The second largest castle in the UK, 13th century Caerphilli, today makes an indelible impression on its scale and power. It is perfectly preserved and embodies an entire era. For a long history, the castle was attacked, rebuilt, restored. Today it is one of the most visited attractions in Wales.
Where is
Caerphilly Castle is located in the eponymous county town in south Wales. The city is located on the border between the counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire. Belongs to the administrative unit - Glamorgan District, Wales County. The city of Caerphilly has the status of a county and is one of the most visited tourist sites. The region is located in a mountainous region, and the fortress is built on a hilltop, it threatens to rise above the city spread out below, surrounded on all sides by artificial lakes and ditches. This location of the fortress was strategically advantageous and made it the object of many attacks.
History of construction
In the second half of the 13th century in Wales, the famous aristocrat Gilbert de Claire, Earl of Gloucester, began to build a fortress to protect the disputed territories. At this time, there was an upsurge of the Principality of Welsh under the control of the independent ruler of Wales, Llewelyn up Grifid. As a result of hostilities, he was able to conclude an agreement with Henry the Third and establish the independence of Wales from the English crown. Caerphilly Castle (Wales) was the city-forming object for the settlement of the same name in the 13th century. In 1282, Gilbert de Claire made a new attempt to conquer Wales, which became successful, and the region finally became part of England. To strengthen the defense capabilities of his territories, Gilbert ordered to build fortresses in all the cities of his possessions. Construction began in 1268 and was carried out intermittently until 1290. Despite a long protracted struggle for territory, Gilbert managed to build a huge castle, which allowed not only to defend, but also to live in comfort. After the conclusion of the contract in Montgomery, the defensive function of the fortress ceased to be relevant for de Clair, and he began to equip the castle as a residential residence. Gilbert died in 1295, but by this time Caerphilly Castle was almost completely rebuilt and ready for a busy life.
Castle in the 14-17th centuries
Since 1313, Caerphilli Castle again fell into the epicenter of the territorial struggle. Llivelin Bren and the royal troops continued to fight for power over the region. In the battle of 1316, the city of Caerphilly was almost completely destroyed, but the fortress survived. In 1317, Hugh le Despenser the Younger settled in the castle, married Gilbert de Claire’s sister Elinor. Kairfilli Fortress became her dowry. Hugh had a good relationship with Edward the First and was rich enough. He decided to expand the castle by making a large reception hall. To carry out the work, he invited William Hart and Thomas de la Bataille. They created beautiful chambers richly decorated with carvings. When a coup occurred and King Edward was overthrown, Hugh and his wife hid in the castle from possible repression. Isabella's troops were pulled up to the fortress. The castle did not last long. Hugh surrendered, and the land was transferred to Isabelle de Despenser, who, together with her second husband, invested heavily in repairing and rebuilding the castle. In 1486, the fortress passed into the hands of Count Pembroke, but he did not want to live here. And the castle is gradually declining. Water locks around the castle become worthless, several times the territory of the fortress is flooded. In the castle for some time contain prisoners. In 1583, Thomas Lewis rented it. He dismantles part of the stone walls to build residential and office space. Military operations during the Civil War of the late 17th century almost did not affect the castle, but led to damage to the south-eastern tower, which was called the Falling Tower. In 1648, Cromwell ordered the castle to be blown up to leave the territory without reliable defense. But then the sappers were not able to do it, only part of the walls and several towers succumbed to explosives.
The life of the castle in the 18-20 centuries
In 1776, Caerphilli Castle, whose history only got sadder, finds a new owner. Tom Stewart first attempts to restore and preserve the castle. In 1860, his great-grandson conducted a complete audit of the fortress and began to vacate the premises from tenants who did not care about the contents of the castle. Fourth Marquis John Crichton-Stewart was a fan of restoration and construction. He invested a lot of money in expanding the possessions and in the repair of the fortress buildings. Until 1950, he was engaged in the restoration and reconstruction of structures, restoring the historical appearance. He put in order the dams and again filled the moats and lakes adjacent to the castle with water. By the middle of the 20th century, he brought the estate to a decent appearance, which recreated the appearance of 15-16 centuries. In 1950, the Marquis transferred the castle and all surrounding territories to the state.
Castle today
In the 21st century, Caerphilly Castle is managed by Cadw, a company that preserves and operates historic sites. Today, the fortress is the most visited attraction in Wales, more than 100 thousand people come here annually. Tourists organize excursions, holidays and festivals. A visit to Caerfilly Castle turns into an interesting adventure with a journey into the past due to the fact that the life of the Middle Ages is recreated here.
Architecture
Kairfilli Castle, a description of which can be found in all encyclopedias on medieval architecture, is an excellent example of fortification architecture. Brutality and reliability - these are the two main epithets that come to mind at the sight of this powerful building. The architecture of the castle is laconic and convincing, there is nothing superfluous, everything is subject to one goal - to defend against enemies. The square fortress in plan is surrounded on all sides by a powerful stone wall of sandstone, with four watchtowers and narrow loopholes. The fortress has two defensive perimeters. The first ring is stone walls, the second is the actual fortifications. In front of the main entrance to the fortress there is another high defensive wall. Inside the fortress there are living quarters: a beautiful Large reception hall, striking with exquisite decoration, rather modest bedrooms and personal chambers.
What to see
Kairfilli Castle, whose photos look spectacular at any time of the year, today is a real museum. An area of 120 hectares allows you to make long walks and hold mass events here. What can not be missed when visiting the castle? It is worth going around the perimeter around the fortress to see all the entrances to it and the impressive moats and lakes. You can take a walk along the partially restored parapet of the fortress wall, climb the tower to look at the city lying at the foot. In the museum exposition of the fortress you can see uniforms and weapons of a medieval warrior. Siege weapons were installed in the center of the fortress. Be sure to inspect the drawbridges, walk through the islands on artificial lakes. In one of the towers you can watch a film about the history of the castle. At least half a day should be planned for a visit to Caerfilli Castle, and it is better to spend the whole day to fully familiarize yourself with its features. The castle is very photogenic, and tourists remove it from all four sides, getting beautiful shots.
How to get there
Have you decided to see Caerphilly Castle? How to get to this interesting place? From the train station of the capital of Wales, Cardiff, the castle can be reached by train. From the center of Caerphilli to the castle is 1.5 km, they are easy to overcome on foot.