Llandovery Castle

Llandovery Castle is a ruined stone castle in the small town of Llandovery in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It stands on a knoll above the River Towy, looking over the surrounding land. The Normans first built a castle here in the early twelfth century, then rebuilt it in stone a century later. A fire in the early sixteenth century left it in ruins, and it has remained so ever since. The castle has a long history tied to Welsh and English conflicts. Richard Fitz Pons, a Norman knight, began the first castle here in 1116. King Henry II spent heavily to repair it in the 1150s, but the Welsh still captured it. Edward I finally took it in 1277, though Llywelyn ap Gruffudd briefly reclaimed it five years later. The keep is a large D-shaped tower on the western side, with a gatehouse, two towers, and remnants of the curtain wall still standing. Visitors today see the castle’s ruins and the views over the River Towy. The keep and gatehouse remain, along with parts of the curtain wall. The site overlooks the town and the river valley below. It is a quiet spot, with only the stone remains to tell of its past. The castle’s history is marked by sieges, fires, and changing hands between Welsh and English forces.