Penlle'r Castell

Penlle’r Castell is a ruined castle on the summit of Mynydd y Gwair in northern Swansea. It stands twelve hundred metres above sea level and its name means ‘summit of the place of the castle’. The site was probably built late in the 13th century by one of the Marcher Lords. William de Braose, second Baron Braose, may have founded it shortly before 1252. Records call it the New Castle of Gower and say it was attacked and destroyed in 1252. The castle’s position let its garrison watch the lords of Is Cennan across the River Amman. A troop of mounted men could ride out to harry raiding parties and send warnings to Swansea. It was a purely military blockhouse with no signs of permanent living quarters. Only earthworks and fragments of dry-stone walls remain today. There may have been two stone towers, built without mortar. Visitors reach the summit along ridge paths and see deep ditches and low stone remains. The wide view stretches over the northern uplands of Gower. The site is quiet and open, with no modern buildings nearby. A small plaque marks the spot for those who climb to explore its history.