The Castles of Wales website is undergoing a major renovation which will last for the remainder of 2009. Pages will be updated with uniform menu headers & footers, links and graphics will be checked and repaired if necessary, and digital castle photographs that were originally downsized will be enhanced, sharpened and enlarged to their original sizes using up-to-date graphics software. Pages and graphics have been reformatted to accommodate a wide range of monitor sizes and resolutions, including the newer wide-screen, high-definition monitors.

 

Above: Chirk Castle, Wrexham, northeast Wales
Photograph copyright 2009 © by Jeffrey L. Thomas

"Chirk Castle, occupied virtually continuously as a castle and stately home for almost 700 years, sits on a hilltop with its best views over the Ceiriog valley to the south. The successor to two known mottes in the area, it was probably built by Roger Mortimer, of the powerful Marcher family, who was granted the area by Edward I after the Welsh defeat in 1282. He was almost certainly given royal assistance in its design and construction, and its similarities to Beaumaris suggest that work may have started as late as 1295, perhaps in response to the Welsh rising of 1294."

The Official Guidebook for Chirk Castle

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.

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!

"In a country with relatively few great churches
and abbeys, and even fewer unfortified manor houses,
the Castles of Wales form the most imposing group of
monuments left from the Middle Ages. In terms of
grandeur they are second only to the dramatic landscape."

Adrian Pettifer - Welsh Castles

Jeffrey L. Thomas

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Please note that castles listed in our main index accompanied by this icon
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Main Castle Index	Abbeys & Other Religious Sites in Wales
Complete Castle Database	Welsh Castle Quiz
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Historical Essays	Drawings and Illustrations of Welsh Castles
Related Essays	Welsh Castle Poll
Castle Builders	What's New at the Castles of Wales Website
Timeline: Medieval Wales	Recommended Links
Timeline: Welsh Castles	Principal Contributors
Castle Terminology	Reference Sources

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Listen to the Welsh National Anthem Land of My Fathers
(Midi sound file by Barry Taylor)

 

The Castles of Wales web site was created, designed, researched, written, and is managed and maintained by Jeffrey L. Thomas.

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The Castles of Wales Website is copyrighted © 1996-2009 by Jeffrey L. Thomas