Llawhaden Castle

Llawhaden Castle stands on a low hill above the River Cleddau in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Its ruins rise from a wide ditch once crossed by a drawbridge. The remains form a pentagon, three sides still standing while two have vanished. A pair of drum towers guards the southern gatehouse where the bridge once hung. The site was first a motte-and-bailey fort before bishops rebuilt it in stone during the 13th century. Later additions came from bishops who wanted grander quarters. The castle’s history is tied to the Bishops of St David’s, who ruled the area as Marcher Lords. Bernard, the first Norman bishop, built an early castle here in 1115. Lord Rhys captured it in 1192 along with other castles. Bishop Adam de Houghton enlarged the stone structure between 1362 and 1389, adding two suites of rooms on the first floor. Bishop William Barlow stripped the lead roof in the 16th century, hastening the ruin. Visitors walk the remaining walls and peer through the gatehouse’s twin towers. The ditch and moat show where the drawbridge once stood. Ivy and undergrowth were cleared in the 1930s by a team of 1,300 men working for six months. The hilltop offers views over the surrounding countryside. The ruins remain in private ownership but are open to the public.