Kidwelly Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Cydweli

In the community of Kidwelly.
In the historic county of Carmarthenshire (Modern authority of Carmarthenshire, preserved county of Dyfed).

Impressive remains of a castle established as a huge earthwork in the early C12, this built by Roger bishop of Salisbury. The stone castle was first raised by the de Chaworths, and was much modified later by the earls (later dukes) of Lancaster. Rubble stone construction with Sutton limestone dressings. Semi-circular outer ward of C12, with four towers, one collapsed. Square inner ward of C13 with four corner towers. C13 hall against E side of inner wall. C13 chapel projecting from SE tower of inner ward. Outer ward comprises two large gabled ranges from c1500, one against W wall and the other in the NE corner.

This site has been described as a;
Masonry Castle
Timber Castle
Palace.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Major remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SN40900705

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

National Monuments Record number; 95633

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 1621, 1622

• Web site links
  • http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/default.asp?id=6&PlaceID=82
    http://www.castlewales.com/kidwelly.html
    http://www.kidwellyhistory.co.uk/Topography/Topography.htm
    http://www.greatcastlesofwales.co.uk/kidwelly.htm
    http://www.kidwellyhistory.co.uk/CastleGuide/CastleTown.htm
    http://www.worldwidewales.tv/index2.php
    http://www.acadat.com/HLC/EstuaryArea/area159.htm
• Books
  • Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p49-52
    Davis, Paul, 2000, A Company of Forts. A Guide to the Medieval Castles of West Wales (Gomer Press) p50, 81-4 [reconstructions]
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p94-6
    Thompson, M.W., 1998, Medieval bishops' houses in England and Wales (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing) p85-7, 184
    Salter, Mike, 1996, The Castles of South West Wales (Malvern) p30-3 [plan]
    Avent, J.R., 1991, 'The Early Development of Three Coastal Castles' in James,H. (ed), Sir Gar: Studies in Carmarthenshire History (Carmarthen) p167-188
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p55-6
    Soulsby, I., 1983, The Towns of Medieval Wales (Phillimore)
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p359-61
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p685-7
    Richard, A.J., 1935, in Lloyd, J.E. (ed), History of Carmathenshire (Cardiff) Vol1 p277-8, 289
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p193-6
    RCAHMW, 1917, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Carmarthenshire (HMSO) p45-50
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p288
    Evans, Herbert A., 1912, Castles of England and Wales (London) p223-30
    Hamilton Thompson, A., 1912, Military Architecture in England during the Middle Ages (London) p267, 279-82
    Daven Jones, 1906, History of Kidwelly (Carmarthen) esp p19-25, 32-40
    Clark, G.T., 1884, Medieval military architecture in England (Wyman and Sons) Vol2 p153-62 [reprint of 1852 Arch Camb article]
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p382-4
    Grose, Francis, 1787, The Antiquities of England and Wales (London) Vol7 p11-12
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p363
• Journal Articles
  • Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p314
    Kenyon, John R., 1985, ‘Kidwelly Castle’, 132nd annual meeting, old Carmarthenshire, 1985, CAA p11–12
    Youngs, S.M. and Clark, J., 1981, ‘Medieval Britain in 1980’, Medieval Archaeology Vol25 p203
    James, H J., 1980, ‘Kidwelly, Castle Farm car park’, Archaeology in Wales Vol20 p58-9
    James, H.J., 1980, ‘Topographical notes on the early mediaeval borough of Kidwelly’, The Carmarthen Antiquary Vol16 p6-l7
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    King, D.J.C. and Alcock, L., 1969, 'Ringworks in England and Wales' Chateau Gaillard Vol3 p90-127
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1963, 'Early castles in Wales and the Marches: a preliminary list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol112 p77-124
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press)] pp90-121
    Taylor and Neaverson, 1948-9, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol100 p149-50
    J[ones], J.F., 1945-6, ‘Kidwelly Castle’, The Carmarthen Antiquary Vol2 p125–6
    Perks, 1944-5, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol98 p259-62
    Fox, C. and Radford, C.A.R., 1933, 'Kidwelly castle, Carmarthenshire, including a survey of polychrome pottery' Archaeologia Vol83 p93-138
    1929-31, Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies Vol5 p282-3
    Clark, G.T., 1852, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol3 p1-20
• Guidebooks
  • Kenyon, John R., 2002, Kidwelly Castle (CADW)
    Kenyon, John R., 1990 rev edn, Kidwelly Castle (CADW)
    Kenyon, John R., 1986, Kidwelly Castle (CADW)
    Radford, C.A.R., 1952 2edn, Kidwelly Castle (HMSO)
    Radford, C.A.R., 1933, Kidwelly Castle (HMSO)
    Clark, G.T., 1851, A Description and History of Kidwelly Castle (London and Tenby) [seperate issue of 1852 Arch.Camb. article]
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/glameng.html#caerm2]
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol3 p59