

Conway Castle

Conway Castle is a medieval royal castle in Conway, on the north coast of Wales. It was built between 1283 and 1289 during King Edward I's second campaign in North Wales as one of the fortresses in his 'iron ring' of castles to contain the Welsh.

In comparison to other great Edwardian castles it is relatively straightforward in design, a reflection of the inherent strength of its siting. It was captured after a three-month siege by the Parliamentary army in 1646 after which it was slighted so that today is little more than an empty shell.

It is part of a World Heritage Site along with three others of Edward's Welsh castles.

Denbigh Castle

Denbigh Castle is one of the fortresses built after the 13th-century conquest of Wales by Edward I. It was defended by a unique triple-towered gateway.

The castle stands on a rocky promontory above the Welsh market town of Denbigh, Denbighshire. It was built on the site of a former Welsh stronghold controlled by Dafydd ap Gruffydd, the brother of Llywelyn the Last.

Denbigh castle is now managed by Cadw and is open to the public.

Flint Castle

Flint Castle was the first of the series of castles built during King Edward I's campaign to conquer Wales. Flint was therefore the first castle of what would later become known as Edward I's "Iron Ring", a chain of fortresses designed to encircle North Wales and suppress the Welsh. Its construction began almost immediately after Edward I began his First Welsh War in 1277.The site was chosen for its strategic position. The castle was only one day's march from Chester, supplies could be brought along the River Dee and there was also a ford across to England that could be used at low tide.

During the English Civil War, Flint Castle was held by the Royalists. It was finally captured by the Parliamentarians in 1647 after a three-month siege. To prevent its reuse in the conflict, the castle was then slighted in accordance with Cromwell's destruction order. The ruins are what remain today. Flint Castle has been managed as public monument for 90 years, and is now maintained by Cadw. Access is free and via a path. Most parts of the castle, such as the isolated keep, are open to the public.

Harlech Castle

Harlech Castle is a concentric castle, constructed an top of a cliff close to the Irish Sea. Harlech was one of 14 castles built by Edward I in the closing decades of the 13th century. It was besieged repeatedly durig the Welsh Wars, during the Wars of the Roses and again during the English Civil War. During the English Civil War It withstood the longest known siege in the history of the British Isles – seven years.

Following the defeat of the Lancastrians at the Battle of Towton, during the the Wars of the Roses, Edward IV of England (1461–1470) controlled the country and Harlech became last major stronghold under Lancastrian control.

Architecturally, it is notable for its massive gatehouse.The castle is now in the care of Cadw and is open to visitors.

Pembroke Castle

Pembroke Castle is a medieval castle in Pembroke in West Wales. The castle is sited on a strategic rocky promontory by Pembroke River.

The first castle here was established in 1093 during the Norman invasion of Wales. It was a Norman motte and bailey with earthen ramparts and a timber palisade

The present structure owes much to William Marshal, "The Flower of Courtesy", one of the most powerful men in 12th-Century Britain. It was owned by a long succession of families and saw action in many wars and uprisings over the centuries.

Today, the castle is open to the public. It remains the largest privately-owned castle in Wales.

Powis Castle

Powis Castle is a medieval castle, fortress and grand country mansion located near the town of Welshpool, in Powys, Mid Wales. Powis is one of the few places in Britain where a true baroque garden may still be seen. A great deal of work to restore and improve the gardens was undertaken from 1911 by Violet wife of the fourth Earl of Powis, including the laying out of the formal gardens at the far south eastern corner.

The castle is the residence of the Earl of Powis, and is known for its formal gardens, terraces, parkland, deer park and landscaped estate. The property is under the care of the National Trust, which operates it under the name " Powis Castle and Garden".

Raglan Castle

Raglan Castle is a late medieval castle located just north of the village of Raglan in the county of Monmouthshire in south east Wales. Its origins lie in the 12th century but the ruins visible today date from the 15th century and later. The peak of the power and splendour of the castle came in the 15th century and 16th centuries, as the Marches fortress of the great family of Herbert.

Its ruin came at the end of one of the longest sieges of the English Civil War. After it fell, systematic slighting of the castle was undertaken and the Great Tower was largely destroyed by mining. In the 20th century, the Dukes of Beaufort placed the castle in the care of the state. It is presently administered by Cadw.