Kidwelly Castle ( cy, Castell Cydweli) is a

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

castle overlooking the

River Gwendraeth The River Gwendraeth ( cy, Afon Gwendraeth) is a river in Carmarthenshire in West Wales. It has two almost equal branches that have their confluence in their joint estuary at Carmarthen Bay. The Gwendraeth Fawr (''large Gwendraeth'' in English) ...

and the town of

Kidwelly Kidwelly ( cy, Cydweli) is a town and community in Carmarthenshire, southwest Wales, approximately northwest of the most populous town in the county, Llanelli. In the 2001 census the community of Kidwelly returned a population of 3,289, inc ...

Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire ( cy, Sir Gaerfyrddin; or informally ') is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known as ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

. The origin of this surname traces back to when it was spelled Cygweli which means "swan."

Early history

The castle dates from a decision in the very early years of the 12th century to entrust Roger, bishop of Salisbury, as lord of Kidwelly. The castle and adjoining town were built soon after.

History and description

The present remains of the castle date from the early 12th century. Created as a defence against the Welsh, the castle fell to the Welsh several times in the twelfth century. The Prince of Wales named Lord Rhys, as he was later known, captured Kidwelly Castle in 1159 and was recognised by King

Henry II of England Henry II (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189), also known as Henry Curtmantle (french: link=no, Court-manteau), Henry FitzEmpress, or Henry Plantagenet, was King of England from 1154 until his death in 1189, and as such, was the first Angevin king ...

as the ruler of the region. Upon his death, it was passed to the Anglo-Normans. The castle was captured and razed by Llywelyn the Great in 1231. Later in its history, it was unsuccessfully besieged by forces of

Owain Glyndŵr Owain ap Gruffydd (), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr or Glyn Dŵr (, anglicised as Owen Glendower), was a Welsh leader, soldier and military commander who led a 15 year long Welsh War of Independence with the aim of ending English rule in Wa ...

in August 1403 with assistance from soldiers from

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...

who captured Kidwelly town. The castle was relieved by a Norman army in September 1403. The plan of the castle consists of a square inner bailey defended by four round towers, which overlook a semi-circular outer curtain wall on the landward side, with the massive

gatehouse A gatehouse is a type of fortified gateway, an entry control point building, enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a town, religious house, castle, manor house, or other fortification building of importance. Gatehouses are typically the mo ...

next to the river. The river prevents this from being a truly concentric plan, however a jutting tower protects the riverside walls, and the final plan is very strong. The castle is relatively well-preserved, and is managed by Cadw. The surrounding countryside is reputedly haunted by the headless ghost of

Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd () (''Gwenllian, daughter of Gruffydd''; 1100 – 1136) was Princess consort of Deheubarth in Wales, and married to Gruffydd ap Rhys, Prince of Deheubarth. Gwenllian was the daughter of Gruffudd ap Cynan (1055–1137), ...

, wife of the Welsh prince Gruffydd ap Rhys, who was beheaded in 1136.

In film

Kidwelly was used as a location for the 1975 film '' Monty Python and the Holy Grail'', appearing in the very first scene after the titles.

Gallery

File:Kidwelly Castle plan.jpg, Plan of Kidwelly Castle File:Kidwelly Castle.jpeg, Kidwelly Castle, c. 1810 File:Part Of Kidwelly Castle.jpeg, Drawing of Kidwelly Castle File:Image from page 273 of "Annals and antiquities of the counties and county families of Wales" (1872).jpg, The castle in 1872 File:Kidwelly Castle, Carmarthen, Wales-LCCN2001703455.jpg, The castle in the 1890s, with the ruins partly overgrown

References

Sources

External links

Cadw page
{{Castles in Carmarthenshire Castles in Carmarthenshire Cadw Castle ruins in Wales Hill castles Grade I listed buildings in Carmarthenshire Grade I listed castles in Wales Castle