Castles of Wales

Castles of Wales written by John Paul Davis and published by Pen & Sword

Books - £25 - Hardback - Pages 264

In 1277, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Gwynedd, met with Edward I of England in

Aberconwy to finalise a treaty that would change the fate of both nations. His hand

forced by Edward’s invasion earlier that year, Llywelyn’s acceptance of the terms

confirmed not only short-term peace but also that the rule of Wales would pass to

Edward on his death. To augment his rising dominance, the English king embarked

on a building project that saw the rise of some of the most recognisable fortresses

in Europe. Quite literally, an ‘Iron Ring’ of castles.

Even before the construction of Edward’s infamous ‘Iron Ring’, castles were by no means rare in Wales.Both before and simultaneous to William the Conqueror’s establishment of timber and stone fortresses in the south and borderlands, a process continued by many of his descendants, native structures also existed. Though often more palatial than protective, such constructions proved decisive to the ongoing wars and were often chosen as sites for future castles. Just as had been the case in England, the story of the castle crosses many centuries. Many began as Roman forts, whereas others date from more modern times. While many are now romantic ruins, others remain cherished family homes, if not hotels or museums.

By adopting an identical approach to that seen in Castles of England, the purpose of this book is to throw light on the stories behind them. For as long as there have been castles in Wales, there have been mysteries within their walls. Murders that remain unsolved, treasures unfound, prisoners left to rot in the darkest pits and valiant warriors whose heroic deeds have become a cherished part of the Welsh identity.

From blood-soaked heroes to long-lost legends, despotic pirates to wailing hags, Castles of Wales offers a fresh investigation into many of its fascinating fortresses. No country has more castles per square mile than Wales. Even today, there are more than 200 to be enjoyed. Inspired by such a rich tapestry of tales, this book provides an essential introduction to the nation many regard as ‘The Land of Castles’

I love books on castles for some reason, and I especially enjoyed the Castles of England, so I was really looking forward to this book Castles of Wales. As a good book on castles, it is full of vivid descriptions, histories and great long tales. Some of the tales I would be a little dubious of, but that’s what we love about old buildings and castles. But considering Wales has over 500 castles, it obviously couldn’t fit in everyone but certainly, it has all the popular and well-known ones. Living in my part of Wales, it certainly has all the popular castles but I must say I used to live near one castle and my boys used to spend all their time as kids playing in the castle but we’d never heard of the story attributed to that one. A really good book and an informative read.