Welsh castles, tower by tower.
The castles of the Welsh princes and the great castles Edward I built to conquer them: who built what, how to tell a Welsh castle from an English one, walls within walls, and where to see them. Every fact is checked against Cadw, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and GOV.UK, and where sources disagree we show both.
The short version
Most castles in Wales were built by the kings of England or the Anglo-Norman lords of the March, the borderland between England and Wales. Cadw booklet: The Castles of the Lords and Princes of Wales (PDF) But the Welsh were castle builders too, defending their land from each other and from invasion, and protecting important routes. Cadw booklet: The Castles of the Lords and Princes of Wales (PDF)
In the 13th century the princes of Gwynedd were the first Welsh princes to claim rule over all of Wales. Cadw booklet: The Castles of the Lords and Princes of Wales (PDF) They were led above all by Llywelyn ap Iorwerth (died 1240) and his grandson Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (died 1282). Cadw booklet: The Castles of the Lords and Princes of Wales (PDF)
Edward I led two campaigns in Wales, in 1276–77 and 1282–83, to defeat the Welsh princes and bring Wales under English rule. Cadw: The Castles and Town Walls of King Edward Cadw calls Beaumaris, Caernarfon, Conwy and Harlech the finest castles Edward I built in Wales. Cadw: The Castles and Town Walls of King Edward
His death marked the end of independent, native rule in Wales. Cadw: Castles of the Lords and Princes of Wales
Start exploring
Walls within walls
Concentric castles have “walls within walls”: an inner ring of defences inside an outer one. Cadw: Castell Rhuddlan Rhuddlan, begun in 1277, was the first of James of St George’s concentric castles. Cadw: Castell Rhuddlan
And built fast
Conwy’s castle and town walls were built in about four years, between 1283 and 1287. Cadw: Castell Conwy Harlech was finished from ground to battlements in just seven years. Cadw: Castell Harlech More on how they were built.
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Welsh castle printables
Fact-checked PDFs in A4 and US Letter, for KS2 and KS3 classrooms, families and castle visitors.
Welsh Castles KS2 Topic Pack
Ages 7 to 11, schools and families
Label a concentric castle, Welsh prince or English king sorting cards, a castle timeline, a crossword where every answer is a real fact, a word search, a comic strip, colouring, a certificate and an answer key
Welsh Castles KS3 Source Study
Ages 11 to 14
Edward I’s conquest of Wales, what the royal building accounts can tell us, an evidence table, source-detective tasks on where the sources disagree, castles of the princes against castles of the king, and full answers with sources
Welsh Castles Family Activity Pack
Families, ages 5 and up
Colouring pages, a castle maze, spot-the-difference, design your own castle, Useless the Eraser’s castle jokes and a quiz to do together
Welsh Castles Spotter’s Field Guide
Adult history fans and castle visitors
How to tell a Welsh-built castle from an English one, D-shaped towers, concentric walls, 15 castles with dates and builders, and every place where the sources disagree
Welsh Castle Visit Journal
Castle visitors of all ages
Before-you-go checklist, what-to-spot tick lists for gatehouses, towers, walls and moats, sketch-the-castle pages, a castle log for up to 12 visits, and a visit stamps page
Welsh Castles Timeline & Poster Set
Classrooms and home
Six poster pages: a timeline from 1201 to 1986, walls within walls, how to spot a Welsh castle, the princes of Gwynedd, Edward I’s great four, and Welsh castles in numbers
Best valueThe Complete Welsh Castles Printables Bundle
All six packs plus a bundle guide, A4 and US Letter, in one download. $12.99 instead of $26.44 bought separately.