For the Castle class locomotive of this name, see GWR 4073 Class 4073 Caerphilly Castle.
Caerphilly Castle
Part of the Caerphilly County Borough
Caerphilly, Wales, United Kingdom
Caerphilly Castle and moat
Type
Medieval concentric castle
Area
Around 30 acres (12 ha)
Site information
Owner
Cadw
Condition
Ruined, with partial restoration
Site history
Built
1268–1290
Built by
Gilbert de Clare
In use
Open to public
Materials
Pennant Sandstone
Events
Welsh Wars Invasion of England English Civil War
Listed Building – Grade I
Official name
Caerphilly Castle[1]
Designated
28/01/1963[1]
Reference no.
13539[1]
Scheduled monument
Official name
Caerphilly Castle[2]
Reference no.
GM002[2]
Caerphilly Castle (Welsh: Castell Caerffili) is a medieval fortification in Caerphilly in South Wales. The castle was constructed by Gilbert de Clare in the 13th century as part of his campaign to maintain control of Glamorgan, and saw extensive fighting between Gilbert, his descendants, and the native Welsh rulers. Surrounded by extensive artificial lakes – considered by historian Allen Brown to be "the most elaborate water defences in all Britain" – it occupies around 30 acres (12 ha) and is the largest castle in Wales and the second-largest castle in the United Kingdom after Windsor Castle.[3] It is famous for having introduced concentric castle defences to Britain and for its large gatehouses. Gilbert began work on the castle in 1268 following his occupation of the north of Glamorgan, with the majority of the construction occurring over the next three years at a considerable cost. The project was opposed by Gilbert's Welsh rival Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, leading to the site being burnt in 1270 and taken over by royal officials in 1271. Despite these interruptions, Gilbert successfully completed the castle and took control of the region. The core of Caerphilly Castle, including the castle's luxurious accommodation, was built on what became a central island, surrounding by several artificial lakes, a design Gilbert probably derived from that at Kenilworth. The dams for these lakes were further fortified, and an island to the west provided additional protection. The concentric rings of walls inspired Edward I's castles in North Wales, and proved what historian Norman Pounds has termed "a turning point in the history of the castle in Britain".[4]
The castle was attacked during the Madog ap Llywelyn revolt of 1294, the Llywelyn Bren uprising in 1316 and during the overthrow of Edward II in 1326–27. In the late 15th century, however, it fell into decline and by the 16th century the lakes had drained away and the walls were robbed of their stone. The Marquesses of Bute acquired the property in 1776 and under the third and fourth Marquesses extensive restoration took place. In 1950 the castle and grounds were given to the state and the water defences were re-flooded. In the 21st century, the Welsh heritage agency Cadw manages the site as a tourist attraction.
^ abcCadw. "Caerphilly Castle (13539)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
^ abCadw. "Caerphilly Castle (GM002)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
CaerphillyCastle (Welsh: Castell Caerffili) is a medieval fortification in Caerphilly in South Wales. The castle was constructed by Gilbert de Clare...
Caerphilly (/kəˈfɪli/, /kɑːrˈfɪli/; Welsh: Caerffili, Welsh pronunciation: [ˌkairˈfɪlɪ] ) is a town and community in Wales. It is situated at the southern...
named after castles, also in the west, beginning with CaerphillyCastle. Over the twenty-seven years from August 1923 to August 1950, 155 Castles were built...
CaerphillyCastle is a member of the GWR 4073 Class built in August 1923. The lead locomotive of its class, after a brief period of running-in service...
Castle in the Sky (Japanese: 天空の城ラピュタ, Hepburn: Tenkū no Shiro Rapyuta), also known as Laputa: Castle in the Sky, is a 1986 Japanese animated fantasy...
Llywelyn's revolt begun on 28 January 1316 with a surprise attack on CaerphillyCastle. With 10,000 Welshmen and his six sons Bren went against Turberville...
Caerphilly County Borough (Welsh: Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It is governed by Caerphilly County Borough...
seen in the West CaerphillyCastle, south of Wales, 13th century Buhen (ancient Egyptian stronghold) Kennedy, Hugh (2000). Crusader Castles. Cambridge University...
13th-century CaerphillyCastle in Wales covers over 30 acres (12 ha) and the water defences, created by flooding the valley to the south of the castle, are some...
2021. Cadw. "Newcastle Castle (GM063)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 6 August 2019. Cadw. "CaerphillyCastle (13539)". National Historic...
Caerphilly is a hard, crumbly white cheese that originated in the area around the town of Caerphilly, Wales. It is thought to have been created to provide...
league was increased to five teams per Conference in 2010–11, with CaerphillyCastle Ladies and Trefelin Ladies joining the South and Llandudno Junction...
them back, though, and they landed at Cardiff. Edward retreated to CaerphillyCastle and attempted to rally his remaining forces. Edward's authority collapsed...
in 1260. The gatehouse shares many similarities with the ones at CaerphillyCastle built by Gilbert in 1268–1271. The great seal of England was temporarily...
Hereford at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. She was born in 1292 at CaerphillyCastle in Glamorgan, Wales and was the eldest daughter of Gilbert de Clare...
Barclay visited several possible shooting locations in Wales, including CaerphillyCastle and Fforest Fawr. Filming began on 23, 2015. The show's producers...
Morgraig Castle (Welsh: Castell Morgraig) is a ruined castle, which lies close to the southern borders of the county borough of Caerphilly, overlooking...
in the late months of 2010 with some location filming at CaerphillyCastle and Cardiff Castle to represent the monastery. Prosthetics were used to create...
considers it the equal of the 13th-century castles of Edward I in Wales, such as CaerphillyCastle. The castle sits roughly in the middle of the moat. The...
Wales: Castle Park, Caerphilly, a residential area of the town of Caerphilly This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Castle Park...
courts. By the 15th century, the Despensers were increasingly using CaerphillyCastle as their main residence in the region rather than Cardiff. Thomas...
Kent – England". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 3 August 2016. "CaerphillyCastle". BBC Wales History. BBC. 24 November 2010. Retrieved 28 March 2012...
early Middle Ages and were the proprietors of the monumental CaerphillyCastle, Pembroke Castle, Castell Coch, and over 190 manors in England. The Clare family...
in and around CaerphillyCastle which is the largest castle in Wales and one of the largest in Europe. The event is free and the castle also allows free...
in Glamorgan. Gilbert built CaerphillyCastle in response to this. King Henry sent a bishop to take possession of the castle while the dispute was resolved...
great tower of Bridgnorth Castle, in the town of Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England The southeast tower of CaerphillyCastle, Wales The spire of the Church...
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