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Castell Cydweli is a Norman castle founded in the late twelfth century on the eastern bank of the River Gwendraeth in Carmarthenshire. The castle comprises an impressive outer ward with substantial curtain walls and towers, together with an inner ward containing a circular keep, reflecting successive phases of medieval fortification and the evolution of castle design from the Norman period through the later Middle Ages. It served as an important stronghold in the lordship of Kidwelly and was subject to Welsh and English military action throughout the medieval period, including capture by Owain Glyndŵr's forces in the early fifteenth century. The remains visible today represent one of the finest examples of medieval military architecture in South Wales, with much of the castle's structure surviving substantially intact.
Castell Cydweli / Kidwelly Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CM002. View the official record →
Castell Cydweli is a Norman castle founded in the late twelfth century on the eastern bank of the River Gwendraeth in Carmarthenshire. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference CM002.
Castell Cydweli / Kidwelly 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.
Castell Cydweli / Kidwelly 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 CM002.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Glanstony Aqueduct, Trimsaran (2.6 km), Spudder's Bridge (2.7 km), Dome Gunnery Trainer, Pembrey Airfield (3.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Castell Cydweli / Kidwelly 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.
Castell Cydweli / Kidwelly Castle stands on Millstone Grit Group [See Also Migr], bedrock that formed in the Namurian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.