Visited April 2017

Location	Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, Wales
Entrance Fee	No
Railway Station Nearby	Llandovery, approx. 1/2 mile
Parking	Yes
Facilities	None
Map

One thing you don't have to worry about when visiting Llandovery Castle is where to park- as the castle is in the middle of the town car park, you can quite literally drive up to the base of the motte. The castle is free to visit but the sadly the car park isn't, so do remember to buy a ticket!

Review

The castle was built in the 1100's as a stone shell keep on a large motte. It was probably built by the Norman Lord Fitzpons, but was the centre of many a battle between the English & the Welsh and so frequently changed hands. It was in 1277 that Edward I finally secured it for the English crown, and it remained as a crown possession, give or take a few rebellions, until it was finally burned and abandoned in 1532.

The remains today consist of a large stone D-shaped tower, broken into two sections by the post-Civil War slighting. The tower has a garderobe chute and a fireplace, which has been covered in Christian graffiti. There are several other stone structures on and around the mound, which are the remains of various domestic buildings associated with the castle. 

Also on the top of the mound is a huge, steel statue which looks positively Star Wars-esque on first glance. It is not in fact Darth Vader but local landowner Llywelyn ap Gruffyd Fychan, who in 1401 was executed at the gates of Llandovery Castle for supporting the Owain Glyndwr rebellion. The statue was erected there in the year 2000 as a monument to Llywelyn and his loyalty to welsh independence.

Although this is a small castle, it is ideal to visit with children. On the day we visited there were several children playing in the ruins, running and hiding behind trees and bushes and generally using it as their 'den'. They certainly looked as if they were having a great time(do watch out for any steep drops though). There is also a small play park in the area behind the castle which also seemed very popular. There are picnic benches in the park, or the town of Llandovery has several cafes to choose from. There are public toilets in the car park.

More info:  Llandovery Castle