But the best place for serious castle spotters may come as a surprise. The true epicenter is Wales, which features more castles per square mile than any other country in Europe.
From the northern mountains of Snowdonia to Swansea Bay in the south, castles that could have dropped out of Camelot shoot up everywhere. Why the density? Fighting over turf, the Normans, the native Welsh, and the English, led by expansionist Edward I , all erected epic fortresses in an explosion of castle building that dominated the 13th and 14th centuries. The sheer number of Welsh castles is matched by their variety. Take Chepstow Castle , which crowns a cliff overlooking the River Wye.
The 11th-century stronghold started life as one of the first Norman command posts constructed by William FitzOsbern, a close ally of William the Conqueror. But it was its subsequent commander, William Marshall, who turned the homely castle into a formidable Norman fortress, building the first twin-towered gatehouse in Britain.
The castle did double duty. It also served as the repository for the gold and silver collected by Marshall. Carreg Cennen in south Wales stands on a lofty rocky crag and offers another regional history lesson. Castell y Bere , atop a remote outcrop in a Snowdownia valley, is a prime example of a Welsh castle constructed by a native Welsh prince, the formidable Llywelyn the Great.
Related: Find out why Wales is one of the best places to hike. If Castell y Bere represents a classic Welsh fortress, Conwy Castle is the stellar example of the much more opulent castles erected by King Edward.
The king offered master mason James of Saint George a hefty budget to erect a circle of high towers, curtain walls, a monumental central hall, and massive battlements. Over time the Welsh castles changed shape.
Raglan Castle is a prime example of the shift. Late additions in the 16th century included a conversion into a magnificent Elizabethan country house, surrounded by garden terraces and a lake. Caerphilly Castle represents another example of an endlessly evolving fortress.
This 13th-century behemoth in south Wales, erected by the Norman baron Gilbert the Red to block the advance of a Welsh prince, was meant to be imposing, and it succeeds. It is second only to Windsor Castle as the largest in Britain. A model fortress, it relied on a series of concentric fortifications, three drawbridges, and five sets of double gates to repel invaders.
But when the castle, reduced to ruin after the English civil war, passed into the hands of the marquesses of Bute , in the late 18th century, the fortress was refitted as a very courtly manor.
Among the renovations overseen by successive marquesses over the next two centuries was a magnificently carved wooden ceiling in the great hall and a series of rich moldings framing the windows. Powis Castle , on a prominent rock near the English border, is another medieval fortress that was reinvented as an artistic showcase when it became home to the aristocratic Clive family in the 19th century.
The show continues outside, in the acre terraced Italo-French gardens that frame the castle. The Eagle Tower, with its three great turrets and feet thick walls, is the crowning glory of the castle and it's where the royalty would sleep in lofty splendour.
Idyllically set on the banks of the river estuary, this mighty oval fortress is largely intact, and its endless passages, tunnels and stairways are great fun to explore. It was extensively restored in Victorian times, and is dominated by the complex gatehouse on the outside. Enjoy a picnic in the beautifully-kept grounds, take a walk around the medieval town walls and millpond, and — from the opposite bank of the river — view the castle in all its splendour.
Wonderfully incomplete, Beaumaris on Anglesey can be considered as the greatest castle never built. With near-perfect symmetry, four concentric rings of formidable defences and a water-filled moat with its own dock, this was the largest and last of the castles created by Edward I in Wales. Fangirl Quest search for epic film locations in North Wales, including coast and castle locations. From standing stones and ruined castles to industrial heritage, West Wales is full of hidden history.
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Gwna dy addewid i Gymru. Home Things to do Attractions Castles and heritage. Is Wales the castle capital of the world? Tags: Cadw. Historic buildings. There are castles everywhere in Wales This is a little known fact; Wales has more castles per square mile than any other country in Europe. Conwy Castle, North Wales. Denbigh Castle, North Wales.
Raglan Castle, South Wales. Caerphilly Castle, South Wales. Kidwelly Castle, West Wales. Harlech Castle, North Wales. The imposing Harlech Castle, and its spectacular surrounding scenery. Cardiff Castle, South Wales. Caernarfon Castle, North Wales. Giant '13th Century catapult stone' discovered Castle could become private home Stolen castle stones for sale on eBay.
Castell Coch- Welsh for red castle - is a 19th-century Gothic Revival fortress a few miles north of Cardiff. But what does Prof Power think are the most unusual? Unesco considers the World Heritage site of Beaumaris Castle to be one of 'Europe's finest examples of late 13th Century and early 14th Century military architecture'.
Image source, Hulton Archive. The entrance to Beaumaris Castle, from the midth Century. Why were some castles blown up? The remains of Dinas Bran medieval castle is on a hilltop above Llangollen in Denbighshire. When did they become visitor attractions? William Daniell's painting of Conwy Castle from Caernarfon Castle is recognised around the world as one of the greatest buildings of the Middle Ages.
Is there anything you've always wanted to know? Use this form to send us your questions:. Related Topics. Published 7 August Published 8 July Published 22 May Published 22 January
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