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Llandovery Castle () is a late thirteenth-century, Grade II*-listed,
A Norman knight, Richard Fitz Pons, received the lordship of Cantref Bychan in 1116 and he probably began construction of a motte-and-bailey castle in 1116. It was repeatedly lost to the Princes of Deheubarth over the next several generations. King
castle
A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...
ruin in the town of Llandovery
Llandovery (; ) is a market town and community (Wales), community in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It lies on the River Tywi and at the junction of the A40 road, A40 and A483 road, A483 roads, about north-east of Carmarthen, north of Swansea and w ...
in Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire (; or informally ') is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. ...
, Wales. It occupies a knoll overlooking the River Towy and the land surrounding it. The Normans
The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; ; ) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and locals of West Francia. The Norse settlements in West Franc ...
built a castle in the current location in the early twelfth century and this was rebuilt in stone. It was burnt in the early sixteenth century and never repaired.
History
A Norman knight, Richard Fitz Pons, received the lordship of Cantref Bychan in 1116 and he probably began construction of a motte-and-bailey castle in 1116. It was repeatedly lost to the Princes of Deheubarth over the next several generations. King Henry II of England
Henry II () was King of England
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with the ...
spent a great deal of money repairing the castle in 1159–62, but the Welsh captured it regardless.
It finally fell to the English under Edward I
Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 125 ...
in 1277. It was briefly recaptured by Welsh forces under Llywelyn ap Gruffudd five years later. The castle was then granted to John Giffard, 1st Baron Giffard, who likely rebuilt it in stone.
The building passed to the baronial Audley family of Heleigh in 1299 (who later inherited the lordship of Cemaes in north Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire ( ; ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and otherwise by the sea. Haverfordwest is the largest town and ...
) and then into the Touchet family in the fourteenth century.
King Henry IV of England
Henry IV ( – 20 March 1413), also known as Henry Bolingbroke, was King of England from 1399 to 1413. Henry was the son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (a son of King Edward III), and Blanche of Lancaster.
Henry was involved in the 1388 ...
visited the castle in 1400 and it was besieged during the Owain Glyndŵr
Owain ap Gruffydd (28 May 135420 September 1415), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr (Glyn Dŵr, , anglicised as Owen Glendower) was a Welsh people, Welsh leader, soldier and military commander in the Wales in the late Middle Ages, late Middle ...
rebellion three years later.
The castle was burnt in a rebellion led by Hywel ap Rhys in 1532 and was never rebuilt.
Description
The keep is a large D-shaped tower on the western side of the castle. The gatehouse has two towers on the north side with a well-tower. There are also remnants of the curtain wall around the filled-in ditch.See also
* List of castles in Wales * Castles in Great Britain and Ireland * Scheduled Monuments in CarmarthenshireNotes
External links
{{Castles in Carmarthenshire Castles in Carmarthenshire Castle ruins in Wales Grade II* listed castles in Wales Grade II* listed buildings in Carmarthenshire Motte-and-bailey castles Llandovery