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Cardigan Castle is a Norman stronghold founded in the early twelfth century, likely established shortly after 1110 by the de Braose family as part of their territorial consolidation in South Wales. The castle occupies a strategically commanding position overlooking the River Teifi, with its most distinctive feature being a substantial round tower keep constructed in stone, reflecting developments in military architecture of the Norman period. The site underwent significant modifications during the medieval period, including the addition of curtain walls and other defensive structures that demonstrate its evolving role as both a military installation and administrative centre for the surrounding lordship. Cardigan remained an important fortification throughout the medieval period and subsequently declined, though substantial architectural remains survive to indicate its former prominence in the region's medieval defence network.
Cardigan Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CD123. View the official record →
Cardigan Castle is a Norman stronghold founded in the early twelfth century, likely established shortly after 1110 by the de Braose family as part of their territorial consolidation in South Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference CD123.
Cardigan Castle dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a castle. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Cardigan Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is CD123.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Inscribed Pillar Stone in Churchyard (3.9 km), Castell Felin-Ganol (3.9 km), Castell Pen-yr-Allt (4.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cardigan Castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Cardigan Castle stands on Ashgill Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.