Caerphilly Castle

Caerphilly Castle effortlessly dominates the town of Caerphilly. It sprawls over a huge area (30 acres in all) making it the biggest in Wales and, along with Windsor and Dover, the largest in Britain. The castle was built in the late 13th century by the Anglo-Norman lord Gilbert de Clare, to consolidate his grip on the lands he had captured. The Fortress impressed onlookers right from the start, an awstruck 14th century Welsh poet describing it as "giant Caerfilli".

De Clare's castle, a high point in medieval military architecture, is a supreme example of the concentric walls within walls system of defence. Water as well as stone played a crucial role here. The castle's outstanding water defences extend far beyond those of a mere moat. Lakes were created together with three artificial islands, making the castle almost impregnable to siege warfare. If attackers did manage to reach the walls they would have been faced with a formidable series of fortifications protecting the castle's inner core.

Particularly noteworthy features include the gatehouse, great hall and full-sized working replicas of medieval siege engines. Often threatened, but (unsurprisingly) never taken, the castle still intimidates the onlooker. Its only sign of weakness is a leaning tower which even out-leans Pisa's world famous example, possibly caused by subsidence.

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