Caerphilly
Castle is another of those grand Welsh castles built by
the Anglo Norman invaders, but not this time by the usual suspect
King Edward I.
Gilbert de Clare, the Norman overlord, (known as Gilbert the Red due
to his shock of red hair) built the castle to defend his lands from
the Welsh Prince Llywelyn the Last (Llywelyn ap Gruffydd).
The Treaty of Monmouth in 1267 had settled the dispute between
the English King Henry III and his barons but not that between de Clare
and Prince Llywelyn in the principality of
Wales. The Welsh were still at war!
In 1268 De Clare set about building what would become not only
the second largest castle in Britain but also one of the largest fortresses
in Europe. Llywelyn could not let
this pass unchallenged and in a show of strength attacked and
captured the castle before it's completion. A truce was arranged but
the wily de Clare seized the opportunity to complete the fortress, forcing
Llywelyn to retreat to his stronghold of Gwynedd in North West Wales.
But within just a few short years the castle was largely redundant
for it's original purpose as in 1282 the English King Edward I invaded
Wales to once and for all remove the threat of the rebellious Welsh Princes.
Edward conquered the Welsh fastness of North Wales and Llywelyn the Last
was killed. Edward established an iron ring of castles in the north that
removed the threat of the Welsh Princes for
over a hundred years and thus the necessity for Caerphilly Castle
as a bastion against the Welsh.
Caerphilly, however, was still to play a role in history when, during
the reign of Edward's son and successor Edward II, Hugh
le Despense inherited Caerphilly through marriage.
The neighbouring barons were disgruntled over this and seized the stronghold
until Edward came to Hugh's aid. This in turn brought down the wrath
of his estranged wife Queen Isabella and her paramour, Roger Mortimer,
who led the barons against Caerphilly. When Isabella's forces laid siege
to the castle Edward was forced to flee leaving behind half his treasure
together with his clothes, such was the urgency of his departure. The
castle was forced to surrender after several months, Edward's remaining
treasure was seized and Despenser beheaded.
In 1405 the castle was again captured by the Welsh, this time by the
forces of Owain
Glyndwr, who took the castle twice, finally holding it
for one year.
The years took their toll on Caerphilly Castle until in the later part
of the 18th century when the first Marquess
of Bute began preservation work. Three generations of the Bute family
recorded the details of the castle, cleared houses built against
its walls and eventually undertook painstaking restoration of the
fallen masonry. Finally it was handed over to the government in 1950;
its restoration and preservation is now controlled by Cadw.
Today the castle is famous for its leaning south-east tower that to
my eyes looks nearer to the tipping point than the leaning tower of Pisa. More >
Parking : Pay-and-display parking nearby.
Facilities : toilets, guidebook
available, gift shop, two site exhibitions, audio-visual display and
replica medieval siege weapons.Baby changing facilities.
Prices 2008 : Adult - £3.70, Concession - £3.30,
Family - £10.70.
Entry is free for Welsh residents aged 60 and over or 16 and under who
have a valid pass.
