50 Castles

[GrinningGSer]

Ok, a weather window opens; the holiday makers and their offspring are going back to school , so time to hit the road .
An old bike , an old tent ( more of that history later) , an old rider and a 760 mile trip await .
I hope not to bore you and if you have no interest in castles , then look away now …
All loaded and ready to go

 

[GrinningGSer]

The planned route; not my route , but first seen on ABR magazine and modified to take on a few additional stops ; eg The Great Orme , Mach Loop , etc
760 miles planned , so new Conti TA2 rear tyre fitted ( because I’m a ‘tight arse’ and cannot justify TA3).

 

[GrinningGSer]

I’ve asked Chat GPT a question , re number of castles in Wales and it tells me ,”Wales is known for having a large number of castles, often referred to as the "Land of Castles." There are over 600 castles in Wales, making it one of the countries with the highest density of castles in the world. These castles range from well-preserved fortifications to ruins, each with its own unique history and architectural significance. Some of the most famous Welsh castles include Caernarfon Castle, Conwy Castle, Cardiff Castle, and Harlech Castle, among many others.”

 

[GrinningGSer]

A delay in , start , by old geezers who talk about the next lockdown and other stuff that might never happen ;

 

[GrinningGSer]

Castle 1 : Chepstow Castle


Beautifully preserved Chepstow Castle stretches out along a limestone cliff above the River Wye like a history lesson in stone.

There’s no better place in Britain to see how castles gradually evolved to cope with ever more destructive weaponry – and the grandiose ambitions of their owners.
For more than six centuries Chepstow was home to some of the wealthiest and most powerful men of the medieval and Tudor ages.
Building was started in 1067 by Earl William fitz Osbern, close friend of William the Conqueror, making it one of the first Norman strongholds in Wales. In turn William Marshal (Earl of Pembroke), Roger Bigod (Earl of Norfolk) and Charles Somerset (Earl of Worcester) all made their mark before the castle declined after the Civil
War.

Chepstow Castle | Cadw

The stones of this magnificent clifftop fortress trace 900 years of historyBeautifully preserved Chepstow Castle stretches out along a limestone cliff above the River Wye like a history lesson in stone.There’s no better place in Britain to see how castles gradually evolved to cope with ever more...

cadw.gov.wales

Stunning setting alongside The River Wye

 

[GrinningGSer]

Castle 2: Raglan Castle ; you’ve probably all whizzed past it en route to Y Fenni , but pay it a visit because it’s very intact ;

Easy free parking

The unmistakable silhouette of Raglan crowning a ridge amid glorious countryside is the grandest castle ever built by Welshmen.
We can thank Sir William ap Thomas, the ‘blue knight of Gwent’, for the moated Great Tower of 1435 that still dominates this mighty fortress-palace. His son Sir William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, created the gatehouse with its
flared ‘machicolations’.
These stone arches allowed missiles to be rained down on attackers. But Raglan came 150 years later than the turbulent heyday of castle-building. It was designed to impress as much as to intimidate.
Under various earls of Worcester Raglan was transformed into a magnificent country seat with a fashionable long gallery and one of the finest Renaissance gardens in Britain. But loyalty to the crown was to prove its undoing.
Despite a garrison of 800 men and one of the longest sieges
of the Civil War, it fell to parliamentary forces and was deliberately destroyed. Among the looted treasures was a piece of Tudor wooden panelling, now proudly displayed in the visitor centre after being rescued from a cow shed in the 1950s.

Raglan Castle | Cadw

Welsh fortress-palace transformed into regal residence The unmistakable silhouette of Raglan crowning a ridge amid glorious countryside is the grandest castle ever built by Welshmen. We can thank Sir William ap Thomas, the ‘blue knight of Gwent’, for the moated Great Tower of 1435 that still...

cadw.gov.wales

 

[GrinningGSer]

Castle 3 ; Y Fenni Castle

How many times have bikers gathered at the bust stop ; unaware that there is a castle nearby ?

A picturesque castle ruin set against the beautiful lush hills which form a backdrop to Abergavenny, this site offers a castle and museum visit in one!
Two sets of forbidding defensive towers;
Spacious cellars for storage during lean times when the castle was under attack;
High walls which offered good vantage points for
watchmen and soldiers; A gatehouse with stops for heavy doors, draw-bar holes and the battered base of a wall; Staircase leading to the first floor with large and small stone windows and fireplaces of a Banqueting hall and a pleasant room;

Abergavenny Castle and museum - Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales

A picturesque castle ruin set against the beautiful lush hills which form a backdrop to Abergavenny, this site offers a castle and museum visit in one! Come along and imagine the formidable fortress this ruin once was when it was a pawn between medieval English barons and Welsh princes. Be also...

www.breconbeacons.org

However , on Christmas Day 1175, the Lord of Abergavenny murdered his unarmed Welsh rival, and his men , at a feast in the banqueting hall .

 

[GrinningGSer]

Castle 4 White Castle

White Castle is the best preserved and most imposing of
the trio of Monmouthshire fortresses known as the ‘Three Castles’ – which includes Grosmont and Skenfrith – built to control the border. Originally constructed from wood and earth, a series of renovations transformed it into the
significant defensive structure we see today. Its medieval name might derive from the white rendering used on its
masonry. The large outer ward is as big as a football pitch, while the pear-shaped inner ward sits behind a deep, steep-sided, water-filled moat.
Many of these features are thought to be the work of the Lord Edward (later King Edward I) who took possession of the Three Castles in 1254. The modifications at White Castle, his first Welsh castle, can be seen as a forerunner of the mighty fortresses he would go on to build in north Wales.

White Castle | Cadw

The shape of things to come? An early glimpse of Edward I’s Welsh castle-building project

cadw.gov.wales

However , can anyone remember the story of Nazi Rudolf Hess , who flew solo to an alleged rendezvous with the British Royal family, ? He ran out of fuel , bailed out of his aircraft , breaking his leg in the process . Hess was captured and held in Maindiff Court, Y Fenni , where he was treated well , and permitted day release to paint at White Castle.

Today I met a man there , whose mother served food to Hess .

Too many conspiracy theories involve Rudolf Hess ;
Was he here for a secret meeting with The Royal Family to discuss stopping the war ?
Did Churchill prevent the meeting ?
Why did Churchill and others imprison him for so long in Spandau after Y Fenni ? ( His Nuremberg charge was ‘breaking the peace.)
Why was Hess , the last remaining prisoner at Spandau Prison from 1966 until his death in 1987 ?
During that period, he was the ONLY inmate in the Spandau prison !
I’ll suggest that keeping one prisoner in a prison for 21 years , in solitary confinement , means something .
Hess was possibly about to be released , but was found hanging in his cell .

 

[Ex-Call Centre Chimp]

Wow, just wow!

 

[GrinningGSer]

Castle 5 Skenfrith

One of the ‘Three Castles of Gwent’ (along with
Grosmont and White Castle) founded by Norman lord William fitz Osbern in the early 12th century, the remains of Skenfrith we see today are of a later fortress constructed in the 13th century by Hubert de Burgh. The castle’s well-preserved walls surround a circular keep, similar to those
seen at Bronllys and Tretower. Built on an earthen mound, this sturdy structure was a last line of defence should the castle fall under attack.
Between them, the Three Castles controlled a large area of confrontational border country between the River Wye and the Black Mountains, with Skenfrith occupying a strategic spot on the banks of the River Monnow overlooking one of
the main routes between Wales and England.

Skenfrith Castle | Cadw

Significant medieval fortress with a substantial central tower One of the ‘Three Castles of Gwent’ (along with Grosmont and White Castle) founded by Norman lord William fitz Osbern in the early 12th century, the remains of Skenfrith we see today are of a later fortress constructed in the 13th...

cadw.gov.wales

 

[GrinningGSer]

Castle 6 Grosmont ;

There’s a wonderful village pub, which I’ve enjoyed many a Sunday Lunch at , in Grosmont , with my friend DG

 

[wessie]

My old stamping ground as I grew up in Monmouth, lived in Abergavenny, Llantilio Crossenny and just over the border in Herefordshire, looking out of my bedroom window to see Goodrich Castle across the river.

These two border counties are often ignored by many as they pass through on a trunk road to the coast or mountains.

 

[GrinningGSer]

Castle 7 Hay Castle

Hay Castle is a medieval fortification and 17th-century mansion house in the small town of Hay-on-Wye in Powys, Wales. Originally constructed as part of the Norman invasion of Wales, the castle was designed as a ringwork overlooking the town in either the late 11th or the early
12th centuries.

Hay Castle - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

It was closed when I arrived , but an excuse for another visit

Old 1982 Vango Force ten , up in no time and no need for a fly sheet tonight . 25 degrees today !
Sited by a fast flowing river being a bonus.

 

[kenb]

Great first day of your trip, keep it coming

 

[Wapping]

What a great theme for a trip around Wales.

Whilst I don’t buy into all the conspiracy nonsense surrounding Hess, thank you for taking the time to show us the splendid castles.

I looked up the Cadw map of the historic sites:

Find a place to visit | Cadw

cadw.gov.wales

It’s nicely presented.

 

[Posh Pete]

Are you going for the full half century? It's going to be a long thread! But very interesting. Thanks for posting.

 

[The Other PaulG]

Learned more in the last 10 minutes than I did during school history lessons! This is great stuff, please keep it coming.

 

[wessie]

Learned more in the last 10 minutes than I did during school history lessons! This is great stuff, please keep it coming.

we had school trips to some of these castles from my schools, primary & secondary in Monmouth. Sadly, my O'level did not focus on this period which but the incredibly tedious 1851-1914 period. I lost interest and effectively dropped the subject by playing snooker with the 6th formers on "free periods" instead of turning up for the lesson.

my primary school head teacher was also curator of the Nelson Museum in Monmouth so whenever he took over our class we were usually treated to some history lesson about Henry V (born in Monmouth Castle) etc
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Kissack

White Castle, one of my favourites, has a notable winery next door, to add to the things to do if in the area

https://whitecastlevineyard.com/

 

[ChazzyB]

That looks like a great trip. Would you share your GPX route?

[EDIT] No worries, I've found variants on many shades ont'net.

 

[richardbd]

That looks like a great trip. Would you share your GPX route?

[EDIT] No worries, I've found variants on many shades ont'net.

Will you be buying a new airbed in preparation?