Caerphilly Castle is undoubtedly one of the mightiest fortresses in Wales – and perhaps one of the grandest Medieval buildings in Western Europe.
This formidable castle, surrounded by two huge lakes, is located in the centre of the town of Caerphilly (about 25minutes drive north of Cardiff).
The castle is particularly interesting as it was built at breakneck speed – the vast majority was built in just three years, between 1268 and 1271.
Even by modern standards, you’d be hard pressed to construct such a vast stone fortress in just three years. The fact that builders managed this more than 700 years ago makes Caerphilly quite remarkable.
Caerphilly is also an early example of the concentric castle design – a style of building which rendered castles virtually impregnable. It influenced the construction of some of the mightiest of all fortresses in Wales.
