Scheduled Monuments›Wales›Laugharne Castle
Medieval · Castle

Laugharne Castle

Carmarthenshire, Wales
Cadw SAM CM003
Period
Medieval
Site type
Castle
Broad class
Defence
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Laugharne Castle is a medieval fortress situated in the town of Laugharne in Carmarthenshire, Wales, commanding a strategic position overlooking the Tâf estuary. The castle originated in the Norman period, likely in the early twelfth century, though it underwent substantial modification and expansion during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, particularly under the lordship of the de Brian family. The surviving structure comprises a circular keep and associated defensive works set within a fortified enclosure, exemplifying the strategic importance placed on coastal defence during the medieval period. The castle remained a significant stronghold until its decline in the late medieval period, and its ruins today represent an important testimony to Norman military architecture in South Wales.

Laugharne Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CM003. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Laugharne Castle?

Laugharne Castle is a medieval fortress situated in the town of Laugharne in Carmarthenshire, Wales, commanding a strategic position overlooking the Tâf estuary. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference CM003.

What period does Laugharne Castle date from?

Laugharne 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.

Who is responsible for protecting Laugharne Castle?

Laugharne 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 CM003.

What other scheduled monuments are near Laugharne Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Hillslope Enclosure at Laugharne Park Holiday Village (0.6 km), Delacorse Uchaf Standing Stone (1.1 km), Llansadurnen Cross-Incised Stone & Other Stones (3.2 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Laugharne Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Laugharne Castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Hillslope Enclosure at Laugharne Park Holiday Village
Prehistoric · Enclosure0.6 km
Delacorse Uchaf Standing Stone
Prehistoric · Standing Stone1.1 km
Llansadurnen Cross-Incised Stone & Other Stones
Early Medieval · Cross-marked stone3.2 km
Little Mountain Round Barrow
Prehistoric · Round Barrow3.6 km
Fron Ucha Burial Chamber
Prehistoric · Chambered Tomb4.3 km
Pant-Glas Camp
Prehistoric · Promontory Fort - inland4.3 km
Parc-Cynog Camp
Prehistoric · Promontory Fort - inland4.9 km
Castell Llansteffan
Medieval · Castle4.9 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Laugharne Castle

Laugharne Castle stands on Pridoli Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Pridoli. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.

All Scheduled Monuments