Carreg Cennen Castle, near Trap, Carmarthenshire, Wales
Dramatic in appearance in its hilltop setting, the history Carreg Cennan Castle does not perhaps quite live up to its location. The same cannot be said of the first fortress here, a native Welsh castle that is known to have changed hands on numerous occasions in the 13th c., but nothing is left of that. The history of the present building starts in 1283, when Edward I granted the old castle to John Giffard, who had commanded the English forces in the skirmish in which Prince Llywelyn the Last was killed. Giffard, and his son, also John, built a formidable castle in the prevailing style, very much a fortress, with only arrow slits, rather than windows, on the outer walls, and an extremely elaborate – and, for any attacker, extremely dangerous – approach to the once imposing gatehouse. All this proved, however, to be of little help to the younger Giffard, who was executed for treason in 1322. Indeed, the first time it saw military action was when it was besieged and eventually taken by Owain Glyndwr. It was badly damaged, but although a contemporary source claimed it was ‘completely destroyed and thrown down’, Henry V was later able to have it repaired, albeit at considerable cost. However, in 1462, after a further siege during the War of the Roses, 500 men with picks and crowbars were put to work to put it beyond any further use, and in this they were successful, for this time the damage was never repaired, and it has since been a ruin. Although still privately owned, is now managed by Cadw.
Size: 4287px × 2848px
Location: Trap, Carmarthenshire, Wales
Photo credit: © David Knighton / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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