(Stirling Castle) The film Outlaw King begins with a vivid depiction of the siege of Stirling Castle in 1304, a key event in the First Scottish War of Independence. A huge trebuchet is shown throwing a flaming projectile over the walls to smash the defenders into submission. The film uses the surrender of the castle …
(Oswestry Castle) Oswestry in Shropshire was once an important border castle in the Welsh Marches. Its situation on the top of a natural mound meant that it would have dominated the surrounding landscape, with its main feature being a great tower (otherwise known as a keep). However, the systematic destruction of the site in the …
Beaumaris Castle Beaumaris Castle in Anglesey was one of the castles built by Edward I after his conquest of Wales in the late thirteenth century. Construction work began in early 1295 with many hundreds of men employed on the project and huge quantities of stone, timber and other supplies sent to the site. Over the …
Continue reading Ten Interesting Facts About Castles in Wales
For a time in the early fifteenth century it seemed a real possibility that the Welsh rebel leader Owain Glyndŵr would succeed in fully driving the English out of Wales and would realise his ambition to be Prince of Wales. The failure of his rebellion was due in large part to the success of beleaguered …
Continue reading Kidwelly Castle and the Owain Glyndŵr Rebellion
Over the past year or so I have been on a quest to visit as many castles in England (and Wales) as possible. This has meant that I have seen some wonderful places around the country (although there are many more that I intend to visit). However, in this blog post I am going to …
