Cardigan Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Aberteifi

In the community of Cardigan. In the historic county of Cardiganshire (Modern authority of Ceredigion, preserved county of Dyfed).

Castle erected in 1110, by Gilbert de Clare, who also founded the adjacent town, relocated to the location where the stone castle was eventually constructed. The next 100 years were tumultuous, and the second castle changed hands frequently between the Welsh and the Normans. Cardigan Castle's most significant role was as the greatest stronghold in the arsenal of Rhys ap Gruffydd, the Prince of Deheubarth better known as the Lord Rhys. Rhys seized Cardigan from its Norman overlords sometime around 1170 and set about transforming the castle into stone. Interestingly, Cardigan was "the first recorded Welsh masonry castle", that is, the first stone castle built by the native princes of Wales. It remained the property of the Lord Rhys until his death in 1197.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SN17794591

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's National Monument Record (Coflein) number is 92314
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 1082 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• Web site links
  • http://www.cardigancastle.com/eng/
    http://www.castlewales.com/cardigan.html
    http://www.castlewales.com/gilbert.html
    http://www.cambria.org.uk/projects/cardigancastle.htm
    http://www.aber.ac.uk/~dcswww/Telematics/leader_ii/commerce/card/history.html
    http://www.llanegwad-carmarthen.co.uk/carmscastle-excav.htm
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/cardigan.html
• Books
  • Morgan, Gerald, 2008, Castles in Wales: A Handbook (Talybont: Y Lolfa Cyf.) p77-9
    Gravett, Christopher, 2007, The Castles of Edward I in Wales 1277-1307 (Osprey Fortress series 64)
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p39-40
    Davis, Paul, 2000, A Company of Forts. A Guide to the Medieval Castles of West Wales (Gomer Press) p60-1
    Salter, Mike, 1996, The Castles of South West Wales (Malvern) p17 [plan]
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p44
    Davis, Paul R., 1988, Castles of the Welsh Princes (Swansea)
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p45
    Soulsby, I., 1983, The Towns of Medieval Wales (Phillimore)
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p335
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p590-1
    Owen, Henry (ed), 1936, The Description of Pembrokeshire (London) Vol4 p494
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p199
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p280-1
    Meyrick, Samuel Rush, 1907, The History and Antiquities of the County of Cardigan (Brecon) p168-70
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol3 (London) p472-4
    Lewis, Samual, 1849, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=47808#s1
    Grose, Francis, 1787, The Antiquities of England and Wales (London) Vol7 p35-6
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p377
• Journal Articles
  • 2006-7, 'Cardigan Castle benefits from Royal visit' Castle Studies Group Journal Vol20 p153
    2005-6, 'Planning for future of Cardigan Castle' Castle Studies Group Journal Vol19 p142
    Anon, 2004, 'Cardigan Castle' CSG Newsletter Vol6 Issue1 p7
    Murphy, K. and O’Mahoney, C. 1985. ‘Excavation and survey at Cardigan Castle’, Ceredigion Vol9 p189-218
    Murphy, K., 1984, ‘Cardigan Castle’,Archaeology in Wales, Vol24 p62–3
    James, T.A., 1978, ‘Cardigan’, Archaeology in Wales, Vol18 p54
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 p249-280 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p90-121] http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28195904%2974%3A291%3C249%3AALOC1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P
    King, 1956, Ceredigion Vol3 p53-4
    1859, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol14 p327
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) [lists sources for 1272-1422] p121-2
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such.)
  • Johnson, G. and Greenland, A.,1987, The Forgotten Castle of Cardigan