Carreg Cennen Castle

Castell Carreg Cennen is a castle near the River Cennen (Carreg being Welsh for "stone"), in the village of Trap, four miles south of Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is considered one of the most spectacular castles in Britain, due to its position above a limestone precipice.

Description

The castle is protected by limestone cliffs to the south and rock-cut ditches to the west. To the north and east there is an outer ward, barbican, gatehouse, drawbridge and deep pits. In the south-east corner of the inner ward steps lead to a vaulted passage and a natural cave beneath the castle. A fresh water spring rises in the cave, which would have been a useful supplement to the castle's water supply of rainwater cisterns during dry weather. The castle is under the care of Cadw, who have renovated and restored some of the remains. The castle is accessible through a local farm, followed by a steep climb up the hill on which it stands.

Prehistoric evidence

Human remains found at the original site of Castell Carreg Cennen date human activity at the location back to prehistoric times. The site may well have also been an Iron Age hillfort.

Roman coins from the 1st and 2nd century have also been found, although it is unlikely the Romans occupied this site on a permanent basis.

Early castle

The first masonry castle was probably built by the Lord Rhys, who died in 1197, and it remained a possession of the Deheubarth dynasty for the next 50 years. In 1248 Rhys Fychan's mother, to spite her son, granted the castle to the Norman English, but before the English took possession of it Rhys captured the castle.

For the next 30 years it changed hands frequently between Rhys and his uncle Maredudd who were fighting for control of the Kingdom of Deheubarth. In 1277 it was captured by the English, recaptured by the Welsh in 1282 and in English hands again the following year.

In 1283 Edward I granted the castle to John Giffard, the commander of the English troops at Cilmeri where Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (The Last) was killed. Giffard was probably responsible for the remodelled castle we see today

Owain Glyndwr Rebellion

In early July 1403 Owain Glyndŵr, together with 800 men, attacked Carreg Cennen, but, although inflicting severe damage to the walls, failed to take the castle. It was defended against Glyndwr's forces, who laid siege to it for several months, with Owain himself present, by a man who was to marry one of Glyndwr's daughters just a few years later, a Sir John Scudamore of Herefordshire.

Wars of the Roses

The damage was repaired in 1409. However, in 1461, during the Wars of the Roses, Carreg Cennen became a Lancastrian stronghold. A Yorkist force subsequently captured the castle and set about demolishing it with a team of 500 men.

ee also

*List of Cadw (Welsh Heritage) Properties
*List of castles in Wales by historic county
*Llandeilo

External links

* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=2732122 www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Carreg Cennen and surrounding area]