A brief history of Wales' biggest castle: Caerphilly


Caerphilly Castle is the largest castle in Wales and the second largest castle in the UK after Windsor. Construction of the castle started in the 13th century and covers 30 acres of land and water. Put into perspective, that's 3 times the size of the Principality Stadium! 

One of the more notable features of the castle is it's 'leaning tower' which is wonkier than the Leaning Tower of Pisa! 
Construction of the castle started in 1268 as a result of Llewelyn ap Gruffudd's failure to gain control of Glamorgan. During the 1260s civil war broke out between Henry III and rebel barons in England which drew the king's attention away from Wales. Llewelyn was able to use this to his advantage and increased his power and influence across South Wales. Llewelyn allied himself with the rebel barons in England in 1265 in exchange for control over the region in south Wales which included Glamorgan. Gilbert de Clare who inherited land in Glamorgan from his family in 1263 allied himself with Henry III as he believed that his land and authority was under threat from Llewelyn and the rebel barons. 

Between 1266 and 1267 the baronial revolt was crushed, allowing Gilbert to advance north into Glamorgan from his base in Cardiff. Construction of Caerphilly Castle began in 1268 as a way for Gilbert to keep control of his new gains. While the architect and cost of the construction are unknown, it is thought that by modern estimates the castle would have cost as much as those in Conwy or Caernarfon. It has been suggested that the figure could be as much as £19,000 which would have been a huge amount for the period. Llewelyn responded by attacking and burning the site. Tensions continued for a number of years.  

The castle was attacked in 1294 during the Madog ap Llewelyn revolt, again in 1316 during the Llewelyn Bryn uprising, and also in 1326-27 during the overthrow of Edward II. The late 15th century however, saw the castle fall into disrepair with the 16th century bringing further ruin as the lakes had drained and stones were being robbed from the walls. 

In the castle's more recent history, the fourth Marquess of Bute restored the parts of the castle that had fallen into disrepair since the Middle Ages, from 1928 until the beginning of the Second World War. This reconstruction was the largest, most thorough and authentic of its kind in the history of the UK. Bute's commitment to restoring the castle was not without its critics, but having spent the equivalent of millions in today's money to restore parts of the castle to their former glory, the critics can be ignored. Along with his love of medieval buildings, Bute undertook the reconstruction out of a sense of social justice. Just two years after the 1926 General Strike which brought the miners and their communities of the south Wales coalfields to their knees, Bute wanted to support the economy of Caerphilly. He did this by employing large numbers of labourers and contractors as well as at least 15 full-time stone masons for 12 years to undertake the restoration work. 

As a tribute to Bute for all of his effort in restoring the castle, a wooden statue of him has been constructed and appears to be holding the leaning tower in its place. The perfect tribute! 

The castle is now owned by Cadw and can be visited by booking tickets on their website! 

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