Castell Gwyn (Wales)

[Martin Hash]

My wife, Gwynne, is named after her mother, Gwynne, who is named after her mother's favorite actor back in the day. Her particular spelling, “Gwynne,” originates in Wales but is uncommon in the U.S. Gwynne had a speech impediment as a child, and other kids thought she had an accent. Cleverly, she replied, “Welsh.” She'd never been to Wales, or even knew anything about Wales, but it led her wanting to visit there someday. Conveniently, while we were living in Newcastle, England, some locals who'd befriended Gwynne mentioned Castell Gwyn in Wales. That visit was obviously a no-brainer, and was put on our itinerary while circumnavigating Great Britain. However, we were taking public transport, and Castell Gwyn (in Welsh), or White Castle in English, required a long train ride then a cab to the middle of nowhere.

Welsh Sign.jpg

Gwynne at Gwyn Castell.jpg

The entry fee was two pounds. There were no other tourists. (How would they get there?) It was a beautiful day, and the castle looked just like any childhood imaginings you might have of King Arthur's time, without upkeep. The castle actually dates back to the Norman invasion of England in 1066. It has round turrets, stone walls, and a moat filled with brackish water. Visitors could climb all over it, which we did. I've been in a lot of castles in my day, old and new, but Castell Gwyn was certainly the most memorable.

Gwyn Castell Moat.jpg

Gwyn Castell Ruins.jpg

[Montegriffo]

Some good stuff about Castell Gwyn (White castle) here,
https://castles.today/en/castles/castle ... e/history/

White Castle is most commonly known as one of ‘The Three Castles’ – the other two Castles being Skenfrith Castle and Grosmont Castle, all of which are located in the Monnow Valley. The three Castles are usually grouped together because for almost their entire history, they were part of a block territory under the control of a single lord.

It was William fitz Osbern, Earl of Hereford, who most probably started building the Castle’s earliest Norman earthworks in 1066. William was the first Norman lord to conquer central and eastern Monmouthshire, including the site used to build White Castle. His son, Roger de Breteuil, 2nd Earl of Hereford, rebelled against the crown in 1075, after which his lands and Castles were seized and reverted to the King, who divided this important territory in a politically strategic move. The three Castles were reunited under one single lord by King Stephen in the 1130s, and used as one defensive unit. In the 1180s, White Castle appears to have been the first of the ‘Three Castles’ to be rebuilt from the old Norman style consisting of earth and timber, into stone.

During the 12th century, White Castle was fortified by Ralph of Grosmont, who supervised such works for the King in Hereford. The towering curtain wall around the inner ward of the Castle was built between 1185 and 1187. In 1201, King John granted the lordship of the Castle to Hubert de Burgh, who completely overhauled its existing structure. William de Braose was briefly granted the control of the Castle in 1205, however when William fell out of favour and forced into ruin in 1207, Hubert de Burgh became the owner of the Castle once more. He was appointed further as Justiciar in 1215. Hubert had previously fought battles in France, where he learnt about the latest military architecture. Around 1230, he added the four round towers to the inner walls of White Castle. One pair of these formed the gatehouse. Later he also added two other D-shaped towers to the inner ward, and built the masonry outer ward. He also demolished the original square Norman tower keep.

Unlike the other two castles in the trio, it appears that White Castle was mainly a military outpost, rather than a home for a noble family. In 1254, the Castles were granted to King Henry II’s eldest son, Prince Edward. In the 1260s the Welsh ruler, Llwelyn ap Grufudd, led a Welsh rebellion, and to encounter this threat, the defences of White Castle were improved. A new twin towered gatehouse was built at the northern side of the ward, and the original southern gate was reduced to the status of postern gate. A curtain wall was built on the southern side and the entire Castle was surrounded by a deep water-filled moat. Llywelyn never attacked, and following his death in 1282, the military importance of the Castle was greatly reduced.

The Castle ruin was given to the State in 1922, after which finally it was finally given to the National Trust. It is known that the German Deputy Führer Rudolf Hess was a frequent visitor of the Castle between 1942 and 1945, while he was held on trial at the Maindiff Court Military Hospital.

Looks like a nice one to visit.

[C-Mag]

So, how were the burgers ?







Pretty cool Hash

[Montegriffo]

I don't know, you go to the effort of establishing a castle review thread and then people go posting castle reviews willy nilly wherever they want.

[Speaker to Animals]

[Montegriffo]

Is that where white knights eat?

[Speaker to Animals]

Is that where white knights eat?

No. They eat soyburgers.