Loughor Castle

Loughor Castle stands on a low mound beside the River Loughor, twelve kilometres west of Swansea. Built in 1106 by Henry de Beaumont on the remains of a Roman fort called Leucarum, it began as an oval earthwork ring topped by wicker fencing. The Normans reused the old fort’s walls to save time and labour, creating a strong point that controlled the road to Swansea Castle. By the 13th century a stone curtain wall and a square tower had been added, giving the castle solid defences. Today the ruins show parts of the tower and curtain wall rising above the grassy mound. The site is managed by Cadw as a quiet park where visitors can walk among the remains. The castle’s long history is marked by sieges and changes of hand. Welsh forces burnt it in 1151 during a rising led by Rhys ap Gruffydd. In 1215 Llywelyn the Great captured the castle, and later John de Braose repaired it with a new stone wall. A second attack in 1251 led to the addition of a stone tower with three rooms and a garderobe. By the 14th century the castle had passed through many owners, from William de Braose to John de Mowbray and beyond. Each period left traces still visible in the ruins. Visitors find a grassy mound topped by fragments of the tower and curtain wall. The surviving stonework stands at the centre of the old ringwork, which once held timber buildings. A ditch once ran around the base, and the riverbank below offers views across the wide estuary. The park is open and uncrowded, with benches placed among the ruins. From the top of the mound the line of the old Roman road can still be traced. The place feels remote despite its closeness to the town.