Castles and Palaces
Every Castle

Castles in Wales

 

The high density of medieval castles in Wales makes this country to be one of the top destinations for those who love to explore castles.

There are many well known castles in Wales that are tourist hubs like the Caerphilly Castle, Conwy Castle or the Caernarfon Castle.

But on this site we hope we’ll cover many other lesser known Welsh castles too; castles that although aren’t as popular as the aforementioned ones are still charming and played their role in Welsh history.

You’ll be able to browse the castles on this site using the menu on the right or by following the links from this page to the most popular Welsh castles. If you wish to know more about Wales and its castles, a very good and informative site can be found at www.castlewales.com

Wales map 

Wales Map

Famous Welsh Castles

Caerphilly Castle Wales
Caerphilly Castle

Conwy Castle Wales
Conwy Castle

Caernarfon Castle Wales
Caernarfon Castle

 

List of Castles in Wales

  • Penrhyn Castle
    Penrhyn Castle is a gigantic neo-Norman fantasy castle built between 1820 and 1837 for Lord Penrhyn from his fortunes made in slate mining and Jamaican sugar. Its treasures include elaborate carvings, paintings in several galleries, mock Norman furniture and a one-tonne slate bed installed for Queen Victoria. The building is surrounded by 18.5 hectares of gardens.
  • Harlech Castle
    The grey sandstone Harlech Castle was built in 1283 on a rocky craig, or crag, near the centre of Gwynedd . It is known as the pinnacle of castle-building in Britain and was part of Edward I's "iron ring" of castles surrounding the coastal fringes of Snowdonia intended to prevent the region from attack.
  • Cardiff Castle
    In the middle of the cosmopolitan city of Cardiff sits Cardiff Castle, an eccentric display of gothic revival architecture and medieval design. There is evidence the site was occupied by the Romans in the 1st century AD, but the ruins date back to the 11th century. The castle that stands today was built for the third marquis of Bute in the 1870s and features an impressive Victorian mansion and clock tower.
  • Caernarfon Castle
    The most famous medieval fortress in Wales, Caernarfon was fortified by the Normans in 1090. The present castle was built between 1283 and 1330 as a symbol of English dominance over the Welsh and is the most intimidating of Edward I's castles.
  • Caerphilly Castle
    Wales's biggest and most powerful castle, Caerphilly covers 1.2 hectares and is a World Heritage site. Built between 1268 and the early 1300s, it is the first truly concentric castle in Britain and, being surrounded by lakes, it was almost impenetrable. By the 18th century the lakes were dry and houses had been built on nearby land. The castle was rebuilt by the Bute family and the lakes were refilled in the 1950s.
  
 
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