Welcome to the
Castles of Wales
Web Site!
Proud to be Celebrating our 12-Year Online Anniversary in 2008!
Welcome to the
Castles of Wales
Web Site!
Proud to be Celebrating our 12-Year Online Anniversary in 2008!
Please note that because of time constraints, I am no longer actively administering the Castles of Wales web site, and therefore can no longer respond to visitor comments or requests. The Castles of Wales web site will, nevertheless, remain on the Internet as a "completed" project. Thank you.
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Above: Beaumaris Castle, on the Isle of Anglesey, north Wales.
Photograph copyright 2006 © by Jeffrey L. Thomas.
"Beaumaris, begun in 1295, was the last and largest of the castles to be built by King Edward I in Wales. Raised on an entirely new site, without earlier buildings to fetter its designer's creative genius, it is possibly the most sophisticated example of medieval military architecture in Britain."
elcome! Croeso! My name is Jeffrey L. Thomas and I'm pleased to be your host as we explore some of the most impressive monuments of the Middle Ages, the medieval Castles of Wales. Along the way we hope to educate and enlighten you about not only Welsh castles, but about the unique history of the Welsh people and their centuries-old struggle to preserve their land, their culture, and their ancient language.
Wales is often called the "Land of Castles" and rightly so, as it is home to some of Europe's finest surviving examples of medieval castle construction. Over the years I've visited and explored many of the region's famous and lesser-known castles, from mighty Chepstow in southeast Wales, to picturesque Beaumaris on the Isle of Anglesey, and charming Ewloe in the north.
(Map of Great Britain courtesy of Data Wales)
he Castles of Wales web site, launched in November of 1995, provides visitors with a lot more than simply a few photographs of the most famous Welsh castles. Our pages cover a wide range of topics related to Welsh castles and Welsh medieval history, and many of our essays are written by today's leading experts in their respective fields of study. We provide information on over 400 different Welsh castles, accompanied by high quality photographs, as well as profiles of the men responsible for their construction and an explanation of the turbulent times in which they lived. Although we provide detailed information and photographs for the most famous Welsh castles, the thing that separates the Castles of Wales web site from other sites on the net is the fact that we also provide large, high quality photographs for many of the lesser-known Welsh castles with less impressive remains. In some instances our photographs of these forgotten castles are the only ones available on the Internet or in mainstream publications. We also feature a smaller section on Welsh Abbeys and Other Religious Sites, monuments that, like the Castles of Wales, represent an important component of Welsh medieval heritage and history. If you take the time to explore the site via the main menu below, we believe you will be pleased with both the variety and depth of information provided.
The Castles of Wales survive today in a variety of conditions, ranging from completely ruined to castles that still serve as stately homes for their owners. Many are currently under the care of CADW: Welsh Historic Monuments, an organization whose members are dedicated to preserving the many ancient monuments found throughout the land. So come with us as we travel back in time to discover the Medieval Castles of Wales!
Adrian Pettifer - Welsh Castles
Below is the site's main menu. Begin your castle search by visiting our main castle index, our larger castle database, or enter your search criteria in the site search engine below. For specific essays and other articles concerning the Castles of Wales check out the Historical Essays and Related Essays sections. For additional source materials visit our reference section. To purchase individual castle guidebooks, visit the Cadw web site.
Please Select a Topic Castles listed in our main index accompanied by this icon 
Listen to the Welsh National Anthem Land of My Fathers
(Midi sound file by Barry Taylor)
Follow this link to view comments from other organizations about Castles of Wales web site!
Credits & Acknowledgments
The Castles of Wales web site is designed, researched, written, managed and maintained by Jeffrey L. Thomas.
Principal advisors and contributors:
Lise Hull, Paul M. Remfry, Daniel Mersey,
Catherine Armstrong, John Northall, Adrian Pettifer
Irma Hale, John Cotton, Laurie Oliver, Malcolm Ranson
Welsh translations by Sian Beidas
The Castles of Wales web site is non-profit, educational resource.
There are no fees charged for the information provided, however all text
and photographs are copyrighted © by the Castles of Wales web site
and/or their respective authors and contributors, with all rights reserved.
Welsh Flying Flag copyright © by Riad Dagher.
The Castles of Wales Web Site is copyrighted © 2008 by Jeffrey L. Thomas
