Kidwelly Castle is a Norman castle overlooking the River Gwendraeth and the town of Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire, Wales.
History and description
The present remains of the castle include work from about 1114 to about 1476. Created as a defence against the Welsh, the castle fell to the Welsh several times in the twelfth century. Later in its history, it was unsuccessfully besieged by forces of Owain Glyndŵr in 1403 with assistance from soldiers from France and Brittany who captured Kidwelly town. The castle was relieved by a Norman army after just three weeks. The gatehouse was extensively damaged and it was rebuilt on the instructions of King Henry V. It largely escaped involvement in the English Civil War.
The plan of the castle consists of a square inner bailey defended by four round towers, which overlook a semi-circular outer curtain wall on the landward side, with the massive gatehouse next to the river. The river prevents this from being a truly concentric plan, however a jutting tower protects the riverside walls, and the final plan is very strong.
The castle is relatively well-preserved, and is managed by Cadw.
The surrounding countryside is reputedly haunted by the headless ghost of Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd, wife of the Welsh prince Gruffydd ap Rhys, who was beheaded in 1136.
In film
Kidwelly was used as a location for the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, appearing in the very first scene after the titles. After the first view of King Arthur and Patsy, a very misty establishing shot shows Kidwelly as their destination. However, the following close up filming was done at Doune Castle in Scotland.

Kidwelly Castle

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Llansteffan Castle is a castle near the village of Llansteffan in Carmarthenshire, Wales, overlooking the River Tywi estuary where it enters Carmarthen Bay.
Prehistoric site
The castle sits on a much older Iron Age promontory fort, proving Llansteffan has been inhabited for several millennia. The hill where the castle stands commands the River Tywi estuary. The hill would have been stripped of trees so that foot soldiers were vulnerable to attack by archers. The original earthworks can still be seen and were used as part of the modern castle's defence system—the castle proper rests within the earthwork rings.The summit can only be reached from one side.
Norman period and after
The castle was built by the Normans after 1100 as part of their invasion of Wales and granted to the Marmion family before passing to the de Camvilles through marriage.
It was captured by Maredudd ap Gruffydd in 1146 against the forces of Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan and his brother William FitzGerald, Lord of Emlyn who were the leading Norman settlers of the region. The castle was retaken by the Normans in 1158. Llywelyn the Great recaptured the castle for the Welsh in 1215 and taken back by the de Camville family sometime after 1223. The castle fell to Llywelyn ap Gruffudd in 1257 but returned to the de Camvilles by the 1260s.
By 1367 it was described as in a poor state. The castle is privately owned but under a deed of guardianship with Cadw.
Owain Glyndŵr
The castle was captured twice by the forces of Owain Glyndŵr in 1403 and c.1405. It was taken back by Englishman Sir John Pennes, who was back in charge of the castle by 1408.
The castle was later granted to the Crown and the two-tower Gatehouse was converted into a residence.
It is rumoured that a secret passage leads from the castle to the nearby Plas Mansion.
The site is near the Well of St. David and Plas Llanstephan.

Llansteffan Castle

Laugharne Castle is a castle in the town of Laugharne in southern Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is located on the estuary of the River Tâf and was originally established in 1116. It was rebuilt as a Norman stronghold in 1215 and has seen many alterations over time, becoming a Tudor fortified manor house in the sixteenth century. It changed hands twice during the English Civil War, being eventually captured by Parliamentary forces in 1644.
The original castle was established by 1116 as the castle of Robert Courtemain, who is recorded to have entrusted its care to the Welshman Bleddyn ap Cedifor. The castle also was the meeting place of Henry II of England with Rhys ap Gruffudd in 1171-1172, where they agreed a treaty of peace. When Henry II of England died in 1189 the castle along with St Clears and Llansteffan were seized by Rhys ap Gruffudd of Deheubarth in 1189, Laugharne Castle may have been burnt down at this time.
The Castle was rebuilt by the Normans and in 1215 was captured by Llywelyn the Great in his campaign across South Wales. By 1247 Laugharne was granted to the de Brian family. In 1257 Guy De Brian was captured at Laugharne Castle by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and the castle destroyed. It was in Laugharne in 1403 that Owain Glyndŵr's rebellion stalled. Perhaps lulled into complacency, he was tricked by an ambush and lost 700 men. When a local soothsayer then warned him to leave the area or be captured, he retreated. After this the rebellion petered out under the weight of greater English numbers, and by 1415, Owain Glyndŵr had disappeared, fading into myth. In 1584, Elizabeth I of England granted Laugharne to Sir John Perrott, said to have been the illegitimate son of Henry VIII.
During the Civil War, Laugharne was captured by Royalists in 1644, the Parliamentary forces of Major-General Rowland Laugharne attacked the castle in 1644. After a weeklong siege in which much of the castle was damaged by cannon fire, the Royalist garrison finally surrendered. The castle was slighted to prevent any further use. It was left as a romantic ruin during the 18th century, and around the start of the 19th century the outer ward was laid with formal gardens. The gazebo overlooking the estuary was used in the 1930s and 40s by the author Richard Hughes, who leased Castle House during this period. Laugharne has also inspired two great modern writers, who worked in the garden gazebo overlooking the river. Richard Hughes wrote his novel In Hazard here, and Dylan Thomas, Laugharne's most famous resident, worked in the castle on its Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog.
The site
The ruins of the castle as seen now are the result of much development as the building graduated from an earthwork castle to a Tudor mansion. There is little trace of the original earthwork bank or the first stone hall, which may have been taken down in the twelfth century. The two robust round towers date from the rebuilding work done in the late thirteenth century. Some of the curtain walling from this time also survives. The north-west tower acted as a keep and also guarded the entry gate through the curtain wall to its south. This tower has a domed roof, but the other, three-storeyed tower has partially collapsed. The two extra storeys and the circular stairway were probably erected in the late thirteenth century, and a new hall was built at this time against the south of the curtain wall. The outer ward, with timber defences, may also date from this period. Further work done in the late thirteenth century includes an additional round tower at the south-west corner of the inner ward and a new, stronger gatehouse, and the defences of the outer ward were rebuilt in stone.
In the mid-fourteenth century, the height of the curtain walling at the south-western corner of the inner ward was increased, and the round tower and the inner gatehouse were also raised in height. This process is particularly noticeable because a greenish stone was used for the alterations that was significantly different in colour from the red sandstone used in the rest of the building. In the sixteenth century, the castle was remodelled into a substantial Tudor mansion with a more comfortable accommodation block and with mock battlements added to the curtain walls. Excavation has shown the remains of the Tudor cobbled courtyard, the presence of a pitched stone kitchen floor and the ground plans of the building at the different periods of its existence.
Visitor information
The castle is a scheduled ancient monument and was designated as a Grade I listed building on 30 November 1966, being "amongst the most substantial castle remain in Wales". The castle is under the care of Cadw and is open to the public from spring to autumn. Parking is a short distance away and access is available to wheelchair-users though there are some sloping surfaces. There is a visitor centre and disabled toilets and unaccompanied children are not allowed.

Laugharne Castle

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 castle became the county prison in 1789 and the building of the gaol in 1869 effectively destroyed the open space of the outer ward.
It is probably best to look first at the earliest surviving structure, the motte. The exterior of the motte may be seen by leaving the car park and walking along the small path by the side of the old gaol wall to the left. The stone-revetted motte is immediately in front of the path, and two of the semicircular corner towers are visible. Further along the path are two late buttresses, which are known to be on the site of another of the towers. The curtain wall, evidently much rebuilt, connects the motte with the gatehouse. The 14th century gatehouse has been partially blocked internally, though the old arch above the gate passage is quite evident in the masonry. The outer portcullis groove and the arches over the murder holes can be seen from the outside. On either side of the passage are two gate towers with battlements supported by a corbel table. The upper floor of the gatehouse housed the constable of the castle. Beyond the south-west tower is a small, square tower with a vaulted basement, standing with a stump of the old curtain wall attached.
Surprisingly few traces survive of the medieval town of "New Carmarthen," which grew up around the castle. The town walls and four gates, the Augustinian priory and the Franciscan house of the grey friars, have all disappeared. A small section of Civil War defences, thrown up by the Royalists, survives on the south-west of the town. They are known as "The Bulwarks," and consist of an earthwork bank and a well-preserved four-sided bastion.

Carmarthen Castle

Weobley Castle is a 14th-century fortified manor house on the Gower Peninsula, Wales, in the care of Cadw. The castle overlooks Llanrhidian saltmarshes and the Loughor estuary.
The existing buildings were largely created between 1304 and 1327 by the de la Bere family. They consist of a gateway, a hall and kitchen, a chapel block and an east range, enclosing a courtyard, all now in a semi-ruinous state. The buildings are largely constructed of rubble masonry with window and door features of sandstone.
The gateway, at the west of the castle, is framed to its north by the solar block, which contained the lord's private chamber, a latrine and a cellar space. To the south of the gateway is the so-called Cistern Turret, which is believed to have contained a cistern for rainwater storage; behind this is the South-West Tower, which was originally a separate building and may be the oldest part of the present structure. The gateway itself also included an additional living chamber in its upper storey. The northern range of the castle, including the hall, kitchen and porch leading from the inner courtyard, is the most substantial of the surviving sections. Features of the hall include a recess for the display of tapestry or panelling. This supports interpretations of the castle as primarily a wealthy residence rather than a military outpost. During excavations at the Chapel Block, fragments of a piscina were discovered. The eastern range is more fragmentary that other parts, and much of it may never have been developed beyond the foundation stage during the ownership of the de la Beres. Although most of the outer fortifications no longer exist, the remaining portions demonstrate that Weobley was well provided with guestrooms and facilities (including garderobes). The building was extended later in the 14th century, including construction of the south porch.
History
Until the 15th century the castle was the home of the de la Beres, originally stewards to William De Braose, Lord of Gower. In 1318 the castle is recorded by a deed signed there by Adam de la Bere.
The castle was attacked and damaged by the forces of Owain Glyndŵr in the early 15th century, but most of the building was left standing. It is possible that John de la Bere (d. 1403) was a casualty of Glyndŵr's incursion. Sir Rhys ap Thomas became the owner towards the end of the 15th century; following the execution for treason of Rhys's grandson Rhys ap Gruffydd in 1531, Weobley eventually reverted to the Crown in the person of King Henry VIII. It was then sold and subsequently leased to tenants until the 20th century, when the last owner, Emily Talbot, gave it to the state in 1911.

Weobley Castle

One can only wonder how many visitors Loughor Castle really sees in a given year. The location was fine for a medieval castle, as it immediately overlooks a major river link to the sea, but its present situation, alongside the busy A484 roadway, means that, unless you are actively hunting for the site, your attention will most likely be focused on the traffic and the bridge ahead. Consequently, you may even miss the castle. Indeed, Loughor's castle seems to teeter on the fringes of invisibility, for the city is almost swallowed up by the sprawling Swansea, around which visitors must negotiate, with great anxiety (the traffic can be dreadful!), to find this little-known, but interesting site.
Roman soldiers from the Second Augustan Legion established Leucarum (Loughor) in about AD 75, to guard the major communications route that crisscrossed South Wales and included the River Loughor (in Welsh, Llwchwr; Leucara, in Latin). Leucarum sat along a Roman road that stretched from Viroconium (modern Wroxeter) to Moridunum (Carmarthen) and probably linked several forts and fortlets in southern Wales, including Nidum (Neath). The auxiliary fort at Leucarum was essentially rectangular, and, at one corner - possibly now covered by the castle - a tower may have stood. Evidently, Leucarum's timber structures were adorned with "fine painted plaster walls with a leaf-pattern on a striped red and yellow ground" (Heather James, 1982). Today, only the shape of the site and some earthworks mark the existence of the Roman walls that originally encompassed the fort. The Romans abandoned Leucarum in the middle of the 2nd century AD, but reoccupied the site from the late 3rd to the early 4th century before leaving it permanently.
In the early 12th century, the Normans extended their control over southern Wales and the Earl of Warwick, Henry de Beaumont, became the area's overlord. By 1116, an oval ringwork castle existed on top of the earlier fort. Its first commander was Henry de Viliers, Warwick's representative. Initially, Loughor Castle was defended with timber ramparts and contained wooden domestic buildings. In 1151, the Welsh attacked Loughor Castle and burned it. Curiously scorched Norman chess pieces, possibly dating to this event, have been unearthed at the site. The Normans promptly regained their hold on the castle, and soon made repairs to the structure, adding several stone buildings.
In the early 13th century, John de Braose became Loughor Castle's new owner. He added a low stone curtain wall, of which only foundations remain. At the end of the century, when William de Braose had the lordship, the rectangular stone tower that now dominates the site was constructed. Though greatly ruined, the two-storied tower retains enough of its original structure to give a fairly complete picture of how it was used. The fireplaces, fine windows, and garderobe (latrine chute) suggest that the tower was residential, perhaps housing the lord of the castle and his household. The gateway into the castle stood next to this tower and there is some speculation that a second tower also defended the later castle.
Little else of note took place at Loughor Castle. After Edward I's final subjugation of the Welsh at the end of the 13th century, the castle no longer occupied a significant place in the royal arsenal. Today, CADW: Welsh Historic Monuments has guardianship of the castle, which is freely accessible any reasonable time. The site remains of interest to archaeologists, who sporadically continue hunting for evidence of its past. If you are in the area, take the time to explore the ruins. You won't be disappointed.

Loughor Castle

Dryslwyn Castle is a native Welsh castle, sited on a rocky hill roughly halfway between Llandeilo and Carmarthen in Wales. It stands on high ground overlooking the Tywi Valley with extensive views. It was built in about the 1220s by one of the princes of the kingdom of Deheubarth, and changed hands several times in the struggles between the Welsh and English over the ensuing centuries. It is considered one of the most important remaining structures built by a Welsh chieftain and is a Grade I listed building.
Castle of Deheubarth
Perched on the top of an isolated, rocky hill above the Towy Valley, Dryslwyn Castle occupies a splendid defensive position. It may occupy a spot previously used in as a fortification in prehistoric times but no evidence has been found to support this theory. In the twelfth century Rhys ap Gruffydd, often known as "Lord Rhys", reigned over the kingdom of Deheubarth and brought it a period of peace and stability. On his death in 1197, his three sons contested his inheritance and fought between themselves for supremacy. Neighbouring Welsh kingdoms and the English took advantage of this to infiltrate Deheubarth and it was around this time that Dryslwyn Castle was built.
It is not clear precisely who built it, but it was probably constructed in the 1220s by one of the princes of Deheubarth, perhaps Rhys Gryg. In any event, the castle at Dryslwyn was, along with the neighbouring Dinefwr Castle, for a long time central to the security of the kingdom. It was apparently assaulted in 1246, because it was mentioned in an ancient chronicle Annales Cambrie, where a siege of the castle by the seneschal of Carmarthen was mentioned. He was apparently acting on behalf of its "rightful owner", but who that rightful owner was or whether the siege was successful is not known. It may have been that Rhys Gryg built the two fortresses of Dryslwyn and Dinefwr in order to provide legacies for his two sons after his death, which happened in 1234. The two castles are of very similar construction, with a round tower with flared base inside a ward enclosed by a curtain wall that contoured round the hillside. The ward contained a great hall and an adjoining building that was probably a kitchen. Between the hall and the curtain wall was an enclosed small structure that it has been suggested may have been a prison.
The castle underwent a lengthy period of expansion in the late thirteenth century. After the death of the last native prince of Wales, Dafydd ap Gruffudd, in 1283, the castle was one of the few remaining substantial stone castles in Wales to be held by a Welshman; the most prominent surviving Welsh lord, Rhys ap Maredudd, continued to augment the castle's defences. He was allowed by the English to keep his castle as he had shown a more conciliatory attitude towards them than other Welsh lords. However, in 1287 he revolted against English rule, and the castle was besieged and captured after a three-week siege by the forces of King Edward I. The English troops numbered 11,000 and methods of assault included the use of a trebuchet and the undermining of the curtain walls. Several English knights were killed when one of the mine workings collapsed while they were inspecting it. Rhys's revolt petered out the following year, and Rhys himself was captured and executed in 1292.
Dryslwyn was seized by Owain Glyndŵr in the summer of 1403 and when the English forces recaptured it, they decommissioned it by blocking various access routes, walling up the gatehouse, removing the treads from stone stairs and even removing the hinges from the main gate. At some later stage, all the major buildings were burned to the ground. Following this a lot of the stone was removed from the site.
Structure
The castle of limestone walls was built in the 1220s, and was systematically demolished in the early 15th Century, presumably in an attempt to stop Welsh rebels using it again. The polygonal inner ward contains principal remains to the south west, with traces of middle and outer wards to the north east. The early 13th Century curtain wall to the inner ward only stands 1m high. There is a garderobe to the east side, and a remodelled 13th Century gatehouse to the north east, surviving at foundation level only. On the south side of gatehouse is the round tower, the original keep. The foundations of the original great hall and Rhys ap Maredudd's hall survive.
Dryslwyn today
Little is left of the original structure and much of what is now visible has been revealed by excavation. A small portion of the middle and outer walls survive, mostly associated with the middle and outer gates. The best-preserved remains are within the inner ward, and here can be seen the polygonal plan that was adopted to fit in with the shape of the hilltop. It is considered one of the most important remaining structures built by a Welsh chieftain and is a Grade I listed building noteworthy as the only native Welsh castle to have three wards.

Dryslwyn Castle

Oxwich Castle is a Grade I listed castle which occupies a position on a wooded headland overlooking Oxwich Bay on the Gower Peninsula, Wales. Although it may occupy the site of an earlier fortification, it is a castle in name only as it is a grand Tudor fortified manor house built in courtyard style.
The castle
A charter of 1306 granted in Swansea refers to tenants of "the ancient knight's fees" (that is, military tenants) at Oxwich, and this indicates that there may have been some fortifications on the site before the present castle. At this time Oxwich was owned by the de Penres family, who had been in possession since the 1230s. However, with the exception of a ruined tower to the north-east of the castle, which may predate the Tudor building, (and may be the "castrum de Oxenwych" mentioned in a document of 1459) nothing remains of any earlier works.
The existing buildings were largely created in the 16th century. They consist of a Gateway (built 1520–1538) leading to a courtyard, a Hall at the east of the courtyard opposite the Gateway (1559–1580) and a South Range (1520–38). At the corner of the Hall and the South Range is the six-story South-East Tower. To the north-east of the Castle are the remains of a large stone dovecote.
The Gateway is surmounted by a plaque with the coats of arms of the Mansell family and the Penrice and Scurlage families to which Sir Rhys was related. The East Range carried a large Hall, and, with the South-East Tower to which it was connected, provided extensive accommodation. It is possible that the construction of this range may have led to the bankruptcy of its builder, Sir Edward Mansell. The South Range contained a kitchen.
History
Oxwich was originally built by Sir Rice Mansel (d. 1559), who also owned Old Beaupre Castle. The structure was built over the original ruined castle, the residence of the Norman de la Mare family during the 13th and 14th century. His son, Sir Edward Mansel (d. 1595) succeeded to the property and between 1560–80 created a much grander structure, called the Great House, capable of housing a large number of guests and retainers. It was a leading example in Wales of the Elizabethan prodigy house. By 1632 however the Castle was already leased out by the Mansell family. Parts of the building collapsed in the eighteenth century. Following this, parts of the South Range were rebuilt and it continued to be used as a farmhouse into the 20th century. In 1949 the Castle was threatened with demolition but was saved and given to the State. The building is now in the care of Cadw.
The Oxwich Brooch
During maintenance works at the Castle in 1968, a gold brooch was discovered by Cyril Grove, which is a rare fine example of medieval British jewellery. The brooch is in the form of a gold ring with mounts, of the period 1320–1340, two inches in diameter. It is set with three rubies and three cameos; it is believed that the cameos were added at a later date and that the brooch may have originally contained sapphires. It may once have been part of the treasure of Edward II or a heirloom of the Mansel family. The brooch is now on display at the National Museum Cardiff.

Oxwich Castle

Pennard Castle's situation is dramatic and beautiful. It is perched on the edge of the valley of the Pennard Pill, with a sheer drop below to the north and west. From it there is a sweeping view out towards Three Cliffs Bay, and across the valley to Penmaen Burrows. It was a perfect position for a castle, except for one thing which cannot have been foreseen when it was built: it was vulnerable to sand blow. By the end of the 14th century sand encroachment had led to its abandonment.
In the early 12th century Henry de Beaumont, first earl of Warwick, was granted the lordship of Gower, and it was probably he who built the ringwork castle here. It had a bank and ditch around it, and a primitive stone hall. On the opposite side of the valley, at Penmaen, was a very similar castle of the same date. The only traces of this early castle are the footings of the hall at the west end of the courtyard, which was probably added to the ringwork in the early 13th century.
In the late 13th or early 14th century the castle was rebuilt in stone, using local limestone and reddish sandstone, and the present-day ruins are the remains of this castle. It was probably the work of the de Braoses, who held the castle for a while in the 13th century. In 1321 it passed to the de Mowbray family.
The castle is small and rather crudely built, with a curtain wall around a courtyard. It incorporated up-to-date elements such as the twin-towered gatehouse, but they were built in an amateurish way, with little understanding of their real purpose or construction. The circular trace of the curtain wall follows the line of the earlier ringwork bank except on the north side, where the ground falls steeply below. Here the wall is well preserved, standing to battlement height in places, and is particularly impressive from the outside. On the south and west it has almost completely gone. At the west end of the north side it incorporates a small semicircular turret with a single arrowslit facing westwards. The gap to the east of it was probably a garderobe. A square tower, the base of which survives, was added to the outside of the west curtain wall. This appears to have been residential, with splayed windows on the west and south sides.
The only entrance was through the gatehouse on the east side, which consisted of an archway between two half-round towers with square inner sides. The northern side is best preserved; the southern side, except for part of the front wall, is very ruined. The entrance to the passage has a simple portcullis, but the grooves did not reach the ground. Further evidence of lack of understanding of military architecture by the builders are the ineffective arrowslits and two square holes of unknown purpose from the guardrooms to the passage.
A small settlement grew up around the castle, and to its east a solitary section of wall is all that is left of St. Mary's church, abandoned in 1532. Castle, village and church were all overwhelmed by sand.

Pennard Castle

Dinefwr Castle (sometimes anglicised as Dynevor) is a Welsh castle overlooking the River Tywi near the town of Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It lies on a ridge on the northern bank of the Tywi, with a steep drop of one hundred feet to the river. Dinefwr was the chief seat of the Kingdom of Deheubarth. The castle is a Grade I listed building.
The present castle is entered via a massive door protected by a restored length of battlement. The short path from the car park reveals impressive views of the Towy valley. The door admits the visitor to the main space enclosed by the walls, from which there are several stairs to the main battlements and towers. A narrow spiral staircase leads to a high tower, which gives extensive views of the deer park to the north and the Tywi valley to the south and west. The castle keep is entered via the cellar at its base, but access to the circular walkway at the top can only be made via the battlement walk. Details such as the well and several garderobes are visible in the structure. There is a path around the base of the main structure to the north.
Tradition relates that a castle was first constructed on this site by Rhodri the Great, but there are no remains from this period. Dinefwr later became the chief seat of Rhodri's grandson Hywel Dda, first ruler of Deheubarth and later king of most of Wales. Rhys ap Gruffydd, ruler of Deheubarth from 1155 to 1197, is thought to have rebuilt the castle. Giraldus Cambrensis tells a story about a plan by King Henry II of England to assault the castle during a campaign against Rhys. One of Henry's most trusted followers was sent on reconnaissance, guided by a local Welsh cleric, who was asked to lead him to the castle by the easiest route, but instead took the most difficult route he could find, ending the performance by stopping to eat grass with the explanation that this was the diet of the local people in times of hardship. The planned attack was duly abandoned.
Rhys ap Gruffydd also built the spectacular castle at Carreg Cennen, about four miles away to the south. It is not visible from Dynefwr, but Dryslwyn Castle can just be seen on a hill blocking the Tywi valley to the south-west. Rhys also founded two religious houses during this period. Talley Abbey was the first Premonstratensian abbey in Wales, while Llanllyr was a Cistercian nunnery, only the second nunnery to be founded in Wales and the first to prosper.
On Rhys ap Gruffydd's death the castle passed to his son Rhys Gryg, and the earliest parts of the present castle are thought to derive from this period. Llywelyn the Great of Gwynedd was now extending his influence to this area, and Rhys, finding himself unable to resist, dismantled the castle. Llywelyn however had it restored and held it until his death in 1240. In 1255 Llywelyn the Last gave Dinefwr to Rhys Fychan, then later gave it to Maredudd ap Rhys before later returning it to Rhys Fychan. Maredydd now allied himself to King Edward I of England, and helped Edward capture Dinefwr in 1277. Maredudd had apparently been promised Dinefwr in return for his help, but Edward did not keep his promise and had Maredudd executed in 1291.
The castle now came into English hands, though it is recorded to have been burnt during the rebellion of Llywelyn Bren in 1316. In 1317 it was given to Hugh Despenser, the king's favourite. It was unsuccessfully besieged by the forces of Owain Glyndŵr in 1403. Towards the end of the 15th century the castle was held by Sir Rhys ap Thomas, who carried out extensive rebuilding. In 1531 his grandson Rhys ap Gruffydd was executed for treason and the castle was confiscated by the crown, though the family were later able to recover it. In 1660 Newton House was built nearby and the castle keep modified as a summer house. The remains of the large windows can be seen at the top of the keep, but it burned down in the 18th century. The castle is now owned by the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales and managed by CADW on their behalf.
Public access
The castle is now owned by the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (who do not charge for entry) and is managed by Cadw but lies within Dinefwr Park, which is owned by the National Trust. Visitors who wish to see the castle and are driving there, may park in the town and walk up to the Castle using the free Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales access route. If visitors walk or park in the National Trust site and are not National Trust, Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales or Cadw members there is a site entrance charge. There is a small free car park near the castle for disabled badge holders, but it can only be reached by a rough track through a field. Permission can be gained at the National Trust office to drive over the field up to the castle, weather and conditions permitting.