CARREG
CENNEN CASTLE
Magnificent Ruin of Carmarthenshire
It
is one of the most dramatic of castle ruins in Wales. Carreg Cennen
Castle stands on a high limestone cliff promontory overlooking
the River Cennen in Carmarthenshire near the Brecon Becons National
Park, four miles from the town of Llandeilo. Once one of the most
powerful fortresses of the Welsh princes, the castle can be seen
from miles away, catching the light of a rising or setting sun, which
gained fame attracting the English romantic landscape painters of
the 19th Century. There is little specific record of the earliest
days of the castle, with an original form most likely built by the
Deheuparth dynasty, and one of the strongholds of Rhys ap Gruffydd
from the 12th Century who also had the nearby castle at Dinefwr (see Dinefwr
Castle and Newton House). The current form of the castle
of bailey, ward and wall systems with outer apartments on the east courtyard
was
constructed in subsequent editions in the 13th to 15th Centuries
under the control of English landlords
The castle is approached on foot from a fairly steep pathway and
entered through the destroyed outer gate, with only foundation walls
remaining. From a limekiln in the outer yard where much of the service
life of the castle would have been you can get a sense of the strength
of the fortress, facing the imposing high curtain wall and projecting
towers guarding the approach to the inner ward. The castle was entered
through an ingenious angled barbican with a sloped ramp crossing
two turning rather than raised drawbridges. The inner ward was protected
by a three story gatehouse equipped with a number of levels of defenses
and designed to fight against from both the inner and outer side
should the castle gate and draw breached. A noted feature of the
castle is the water passage with steep steps into the bowels of the
castle and the limestone cliffs with vaulted ceilings which once
served to collect water which gathered in caves below to last through
sieges.
Visit Castles in Wales and England
The
earlier castle was fairly quickly taken by the forces of Edward
I “Longshanks” in his conquest of Wales in in 1282-83.
The castle under the English was granted to Baron John Gifford of
Gloucestershire, the commander of the English army at the battle
of Cilmeri where Llywelyn ap Gruffudd as killed, who along with his
son was mostly likely responsible for the castle’s current
shape, though no construction records exists. In fact the lack of
mention of the castle in royal accounts of the time, suggest it was
financed by the Giffards and not the crown. The castle was later
in the hands of the Dukes of Lancasters, owned at times by Hugh le
Despenser the Elder and John of Gaunt, and held out during the Welsh
revolt of Owain Glyn Dwr in 1410. The castle last saw battle in the
War of the Roses on the side of the Lancasters, but taken by Sir
Richard Herbert of Raglan for the Yorkist side. In the months following
the ascension of Henry IV, the castle was effectively dismantled
by a force of 500 men with picks and crow bars.
Visiting Carreg Cennon Castle
The
castle of Carreg Cennon is one of the few medieval ruins in Wales
in private hands. The castle itself is maintained by the Welsh
cultural heritage ministry Cadw, but the castle lies on the property
of a private farm. The entrance to the grounds and the castle is
through the Castell Farm, a typical Welsh upland farm which dates
from the 1880s, with a Victorian era farmhouse and a numbers of farm
buildings, part of the experience. There is a Tea Room and a Craft
shop. The castle and farm are open every day of the year except Christmas
Day. In summer, open from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm and in winter until
4 pm. The car park gate is locked at 6:30 pm. Admission is £4
for adults, £3.50 for student, seniors and children 5-16. A
Family ticket is £12. A torch (flashlight) to explore the dark
regions of the cave below the castle is extra. © Bargain
Travel Europe
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Carreg Cenen
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SEE ALSO:
CAREW
CASTLE & TIDAL MILL
CAERPHILLY
CASTLE
GWILI HERITAGE RAILWAY - CARMARTHEN
