There's nothing for us history fans quite a like a day out at an ancient castle. Sprawling thick stone walls, heavy drawbridges and the stories we wish they could tell.
Here are eight beautiful Welsh castles to put on your visit list...
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Caernarfon Castle. Photo by Neil Mark Thomas on Unsplash |
Caernarfon Castle sits on the North Western Welsh coast. There was a castle here in the eleventh century but it was Edward I who began major stone building work here in the thirteenth century. The castle was the site of a number of raids over the years and saw action during the English Civil War in the mid-seventeenth-century.
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Caernarfon Castle, Photo by Julian Rayar on Unsplash |
Laugharne Castle
Dating from the twelfth century, Laugharne Castle in Camarthenshire was a Medieval stronghold and Tudor mansion. It was one of Elizabeth I's courtiers - Sir John Perrot - who made it into a luxurious home. Another casualty of the English Civil War, it never recovered after Sir John's death in the Tower of London and was never lived in again.
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Laugharne Castle, Photo by Stuart Smith on Unsplash |
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Cardiff Castle, Photo by Peyton Wells on Unsplash |
A thirteenth-century structure, Aberystwyth Castle was a Medieval castle built by Edward I on the coast of Wales and is now a ruin. Charles I also made it into a mint in the seventeenth century, when it was demolished by Oliver Cromwell after the English Civil War.
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Aberystwyth Castle. Photo by Jordan Ling on Unsplash |
Beaumaris Castle
Beaumaris Castle on the island of Anglesey was built in 1295 and was the final Welsh castle ordered to be built by Edward I. It was never finished. It has an imposing gatehouse and is surrounded by a moat filled with sea water.
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Beaumaris Castle. Photo by Gabriel Kiener on Unsplash |
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Conwy Castle. Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash |
Building started at Caerphilly Castle in 1268. It was the home of Hugh Despenser - Edward II's favourite - and has a leaning tower, caused by a strike during (yes, you've guessed it) the English Civil War in the seventeenth century.
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Caerphilly Castle. Photo by Alexandru Silitra on Unsplash |
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Dolbadarn Castle. Photo by ian kelsall on Unsplash |
Have you visited any of these incredible castles, or any others in Wales not listed here? Let me know about them in the comments below...
During the research for my book I found links between Welsh women and the Wars of the Roses, including Ellen Gethin and Lady Gwladys Gam, 'The Star of Abergavenny'. Find out more about them and other women impacted by the conflict in my book Forgotten Women of the Wars of the Roses, published by Pen and Sword. Order your copy here.
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