List of castles in Wales facts for kids

Caernarfon Castle is a famous castle in Wales.

Dolbadarn Castle is looked after by Cadw.

Wales is often called the "castle capital of the world." This is because there are so many castles packed into a fairly small area! Long ago, Wales had around 600 castles. More than 100 of these are still standing today. Some are beautiful ruins, and others have been restored. The rest have gone back to nature. Now, they are just ditches, mounds, and earthworks. You can often find them in high places with great views. Many of these historic sites in Wales are looked after by Cadw. This is the Welsh government's service for old buildings.

Four very special castles in Wales are Beaumaris, Caernarfon, Conwy, and Harlech. Together, they are part of a World Heritage Site. This means they are recognized as super important places globally. Experts say they are the "finest examples" of military buildings from the late 1200s and early 1300s in Europe.

Castles in Bridgend

Bridgend County Borough has several interesting castles. Some are just ruins, while others are still quite grand.

Name	Type	Date	Condition	Ownership / Access	Notes
Candleston Castle	Fortified manor house	14th century	Ruined		Only the tower of this 14th-century fortified house remains. It was built by the de Cantelupes family.
Coity Castle	Keep and bailey	12th - 14th centuries	Ruined	Cadw	Coity Castle stands high above Heol West Plas. It was built in the early 1100s. The Norman Turberville family was given this castle.
Kenfig Castle	Keep and bailey	12th century	Fragmentary remains		The small remains of Kenfig Castle rise from the sand dunes. This castle was once a very large medieval fortress.
Llangynwyd Castle		12th century	Fragmentary remains		Llangynwyd Castle was once a splendid medieval fortress. Now, it is mostly scanty ruins and earthworks.
Newcastle	Enclosure castle	12th century	Ruined	Cadw	The best part of this castle is its complete Norman doorway. It welcomes visitors coming from the south.

Castles in Caerphilly

Caerphilly County Borough is home to some impressive castles.

Name	Type	Date	Condition	Ownership / Access	Notes
Caerphilly Castle	Concentric castle	13th - 14th century	Ruined, with partial restoration	Cadw	Caerphilly is the biggest medieval castle in Wales. It is also one of the most amazing in Europe.
Morgraig Castle	Enclosure castle	13th century	Fragmentary remains		This castle was built between 1243 and 1267. Its shape is unusual and unique. People still debate who built it: Welsh Lords or Norman Lords.
Ruperra Castle	Mock castle	17th century	Ruined	Private	Sir Thomas Morgan built this castle around 1626. It shows the style of grand houses from the Elizabethan and Jacobean times.
Ruperra Motte	Motte and bailey	12th century	Ruined, with partial restoration	Ruperra Conservation Trust	This site has remains of a medieval castle mound (motte). It is built on top of an even older Iron Age hillfort.

Castles in Cardiff

Cardiff has a mix of very old castles and some newer, grander buildings.

Name	Type	Date	Condition	Ownership / Access	Notes
Cardiff Castle	Shell Keep	11th century	Ruined, with partial restoration	Cardiff Council	William I of England started Cardiff Castle around 1081. It was built inside the walls of a huge Roman fort.
Castell Coch	Gothic Revival	19th century (Originally 11th century)	Intact	Cadw	Castell Coch is on a wooded hillside overlooking the Taff Valley. It mixes old medieval stone with fancy Victorian Gothic style.
St Fagans Castle	Enclosure castle	13th century	Ruined	National Museum Wales	The medieval castle at St Fagans has parts of a stone wall left. An Elizabethan mansion now covers the area.
Bishop's Palace, Llandaff	Concentric castle	13th century	Ruined	Cardiff Council	Bishop's Palace is also known as Llandaff Castle or Bishop's Castle.

Castles in Carmarthenshire

Carmarthenshire has many castles, from ancient ruins to more complete structures.

Name	Type	Date	Condition	Ownership / Access	Notes
Carmarthen Castle	Shell Keep	11th century	Ruined	Carmarthenshire Council	Parts of this old castle remain, including a shell keep and gatehouse. Modern buildings now hide some of it.
Carreg Cennen Castle	Enclosure castle	13th century	Ruined	Cadw	This castle is set dramatically on a rock cliff. It overlooks the Cennen valley. A secret passage leads to a cave below.
Dinefwr Castle		12th century		Cadw	Rhys ap Gruffudd, known as the Lord Rhys, likely founded Dinefwr castle. It became the main city of Dyfed.
Dryslwyn Castle		13th century		Cadw	The broken ruins of this medieval castle sit on a lonely hill. It rises sharply from the Tywi floodplain.
Kidwelly Castle		12th century and earlier		Cadw	Kidwelly Castle is a very impressive ruin. It sits on a slope above the Gwendraeth Fach Estuary. Many think it's one of the best castles in Wales.
Laugharne Castle		13th century		Cadw	Anglo-Normans built Laugharne Castle in the early 1100s. The ruins you see today are from the 1200s and later.
Llandovery Castle		11th century			Llandovery Castle is a motte and bailey castle. It was first mentioned in 1113. Parts of its stone walls and towers are still there.
Llansteffan Castle		12th century		Cadw	This castle is in a great spot on a rocky point. It looks out over the mouth of the Tywi river. It has large and impressive remains from the 12th to 15th centuries.
Castell Moel		16th century			These are the broken ruins of a house from the 16th or 17th century. An older part was added to a larger Renaissance house.
Newcastle Emlyn Castle		13th & 15th century			Only shattered ruins of Newcastle Emlyn Castle remain. Digs in the 1980s found some details.

Castles in Ceredigion

Ceredigion also has a history of castles, from grand structures to simple earthworks.

Name	Image	Type	Date	Condition	Ownership / Access	Notes
Aberystwyth Castle		Concentric castle	13th century	Ruined	Aberystwyth Town Council	King Edward I started building Aberystwyth Castle in 1277. It was finished in 1289. The castle ruins have been repaired a lot. Now they are part of a public park.
Cardigan Castle			13th century		Ceredigion County Council	This castle is on a point overlooking Cardigan Bridge. Parts of the outer wall are still on the tall bank near the bridge. There are also remains of three round towers.

Castles in Conwy

Conwy County Borough is home to some of Wales' most famous castles.

Name	Date	Condition	Ownership / Access	Notes
Conwy Castle	13th century	Ruined, with partial restoration	Cadw
Deganwy Castle	13th century	Earthworks remain
Dolwyddelan Castle	13th century	Partially ruinous	Cadw
Gwrych Castle	19th century	Derelict, being restored	Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust	This is a "Mock Gothic" castle, built to look like an old castle.
Gwydir Castle	16th century	Intact	Private

Castles in Denbighshire

Denbighshire features a range of castles, from ancient strongholds to more recent structures.

Name	Type	Date	Ownership / Access
Bodelwyddan Castle		19th century (Originally 15th)
Denbigh Castle		13th -14th century	Cadw
Dinas Brân		12th century
Dyserth Castle		13th century
Rhuddlan Castle		13th century	Cadw
Ruthin Castle		13th century	Hotel
Twthill, Rhuddlan		11th century	Cadw
Prestatyn Castle	Motte & Bailey castle	12th century

Castles in Flintshire

Flintshire has several historic castles, some of which are now ruins.

Name	Date	Ownership / Access
Caergwrle Castle	13th century	Cadw
Ewloe Castle	12th century	Cadw
Flint Castle	13th century	Cadw
Hawarden Castle	13th century
New Hawarden Castle	18th century
Mold Castle	12th century

Castles in Gwynedd

Gwynedd is home to some of Wales' most iconic castles, including those part of the World Heritage Site.

Name	Date	Condition	Ownership / Access
Bryn Bras Castle	19th century
Caernarfon Castle	13th century	Ruined, with partial restoration	Cadw
Carndochan Castle	13th century
Castell y Bere	13th century		Cadw
Criccieth Castle	13th century		Cadw
Dinas Emrys	12th century keep on early medieval site
Dolbadarn Castle	13th century		Cadw
Harlech Castle	13th century		Cadw
Penrhyn Castle	19th century	Intact	National Trust

Castles on the Isle of Anglesey

The Isle of Anglesey also has its share of historic castles.

Name	Image	Type	Date	Condition	Ownership / Access	Notes
Castell Aberlleiniog			12th century
Beaumaris Castle			13th century		Cadw

Castles in Merthyr Tydfil

Merthyr Tydfil has castles from different periods of history.

Name	Image	Type	Date	Condition	Ownership / Access	Notes
Morlais Castle			13th century
Cyfarthfa Castle			19th century

Castles in Monmouthshire

Monmouthshire is rich in castles, many of which are well-preserved.

Name	Date	Ownership / Access	Notes
Abergavenny Castle	11th to 13th century
Betws Newydd	Castle 11th century
Caldicot Castle	12th to 15th century
Castell Arnold	12th century		Near Llanover
Chepstow Castle	11th to 14th century	Cadw
Dingestow Castle	11th and 12th century		There were two castles here, one from the 11th century and one from the 12th.
Grosmont Castle	12th to 14th century	Cadw
Llanfair Kilgeddin Castle	11th century
Llantrisant, Monmouthshire Castell Troggy	13th century
Llanvair Discoed Castle	12th to 13th century
Monmouth Castle	11th to 13th century	Cadw
Newcastle	11th century
Penrhos Castle	11th century
Pen y Clawdd Castle	11th century		Near Abergavenny
Raglan Castle	15th century	Cadw
Skenfrith Castle	12th to 13th century	Cadw
Tregrug Castle	13th century
Trellech Castle	12th century
Usk Castle	12th to 14th century
White Castle	11th to 13th century	Cadw

Castles in Neath Port Talbot

Neath Port Talbot has castles that show different periods of building.

Name	Image	Type	Date	Condition	Ownership / Access	Notes
Margam Castle			19th century		Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council
Neath Castle			12th century		Neath Town Council

Castles in Newport

Newport has several castles, including one with only earthworks left.

Name	Date	Ownership / Access
Caerleon Castle	11th to 13th century
Newport Castle	13th century	Cadw
Pencoed Castle	13th century
Penhow Castle	12th century

Castles in Pembrokeshire

Pembrokeshire is known for its many coastal and inland castles.

Name	Type	Date	Ownership / Access
Benton Castle		no date
Carew Castle		11th to 16th century	Private / Open to the public
Cilgerran Castle		13th century	Cadw
Haverfordwest Castle		12th century
Llawhaden Castle		12th to 14th century	Cadw
Manorbier Castle		12th to 14th century	Private / Open to the public
Narberth Castle		13th century
Newport Castle		19th century
Pembroke Castle		12th & 13th century	Private / Open to the public
Picton Castle		12th century	Picton Castle Trust
Roch Castle		12th century	Private
Tenby Castle		13th century
Upton Castle		13th century	Private
Wiston Castle		12th century	Cadw
Wolf's Castle	Motte and bailey	11th century

Castles in Powys

Powys has many castles, some of which are now just earthworks.

Name	Type	Date	Condition	Ownership / Access	Notes
Aberedw Castle		11th to 13th century			There were two castles here, one from the 11th and one from the 13th century.
Blaenllyfni Castle		13th century
Brecon Castle		11th century		Hotel
Bronllys Castle		12th century		Cadw
Cefnllys Castle	Hill castle	12th century	Fragmentary remains		Three castles were built here. An 11th-century motte and bailey, then two 13th-century stone castles.
Crickhowell Castle		12th century
Dolforwyn Castle		13th century		Cadw
Hay Castle		11th or 12th century		Hay Castle Trust
Llanthomas Castle Mound		11th or 12th century		Private
Maesllwch Castle		19th century		Private	This is a 19th-century house built to look like a castle.
Montgomery Castle		13th century		Cadw
Powis Castle		12th to 19th century		National Trust
Tretower Castle		12th century		Cadw

Castles in Rhondda Cynon Taf

Rhondda Cynon Taf has some castle remains.

Name	Image	Type	Date	Condition	Ownership / Access	Notes
Llantrisant Castle			13th century

Castles in Swansea

Swansea has a variety of castles, some on the coast and others inland.

Name	Date	Ownership / Access
Loughor Castle	12th century	Cadw
Oxwich Castle	16th century	Cadw
Oystermouth Castle	12th & 13th century	City and County of Swansea Council
Pennard Castle	12th century	Pennard Golf Course
Penrice Castle	13th century	Private
Swansea Castle	12th century	Cadw
Weobley Castle	13th century	Cadw

Castles in the Vale of Glamorgan

The Vale of Glamorgan has castles ranging from ancient ruins to private homes.

Name	Date	Ownership / Access
Barry Castle	13th - 14th century	Cadw
Fonmon Castle	14th century	Private
Hensol Castle	18th century	Private
Ogmore Castle	12th century	Cadw
Old Beaupre Castle	16th century	Cadw
Penmark Castle	12th century
St Donat's Castle	12th century	Atlantic College
St Quintins Castle	14th century	Cadw