Kidwelly Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Cydweli

In the community of Kidwelly. In the historic county of Carmarthenshire (Modern authority of Carmarthenshire, preserved county of Dyfed).

Impressive remains of a castle established as a huge earthwork in the early C12, this built by Roger bishop of Salisbury. The stone castle was first raised by the de Chaworths, and was much modified later by the earls (later dukes) of Lancaster. Rubble stone construction with Sutton limestone dressings. Semi-circular outer ward of C12, with four towers, one collapsed. Square inner ward of C13 with four corner towers. C13 hall against E side of inner wall. C13 chapel projecting from SE tower of inner ward. Outer ward comprises two large gabled ranges from c1500, one against W wall and the other in the NE corner.
Kidwelly Castle is one of the greater castles of Wales, built as the centre of a great lordship comprising the commote of Cydweli. It was built in the years after 1106 and is first mentioned in about 1115. It was roughly contemporary with the Benedictine Priory on the other side of the river (NPRN 301847). Although some earlier masonry remains the present grand castle was largely built in about 1270-1300, with the grandiose great gate added in the late fourteenth century. It was maintained into the sixteenth century.he castle consists of a large D-plan enclosure resting on steep slopes above the Gwendraeth Fach. This is set within a much larger earthwork enclosure the southern part of which held the small medieval walled borough (NPRN 33065), with the castle gardens in the northern part (NPRN 79038). The castle enclosure is encircled by a towered wall with gates at either end, the great gate opening towards the borough to the south. Built within the enclosure is a square court with comparatively low walls and tall round towers at each corner. This was the mansion of the lords of Kidwelly. The walls and towers, which were subsequently raised, were built in about 1270-80 and the grand domestic ranges were added within a decade or two. A notable feature is the projecting chapel building and the low terrace above the river. It seems likely that the court walls were never visible from outside the castle, being overshaddowed by the outer wall. This would have effected the visual and symbolic impact of the four great towers, each one sufficient to signal lordship at a lesser castle. (Coflein ref Kenyon, 2007)
Although built by Bishop Roger of Salisbury did not stay in episcopal hands for long.

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 SN40900705

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 95633
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 1621; 1622 '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.thislandwales.com/kidwellycastle.htm
    http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/default.asp?id=6&PlaceID=82
    http://www.castlewales.com/kidwelly.html
    http://www.kidwellyhistory.co.uk/Topography/Topography.htm
    http://www.greatcastlesofwales.co.uk/kidwelly.htm
    http://www.kidwellyhistory.co.uk/CastleGuide/CastleTown.htm
    http://www.cambria.org.uk/HLC/EstuaryArea/area159.htm
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/kidwelly.html
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_wales/159/kidwelly.html
• Books
  • Morgan, Gerald, 2008, Castles in Wales: A Handbook (Talybont: Y Lolfa Cyf.) p91-4
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p49-52
    Davis, Paul, 2000, A Company of Forts. A Guide to the Medieval Castles of West Wales (Gomer Press) p50, 81-4 [reconstructions]
    Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p682-3
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p94-6
    Thompson, M.W., 1998, Medieval bishops' houses in England and Wales (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing) p85-7, 184
    Salter, Mike, 1996, The Castles of South West Wales (Malvern) p30-3 [plan]
    Avent, J.R., 1991, 'The Early Development of Three Coastal Castles' in James,H. (ed), Sir Gar: Studies in Carmarthenshire History (Carmarthen) p167-188
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p55-6
    Soulsby, I., 1983, The Towns of Medieval Wales (Phillimore)
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p359-61
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p685-7
    Richard, A.J., 1935, in Lloyd, J.E. (ed), History of Carmathenshire (Cardiff) Vol1 p277-8, 289
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p193-6
    RCAHMW, 1917, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Carmarthenshire (HMSO) p45-50
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p288
    Evans, Herbert A., 1912, Castles of England and Wales (London) p223-30
    Hamilton Thompson, A., 1912, Military Architecture in England during the Middle Ages (London) p267, 279-82
    Daven Jones, 1906, History of Kidwelly (Carmarthen) esp p19-25, 32-40
    Clark, G.T., 1884, Medieval military architecture in England (Wyman and Sons) Vol2 p153-62 [reprint of 1852 Arch Camb article]
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p382-4
    Lewis, Samual, 1849, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=47838#s10
    Grose, Francis, 1787, The Antiquities of England and Wales (London) Vol7 p11-12
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p363
• Journal Articles
  • Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p314
    Kenyon, John R., 1985, ‘Kidwelly Castle’, 132nd annual meeting, old Carmarthenshire, 1985, CAA p11–12
    Youngs, S.M. and Clark, J., 1981, ‘Medieval Britain in 1980’, Medieval Archaeology Vol25 p203 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    James, H J., 1980, ‘Kidwelly, Castle Farm car park’, Archaeology in Wales Vol20 p58-9
    James, H.J., 1980, ‘Topographical notes on the early mediaeval borough of Kidwelly’, The Carmarthen Antiquary Vol16 p6-l7
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    King, D.J.C. and Alcock, L., 1969, 'Ringworks in England and Wales' Chateau Gaillard Vol3 p90-127
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1963, 'Early castles in Wales and the Marches: a preliminary list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol112 p77-124
    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
    Taylor and Neaverson, 1948-9, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol100 p149-50
    J[ones], J.F., 1945-6, ‘Kidwelly Castle’, The Carmarthen Antiquary Vol2 p125–6
    Perks, 1944-5, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol98 p259-62
    Fox, C. and Radford, C.A.R., 1933, 'Kidwelly castle, Carmarthenshire, including a survey of polychrome pottery' Archaeologia Vol83 p93-138
    1929-31, Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies Vol5 p282-3
    Clark, G.T., 1852, 'Kidwelly Castle' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol7 p1-20
• Guidebooks
  • Kenyon, John R., 2007 4edn, Kidwelly Castle (CADW)
    Kenyon, John R., 2002, Kidwelly Castle (CADW)
    Kenyon, John R., 1990 rev edn, Kidwelly Castle (CADW)
    Kenyon, John R., 1986, Kidwelly Castle (CADW)
    Radford, C.A.R., 1952 2edn, Kidwelly Castle (HMSO)
    Radford, C.A.R., 1933, Kidwelly Castle (HMSO)
    Clark, G.T., 1851, A Description and History of Kidwelly Castle (London and Tenby) [seperate issue of 1852 Arch.Camb. article]
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Giraldus Cambrensis, c.1188, Journey Through Wales [http://www.building-history.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Primary/Gerald2.htm]
    Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) [lists sources for 1272-1422] p129
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/glameng.html#caerm2]
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1906, Leland's Itinerary in Wales (Bell and Sons; London) p59 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryinwales00lelauoft
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such.)
  • Payne, Naomi, 2003, The medieval residences of the bishops of Bath and Wells, and Salisbury (PhD Thesis University of Bristol) p28 [available via http://ethos.bl.uk ]