Oxwich Castle

Oxwich Castle stands on a wooded headland above Oxwich Bay on the Gower Peninsula in Wales. Built in the 16th century, it is a grand Tudor fortified manor house arranged around a courtyard. The site may once have held earlier fortifications, but only a ruined tower survives from before the present structure. The castle was created by the Mansell family, who owned it from the 1500s. A large stone dovecote still stands to the north-east of the main buildings.

The castle is worth visiting for its fine Tudor architecture and historical importance. Sir Rice Mansel began the work in the mid-16th century, and his son Sir Edward Mansel expanded it into a grand Elizabethan prodigy house. The Gateway bears the coats of arms of the Mansell, Penrice and Scurlage families. A gold brooch found during repairs in 1968 is now displayed in Cardiff, showing the site’s medieval connections. The castle passed to Cadw in 1949 and remains in state care.

Visitors find a courtyard surrounded by the Gateway, Hall and South Range. The six-storey South-East Tower rises at the corner of the Hall and South Range. The East Range once held a large Hall, while the South Range contained a kitchen. The dovecote and ruined tower add to the remains of earlier phases. The setting among trees and overlooking the bay makes it a peaceful place to explore.