10 Hidden Castles Of Wales

Whales. A land of myth and legend, natural beauty and mystique. Everybody knows the colossal castles of Raglan, Caerphilly, Pembroke and Cardiff. But in today's video we'll be exploring this great countryside as we uncover the lesser known historic castles which crown the hills and valleys of South Wales. Welcome to the hidden castles of South Wales. We begin our journey on the western outskirts of the Brecon Beacons, nearby a small village named Traff. Here, standing proud atop a rocky crag, stands the ruins of Carragh Kennon. This impressive stone castle was built in the mid 13th century, and unlike many castles in Wales from this period of time, it is actually built by the Welsh, not the English. A timber palisade castle likely stood on this site before being fortified in stone, and it's believed that the Lord Rees, a powerful Welsh lord and indeed the Prince of Wales, commissioned this castle to expand and concrete his rule over the local land in the late 12th century. During the days of the Lord Rees, Welsh nobles were at near constant loggerheads with the Norman Marcher Lords, who had been gradually seizing land around Wales ever since the invasion of 1066. In 1158, King Henry II invaded Wales and took the Lord Rees prisoner, stripping him of his lands and titles. However, he was later released and given back a small portion of his holdings, and later in 1171, peace talks were negotiated and the Lord Rees became the Justiciar of South Wales. Following King Henry's death in 1189, the Lord Rees fell out with the next King of England, Richard I, and subsequently military campaigns continued, this time with the Welsh Lord successfully besieging multiple English castles around Wales. The Lord Rees died in 1196 and was buried at St David's Cathedral in Pembrokeshire, where his effigy, and various other effigies of descendants of his household, can still be seen today. Although these effigies were built much later in history and portray a knight in 14th century armour, Lord Rees would have looked much more like this during his military campaigns. Carrickennan was handed over to King Edward I in 1277, as the English King planned a new military conquest into Wales, but a rebellion just five years later in 1282 saw the Welsh seize the castle as a nationwide revolt against the English escalated. By 1283, Edward had recaptured Carrickennan and the castle remained in the hands of the English until its destruction between 1461 and 1462. Carrickennan witnessed a fairly peaceful time during the 14th century, but in 1403, a Wayne Glendower besieged the castle with approximately 800 men and dealt considerable damage to the fortified walls. Despite this, he was unable to successfully take the castle and disbanded the siege a few months later. The castle was later repaired and became a Lancastrian fortress during the War of the Roses. In 1461, following the Yorkist victory at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross, the Lancastrians were forced to surrender Carrickennan, and the Yorkist army partially demolished the castle for an act called slighting, where partial sections of the walls and towers are mined to make them indefensible. Despite its clearly imposing silhouette atop the hill, the main point of interest at Carrickennan is actually the tunnel which is bored deep into the limestone rock. Medieval loopholes and masonry can be seen as you descend the stone-hewn steps, however the tunnel turns into a rocky cave system which twists and turns. This is an ancient cave, pre-existing man by millions of years. Indeed, excavations on this site has revealed multiple human bones believed to have been dated to the Paleolithic period, meaning that people had been sheltering in this cave for tens of thousands of years before the castle was ever built. The tunnel and the cave system are over 50 metres long, and is just one of many cave systems hidden under the castle, however this is the only one that is publicly accessible. The second castle on our adventure is one of the most impressive castles in all of Wales. Welcome to Lancastle. It is thought that the first castle built on this site was constructed in around 1116, however the first reliable reference to a fortress here comes in 1189 when a Norman castle was under construction under the orders of Robert Courtman, who was likely a Norman marcher lord. Peace talks were held at this castle between the Welsh and the King of England who we mentioned earlier, Henry II, but hostilities broke out after Henry's death when the Lord Rees seized the The imposing fortress that you see today is largely from the 13th century, where castle building arguably reached its pinnacle in defensive construction design. The castle's location, sitting atop a low cliff, makes the walls look very tall and formidable, and makes for some beautifully picturesque scenes. The small river that cascades in the foreground is the Coran stream, which feeds into the Taff estuary. During the Middle Ages, the water likely came right up to the cliff edge and, by default, the castle walls, making this a truly well defendable fortress. The castle witnessed some turbulent days during its lifetime. In 1215 it was largely destroyed by Llewellyn the Great, and another siege in 1257 saw the castle burnt to the ground, leaving behind just a stone shell. The 14th century, however, saw a time of peace for Lan, with more construction work focusing largely on renovating the domestic buildings inside the castle rather than the defences itself. Financial strains began to impede the success of the de Bryon family, who owned Lan Castle, and for a period of time only a section of the castle was actually lived in, with the rest being left to disrepair. Fortunes changed in 1575 when Elizabeth I granted the castle to Sir John Perrault, who, in turn, converted the castle into a splendorous Tudor mansion, aspects of which can be seen by the stereotypically Tudor gatehouse which survives today in a semi-ruinous state. Interestingly, it is understood that the original medieval castle was mostly built from red sandstone before its later 13th century expansion, and this original stone can still be seen dotted throughout the lower sections of the castle walls and towers. By the time of the English Civil War, Lan Castle was already in a mostly ruinous state, but the final nail in the coffin came when the Royalists captured the castle in 1644, followed by a swift recapture by the Parliamentarian forces, where Lan Castle was subsequently slighted and left to ruin. The decaying fortress spent the remainder of its life as a romantic ruin throughout the Victorian period, and now is under the protection of Caddo, where it stands proud as a hidden gem in the quaint little Welsh town by the water. For our third historic castle, we travel to the Gower Peninsula, which is brimming with beautiful cliffs, seaside pubs, and most importantly, medieval castles hidden amongst the farmsteads. Wobley Castle is on the northern coast of the Gower, on the grounds of a working farm. This is actually technically not a castle, but is instead a fortified manor house, likely to have been built by the Delabeer family in the 14th century. The first confirmed record of a fortification on this site is from 1318 in the form of the deed signed by Adam Delabeer. During the 15th century, the manor changed hands to a new owner, Rhys ap Thomas. Rhys was a Welsh landholder turned soldier, who rose up through the ranks during the War of the Roses, and came from a family line of Welsh soldiers who aided the Lancastrians throughout the war. His grandfather was killed at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in 1461, and his father, Thomas, continued fighting for the Lancastrians even after their crushing defeat later that year at the Battle of Towton. Both Thomas and his brother Owain defended the previously mentioned Carrackennan Castle against the Yorkist army in the 1462 siege, although the castle was lost to the Yorkist besiegers. Wales was plunged into a particularly tumultuous time during the 1460s as the Yorkist military were steamrolling through the Lancastrian held lands. Thomas returned to Wales and attempted to reacquire some of his lands back from the Yorkists, of which he was partially successful. Rhys then inherited these lands when his father Thomas passed away in 1474, and was able to reclaim most of his estate back throughout his life as a career soldier under the banner of Henry Tudor. Rhys ap Thomas' greatest claim to fame came in 1485, where he pledged 2,000 of his own men to fight alongside Henry Tudor. This large retinue of Welsh soldiers came particularly useful in helping Tudor claim victory at the Battle of Bosworth. Some poets of the time say that Rhys ap Thomas himself killed the Yorkist king Richard III at Bosworth by cleaving him in the back of the head with his halberd. But other poets refer to Welsh halberdiers under the command of Rhys carrying out this killing blow, rather than Rhys himself. Following the resolution of the War of the Roses, Rhys ap Thomas saw great fortune for his efforts, and his status was elevated substantially. It is even said that he may have become the most powerful man in Wales, as his reliable allegiance continued with Henry Tudor's son, who became King Henry VIII. Unfortunately, this new power spoiled the family's name, as seen clearly when his grandson inherited the estates and began feuds with other very important people in the court of King Henry VIII, which led to his execution and seizing of his lands, now being placed under the ownership of the Crown. So, Wobley Castle was rented out to various tenants over the following 400 years, until it was placed in the hands of the state in 1911 to look after. It is rather incredible how Wobley Castle has managed to stay almost untouched as a 14th century manor house, with very minimal later adaptions. The castle survives today as a semi-ruinous fortress, with some interior rooms still accessible, one room of which is a charming little museum with a rich pool of information about the history of the Gower Peninsula. Now, Wobley Castle is very easy to get to after navigating the narrow sunken countryside roads of the Gower, and Carrackennan is a picturesque uphill walk through fields of sheep. But, the ascent to Dreisland Castle is not for the faint-hearted. Standing high on a hill above the Towie Valley, Dreisland Castle is a romantic ruin consisting of scattered masonry and a keep which is built into the cliffside of the hill. Curiously, some of the most interesting features of this castle have all but now disappeared. The various lumps and bumps that you see on the hilltop are the foundationary remains of the medieval town, built all the way up on this hill in order to be under the immediate protection of the castle. It is likely that industrial buildings such as mills and foundries peppered the landscape below the hill, dotted around the snaking river, but have also all now gone. It is unclear who originally built a castle on this site, but it is believed to have been of Welsh origin rather than Norman. By the time of the English invasion of Wales by King Henry I, the current owner of Dreisland was able to keep his castle due to his more favourable attitude towards the English rule compared to the other Welsh lords. This was, however, until 1287 when he turned against the English, who subsequently laid siege to the castle, damaging it considerably by trebuchet fire and mining underneath the walls. The English eventually took over the castle and the Welsh owner was captured and subsequently executed. In the summer of 1403, Owain Glyndal seized the castle but the English soon recaptured it again and chose to wall up the gatehouse and block other entrances, effectively decommissioning it from use by the Welsh. This is how Dreisland Castle stayed throughout the 15th century and beyond. Over time, various sections of walls were quarried for the stone and at some point the inner buildings were set on fire and demolished. During the late 15th century, it is believed that some of the castle may have still been in use as there was a battle at Dreisland Castle during the War of the Roses. Today, only small remnants of stonework can be seen strewn across the hilltop, with the imposing keep and great hall forming the majority of the surviving structure. Although the hill is certainly steep to walk at some points, it is well worth navigating your way to the top as the views of the Welsh countryside is truly beautiful, with various river systems and oxbow lakes slicing up the green fields as they disappear into the mountains beyond. If you thought that the view from Dreisland looked scenic, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the view from atop the next castle we'll be visiting today. The walk up to Clansteffan is full of beautiful sights at every turn. Firstly, you have the estuary of the river Tewi, followed by a pleasant countryside walk past fields of rolling hills and green pasture. Then the ascent up the wooded path which twists and turns until a grand gatehouse emerges above you. Clansteffan was built on the site of an Iron Age hill fort which occupied the hill over a thousand years prior. While today the castle is hidden behind the canopy of woodland, the trees would have all been cut down and stripped during the medieval period so that attacking soldiers climbing up the hill had no cover from arrow fire. The question is, is this a Welsh castle or a Norman castle? Well, if you said Norman on this occasion, you would have been right. Clansteffan was constructed in around 1100 as the Marcher Lords expanded their influence in Wales. Like almost every castle situated in Wales, it found itself under siege on multiple occasions, notably in 1146 when it was captured by the Welsh and then recaptured back under Norman rule 12 years later in 1158. Llywelyn the Great laid siege to Clansteffan Castle again in 1215 and then, once again, the Normans recaptured it around 10 years later. Two further sieges followed between the 1250s and the 60s, but finally saw an extended period of peace throughout the 14th century. Due to its obvious defensive location, Clansteffan Castle found itself under the watch of Owain Glyndal, who laid siege to it in 1403 but was forced to retreat and re-attempt to capture the castle two years later in 1405, this time achieving a success. As is the trend for Welsh ownership of castles, this was short lived as the English recaptured the castle once again in 1408, where it was later granted to the Crown to be rented out to various Lords. A giant imposing gatehouse that you first see when climbing up to the top of the hill is actually quite a curious building. The shape is very obviously that of a fortified gatehouse, very similar to the classic 13th century gatehouses that you see all over Wales such as that of Kidwelly Castle and the semi-ruinous remains of Carmarthen, but it is lacking a vital component, an entrance. After Clansteffan emerged from its long-term period of violence and bloodshed, the defences were no longer required as much as they had been previously, so the original highly fortified gatehouse was blocked up and converted into high status living quarters, and then a new smaller entrance was built out of the wall next to the original gatehouse. The most eye-capturing part of the castle is the staggering view from the entire Tui estuary as it flows into the Bristol Channel. Here you'll see a great expanse of sandbanks which form picturesque islands in the water, with the medieval town of Kidwelly just hidden from sight behind the hill on the opposite side of the channel. Here's something a little different, indeed the next castle on our list is in fact unique. Just south of Cowbridge, only a stone's throw away from Cardiff, stands the ruins of Old Hooper Castle. Now access to the site is a little challenging as the farmer who owns the land does not make it terribly obvious that this is a public site. You must traverse several fields, hopping over a few stiles and navigating a few farm gates, all while being under the watchful gaze of the farmer's cows. A little unnerving as bulls also share the same field and there really isn't any way to avoid being in close proximity to them. Assuming that you have survived the cow fields, you will find an impressive medieval manor house on the crest of the hill in front of you. It was first constructed at the turn of the 13th century or possibly at the beginning of the 14th century. The original owners, the Bassett family, continued to live here for 400 years. Most of what you see today was built in the 16th century as the manor was considerably remodelled into a Tudor-style mansion, complete with a three-storey Renaissance porch inside the inner courtyard. This porch is unique as it is believed to be the only one left surviving in all of Wales, making it an even more remarkable piece of architecture to marvel at. Although Old Bupa had a fortified gatehouse, the manor was not built with defence in mind as the majority of the buildings were dedicated to luxurious living accommodation instead, showing off the classic Tudor style of large rectangular windows and a spacious stairway. The Renaissance porch features three architectural styles of Greek and Roman columns, Doric, Ionic and Corinthian, with the Bassett family heraldry carved into the ashlar stone. As you walk through the porch, you enter the 14th century Great Hall, likely to be the oldest part of the castle and part of the original medieval manor. The large fireplace you see inside the hall is also thought to be a medieval original. It is quite a relief to show a medieval castle which hasn't been submitted to brutal sieges and several recaptures. Instead, the owners of Old Bupa enjoyed a high-status lifestyle, complete with a terrace garden in the outer courtyard, which was likely installed during the Tudor period. Some earthworks can still be seen indicating where this Tudor garden used to be, but it is now almost entirely gone. After the English Civil War, the fortunes of the Bassett family took a turn for the worse and, by the 1700s, the estate was sold to the Jones family. It is understood that by the time this purchase was done, only part of the Tudor manor was still habitable. The south-eastern block of buildings attached to the manor was later converted to a farmhouse, where it continues to be lived in to this very day by the farmer who owns the land. The manor itself is now under the protection and guardianship of Cadu, and is free to visit at all times of the year. Llywyden Castle was built in the 13th century on behalf of the bishops of the Diocese of St David, where St David's Cathedral resides, but an earlier 12th century Mott & Bailey Castle previously stood on this site. By the time of the castle's remodelling into a vast stone fortress that you see today, it was managed by the Norman Marcher Lords, who occupied most of South Wales by the 13th century. The first Norman bishop of St David's, named Bernard, constructed the first Norman castle, but only the earth mound and ditch survives, which provides the blueprints for what the current stone castle stands upon. By the end of the 12th century, Lord Rees had captured Llywyden Castle along with various other fortresses in the local area, and the countryside fell back into Welsh rule. It seems that over time, the owners of the castle slowly integrated themselves with English rule, as Llywyden appears to have avoided much of the turmoil and violence brought on by the English campaign into Wales led by King Edward I. Instead, the bishops of St David who oversaw the castle, invested in renovating its living quarters, focusing more on domestic luxuries rather than defence. The most eye-capturing part of the castle, the tall gatehouse complete with two drum towers either side of the gateway, was one of the 13th century renovations which was indeed built for defence. However, it seems that even this was more so an attempt to impress visitors arriving at the site rather than for its real fortification properties. Over time, the kitchen blocks, pantry, undercross storage, living chambers and the great hall were all renovated and expanded, transforming the castle into more of a fortified manor. Further expenditure was spent on the town of Llywyden, for which the castle defended, allowing it to grow into a prosperous market town, trading with various other nearby settlements such as Haverfordwest and Pembroke. By the 16th century, Llywyden Castle gradually became dilapidated. The dissolution of the Monasteries Act saw the fortunes of St David's heavily spiralled downwards, and the following bishops could no longer afford to keep their luxurious estates and manors. As such, Llywyden Castle was abandoned and allowed to be quarried for its stone, which is why a third of the curtain walls no longer exist today. The once impressive gatehouse was left to decay and later collapsed, with only the front facade remaining. This does expose a fancy vaulted ceiling in one of the towers, and also makes the gateway entrance seem much larger than it actually was, as some of the stone which was behind a portion of blind arcading has now fallen away, making the blind arcading look like the actual arch of the gateway. In 1930, a group of 1,300 unemployed men were given jobs to renovate the castle over a period of six months, funded by George Lansbury. These jobs consisted of digging out the earth ditch to its original depth, stripping the ivy from the walls, and bolstering up some of the more at-risk walls and towers around the castle. Today, Llywyden is free to visit, with a small car park a short walk away from the castle. We are back at the Gower, and we are travelling to another Tudor mansion, similar to Old Bupa. This is Oxwich Castle, tucked away on a hill overlooking Oxwich Bay, hidden by a canopy of trees. Oxwich is a mishmash of different architectural styles throughout the centuries. Most of what you see here today is from the 16th century, but there are remnants that echo an earlier time in the medieval period, such as the curious round boom tower to the side of the later gatehouse. Much like Bupa, Oxwich isn't a true castle, but instead it's a fortified manor, and likely not even truly fortified either, as the majority of defences you see appear to have been built for purposes only, imitating the style of a real castle. During the Tudor period, Wales saw a prosperous time of peace, and so long gone were the days of medieval castles which had been battle-worn over a space of 400 years. Instead, manor houses and mansions began cropping up all over the Welsh countryside, with Oxwich being a fine example. The giant walls that remain show off a plethora of fancy rectangular windows, typical of the Tudors, and a vast number of fireplaces. The sheer amount of fireplaces on each floor confirm that this was a high-status domestic dwelling, built specifically for luxury and warmth, and to host large numbers of visitors who were surely well-catered for. The majority of the renovations were done between 1520 and 1580, and the owners, the Mansell family, spared no expense when adding a sense of grandeur. Elegant galleries, two-storey halls, large kitchen quarters and storage spaces, Oxwich had all the splendours that Tudor Wales could provide. Despite this, it doesn't seem like Oxwich had a particularly long life, as, in 1632, it is documented that the manor was leased out to tenants, and the Mansell family moved to their main home at Margam, near Cardiff, and focused renovations on that estate instead. This left the manor at Oxwich rather ignored for some time, and the manor gradually fell into disrepair. In the centuries that followed, the south range was the only part that was still habitable, being used as a farmhouse. Much later, in 1949, documents were made ordering the demolition of the manor as it had become too dilapidated by this point, but instead it was rescued and put into state care. After extensive work to restore and preserve Oxwich, it is now under the protection of Caddo, and is available to visit today. Getting to one of my personal favourite castles consists of a long walk through pleasant meadows, followed by a snaking trail through woodlands. Gradually, you begin to ascend up the winding hill, until finally, you are met with a very imposing wall and tower. This is Dyneva Castle, probably one of the most fantasy-inspiring castles in all of Wales. The earliest records date this castle to the 12th century, and it appears to be revered as one of the most important castles in the region, and, together with Dreyslyn only a short ride away on the other side of a valley, Dyneva was seen as key to imposing Welsh fortification against the Norman Marcher Lords. The Lord Rees owned Dyneva Castle, and used it alongside Dreyslyn and Carrickennan to keep the Normans at bay, housing retinues of knights who were ready to ride out at a moment's notice to defend their land. At the time of the castle's founding, it was likely a wooden bailey construction, but later in the turn of the 13th century it was renovated to stone and expanded, where the circular keep was added. It does appear that Dyneva Castle was at least partially dismantled at some point during the campaign of Llywelyn the Great, but was soon reconstructed. By the time of King Edward I's campaign into Wales, Dyneva Castle fell during a siege and came under English rule by 1277. After surviving a rebellion in 1316, sustaining extensive fire damage, the castle was handed to Hugh de Spencer the following year. At the start of the 15th century, Owain Glyndwr laid siege to Dyneva Castle in 1403, but was unsuccessful. The previously mentioned Sir Rees App Thomas owned the castle during the War of the Roses, and oversaw extensive rebuilding. It seems that the castle fell out of use shortly after this, however, as after the construction of Newton House nearby, the castle up on the hill began to enter its centuries of disrepair and neglect. A summer house was built on top of a 13th century round keep at some point in the 18th century, but a fire destroyed the roof and, once again, the castle was abandoned. Various attempts were made to remodel the castle into a domestic dwelling, which is partly why Dyneva looks like such a strange and unique castle, since many of the original walls, wall walks, stairs and towers were touched up and modified over time. Dyneva Castle is, however, no doubt still a majestic and beautiful castle in a breathtaking location, offering stunning views of the typical Welsh countryside. The fortified gatehouse, complete with two gateways, a narrow avenue and a dogleg turn to get into the castle, reminds us that this is a true medieval fortress, and offers a mix of military prowess and fairy tale aesthetics. Due to the fact that your imagination can simply run wild here at Dyneva, this makes it my personal favourite of all castles visited today so far. Dyneva Castle is protected by the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, and is managed by Cadw. The site is free to visit, you just need to pay for parking if you are arriving by car. We have finally arrived at our final site for today. Located beside the Milfordhaven Waterway in Pembrokeshire stands Originally, it was believed that the first fortification on this site was of an early 12th century Norman keep, however recent excavations have concluded that an Iron Age hillfort was protecting the river here for over a thousand years before. Multiple defensive walls were found in the form of earthen banks, but when the Normans arrived many centuries later, they made their own independent earth ditches to form the boundaries of their castle, so it is difficult to envision exactly what the previous Iron Age settlement looked like. The first castle was built by Gerald de Windsor, a prominent Norman lord who was involved in some of the earliest marcher lord campaigns into Wales. It is believed that a previous fortress was already here, and was being used by the Welsh, likely taking advantage of the previous Iron Age banks. But we also do not know exactly what this Welsh settlement would have looked like either, due to the fact that it was demolished to make way for the independent Norman structure built on top of it. Originally, the Norman castle was built of timber, with the round keep being the only component made from stone. This is also the only part of the original Norman castle which survives today, now named the Old Tower. The Carew family then owned the castle relatively hostility free over the next few centuries. King John passed through this area on his way to Ireland and reportedly besieged the castle in 1212, although the reason for this appears to have been lost to time. Carew avoided much of the turmoil of the English campaigns into Wales throughout the 13th century, and the 14th century saw further improvements made to the domestic buildings inside the castle. In 1480, Carew was passed to Rhys Apthomas, who, as we previously mentioned, was beginning to gain a considerable amount of favour with Henry Tudor. Notably, Rhys Apthomas was responsible for defending the Milford Haven on the south coast of Wales, and during this time he seemed to be a mercenary for the Yorkists. He did, however, allow Henry Tudor to land his army on the shores of Milford Haven, and it seems that this is when he returned back to the Lancastrian side. If he had refused this landing, Henry Tudor would have likely never gained forces in Wales, and his army would have probably never been strong enough to take on Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth. This would mean that the Lancastrians would have likely lost the war, and the history of Britain could have unfolded considerably differently from that moment onwards. Rhys Apthomas was heavily rewarded for his actions by Henry Tudor, and used some of the money to revamp Carew Castle, turning it into a grand Tudor mansion. Carew Castle is a pleasant mix of 13th, 14th and 16th century architecture. The Great Hall has been partially restored, but would have looked much grander in its heyday, complete with many wooden tables, painted walls in bright colours, and decorative tapestries hanging from the walls as well. The Chapel Tower is one of the oldest parts of the castle, having been built in the 13th century. The gatehouse is located in the outer courtyard, and is rather small and not very fortified. This was built by Rhys Apthomas, and it is thought that the gatehouse was purposely designed on a small scale so visitors could see the large grand buildings rising up behind the gatehouse, making the overall estate look bigger and more decadent. After the downfall of the Thomas family, the family estates passed to Sir John Perrault, as previously mentioned, and it was he who installed the Northern Wing and the Grand Gallery, which is a later Tudor addition. This survives as the best preserved part of the castle, featuring the classic large rectangular windows which would have provided an extraordinary amount of light. Large windows like this are a telltale sign of peace in the area at the time, as it suggests the owners were not worried about the castle being besieged, as large windows, of course, would provide an easy access point for an attacking army to try to get in. Later in the 17th century, Carew Castle was re-fortified by the Royalist army in preparation for a Parliamentarian siege. Carew was a Royalist-held castle in a heavily Parliamentarian area of Pembrokeshire, so a siege was all but inevitable. Some of the earthworks in the outer bailey were remodelled to cater for the more modern English field guns, but it is not known exactly whether a siege actually took place here. What we do know is that the Parliamentarian forces did gain control of the castle one way or another, as they pulled down the south wall to prevent the Royalists returning to the castle as a fortified position. Over a few decades that followed the English Civil War, what survived of Carew Castle was rented out to tenants, but the upkeep was deemed too expensive, so the castle was abandoned by 1686. In the centuries that followed, much of the stone was looted for construction material, and the castle is now, later, under the protection of Cadu, who have completed extensive restoration work to make Carew available to visitors. And so, this marks the end of the ten hidden castles of Wales that I wanted to show you today. Some are, of course, lesser known than others, but each and every one deserves to have their story told, and to be given a spotlight. In the future, I will be exploring Northern Wales to find at least ten more hidden castles that deserve more recognition. But, until next time, thanks for watching.