Carreg Cennen is one of those castles whose formidable fortifications are the stuff of childhood fantasy for many of us.
Standing atop its 300 foot limestone crag, the castle dominates the local landscape.
Fortifications have been in place at Castel Carreg Cennen from pre-Roman times to the present, although there don’t appear to be any remains pre-dating the late 13th and 14th century castle we see today.
The castle consists of a square inner ward surrounded by natural cliffs and rock-cut ditches. The more easily approached north and east sides are further protected by the walls of an outer ward, and the gatehouse is protected by an elaborate barbican that houses a long stone ramp with several deep pits that were covered by movable bridges.
Steep steps descend from the south-east corner of the courtyard to a vaulted passage on the edge of the cliff that leads to a natural cave beneath the castle; the cave may well have been used as a cold store, but it’s interesting to let your mind run riot in the dark, damp depths...
During the Wars of the Roses the castle was owned by the Duchy of Lancaster. Following the Yorkist victory at the battle of Mortimer's Cross in 1461, Carreg Cennen became a refuge for large numbers of Lancastrians.
A Yorkist force was sent to force Carreg Cennen’s surrender, and when the Lancastrians vacated the castle a team of 500 men moved in to demolish the fortress.
The artist J. M. Turner immortalised Carreg Cennen in a painting. Although the castle is at its most imposing when viewed from the base of the 300 foot cliff on the other side, this photograph shows how I always remember it.
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like the shopkeeper in "Mr Ben" always appeared...as if by majic....did you ever catch that kids programme...they were doing re runs when Tinks was growing up.....my favourite kids tv programme.....
that looks absolutely wonderful....and just how a castle should look....perfect!!! great pics - lovely to see them...have always had a real thing about castles and been to visit many......