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Aberystwyth Castle stands near an earlier 11th-century motte and bailey fort, built in a concentric plan of rubble masonry between 1277 and 1289 and is free to visit to all members of the public any time or day. The castle was host to numerous political upheavals until Oliver Cromwell slighted the castle in 1649. Three partial towers and outer walls remain.
Visiting Aberystwyth Castle
Parking
There are several parking options in the vicinity of the castle, and visitors may choose the paid or unpaid parking areas depending on availability.
Price
Open to the public for free
Opening
Open year-round; visit at any reasonable time during daylight hours
Location & Access
Cyngor Aberystwyth, 11 Stryd y Popty
Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 2BJ
Contact: 01970 624761
Visitors will find the castle on the seafront, near to the Old College, with ample on-street parking close to the site and the nearest car park 5 minutes walk away. Visitors may easily reach the town via the main A44 and A487 rods, which pass through the area. Alternatively, Aberystwyth Train Station and bus station are only a 5-minute stroll to the castle.
Know Before You Go
- Visitors should approach the castle ruins with caution as, over the years, the structure has become unstable.
- The council only allows access at ground floor level, and visitors are blocked from climbing to the higher levels of the castle.
History of Aberystwyth Castle
King Edward I ordered the building of Aberystwyth castle as one of his 'iron ring' of forts in the First Welsh War. The castle ruins lie in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Mid Wales and are an example of a concentric castle. It was built between 1277 and 1289 along with a fortified Welsh town or bastide.
Time Line
-1110 (Original Build)
Gilbert of Clare built the first fortification near the mouth of the River Ystwyth, where traces of the stronghold remain.
-1135 (Destroyed)
Gruffydd ap Rhys destroyed much of the Norman Castle, and Cadwallader, son of Griffith ap Conan, rebuilt the fortification.
-1136
The Prince of Wales, Gruffudd ap Rhys, captured the castle.
-1158 (Second build)
The Normans took control of the area from the Welsh and began to build a second castle.
-1171
Henry III granted the lands and castles to Rhys ap Gruffydd, and his sons fought for his inheritance. One of the sons revolted and captured the castle from his brother.
-1207-1208
Maelgwyn destroyed the castle to protect the stronghold from Llewellyn the Great, who took the lands and rebuilt the castle as Aberystwyth.
-1212 (Destroyed)
The Wesh destroyed the rebuilt castle, and the site changed hands to Rhys ap Grufydd's grandsons. Not long after, King Edward I gained possession of the castle.
-1215-1276
The castle changed hands many times between the Welsh and English powers until King Edward the I declared war on Llewellyn, the Prince of Wales. King Edward then commenced constructing his 'iron ring' of defence under James of St. George, the master castle builder.
-1277
King Edward built the third castle, originally called "Llanbadarn Castle," after defeating Llewellyn ap Gruffydd. He made the stone castle closer to the coast as a strategic plan to improve the safety of the castle occupants and enable the easy supply of building materials by boat. The new site also ensured that troops could receive supplies and reinforcements during a siege.
-1289
After an interruption of a Welsh attack and burning, King Edward commenced construction of the castle at a significant cost of £4,300.
-1294-1295 (Siege)
During the revolt of Madog ap Llewellyn, the castle was subject to a six-month siege. The concentric fortification withstood the onslaught with supplies and reinforcements arriving by sea.
-1307
By this date, a flourishing 'bastide' or fortified village surrounded the castle by Llanbadarn Gaerog or its English equivalent “Fortified LLanbadarn.”
-1343 (Disrepair)
Historical records suggest that the castle had already begun to fall into disrepair. Owned by the Black Prince, the king's hall, gateway, and drawbridge showed signs of wear.
-1402 (Siege)
Owain Glyndwr laid siege to the castle, eventually capturing the castle in November 1404.
-1407
The castle evaded destruction by Prince Henry, the future King Henry V, by a malfunctioning cannon. Historians record that the king's 4.5-ton (4,082.33-kilogram) cannon, likely the one named ‘The Messenger,’ destroyed itself when firing at the castle.
-1408
Prince Henry finally took possession of the castle, after which the castle lost strategic importance, and few repairs were affected.
-1637 (Royal Mint)
Charles I designated the castle as a Royal Mint, and the castle produced eight different denominations of silver coins. Charles Bushell operated the mint and used his wealth to support Charles I during the start of the English Civil War. The mint fell into disuse and was moved to a furnace 12 mi (19.31 km) away.
-1644-1646 (Siege)
Initially a Royalist stronghold in 1644, Parliamentarians sieged the castle in 1645, and the royalists surrendered in 1646.
-1648-1649 (Slighted)
Oliver Cromwell ordered the destruction of Aberystwyth Castle and slighted the site. Locals looted the stones over time, leaving only the remains that we see today.
-1790
John Probert laid out a series of walks in front of the castle, which is now partly covered by St. Michael’s Church.
-1923
A war memorial commissioned from Italy was erected and placed on the site, commemorating lives lost in both the first and second World Wars.
-1988
Archaeologists excavating on the castle grounds uncovered a complete male skeleton, possibly dating back to the English Civil War. The lime of the collapsed castle preserved the body named "Charlie" virtually intact, and visitors may find him on display at Ceredigion Museum in Aberystwyth.
-Today
Aberystwyth Castle is now a Grade I listed Edwardian fortress and is a protected monument, and Aberystwyth Town Council manages and oversees the castle.Aberystwyth Castle Occupants
- 1109: The Norman baron, Gilbert de Clare, built and occupied the motte and bailey fortification.
- 1158: Roger Fitz Richard, grandson of Gilbert de Clare, built and occupied the new castle.
- 1196: Lord Rhys took possession of the castle until his death when his feuding sons battled for ownership of the castle. Maelgwn stormed the castle to unseat his brother Gruffud and handed his brother to the Normans. Upon his brother's death, Malegwn razed the castle to prevent Guffud's sons from claiming ownership.
- 1404: Owain Glyndŵr took possession of the castle and held the site against the English.
- 1408: Prince Henry of Monmouth captured the castle.
- 1649: Oliver Cromwell ordered the castle destroyed.
Images of Aberystwyth Castle
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Aberystwyth Castle Q&A
How Old Is Aberystwyth Castle?
Although the castle stands on a much older Iron Age site, King Henry V commissioned the building of the castle proper between 1277 and 1289. The process was costly and beset with political unrest, with the Welsh capturing and burning the building during construction. Shortly after it was built, the castle was tested by a lengthy siege during Madog LLewellyn's revolt in 1294.
What Was the Structure of the Original Castle?
The castle followed the concentric plan with a masonry created from coarse rubble. It had a surrounding dry moat to the west, and the rounded towers occupy the inner and outer wards. An inner and outer gate tower protected the walls with a twin apsidal tower gateway. The gateway housed a pointed entry, a portcullis, and a parapet with a stair turret.
The castle dungeon lay to the southwest, which they made great use of in the turbulent times, and a mural tower on the southern side of the interior ward. Unlike other concentric castles built at the time, the irregularly shaped terrain formed a diamond shape rather than the standard rectangle and housed only one gatehouse keep.
How Large Was the Aberystwyth Castle?
The central inner ward was roughly 45 by 45 m (147.64 by 147.64 ft), surrounded by 2.4 m (7.87 ft) thick walls. The outer circumference followed the inner lines with a 10-15 m (32.81-49.21 ft) space between the two. The curtains were around 60 m (196.85 ft) long, narrower than the internal walls and ended with a wall walk for defence.
The main inner gate in the east had two turrets with spiral staircases, and the gate towers were 18.5 m (60.70 ft) long. The courtyard held the hall measuring 15 by 6 m (49.21 by 19.69 ft), and the embedded fireplace in the southeast curtain provided warmth.
Location of Aberystwyth Castle
Aberystwyth Castle or Castell Aberystwyth in Wesh is an Edwardian fortress located in Aberystwyth in Ceredigion in Mid Wales. The renewed political unrest caused by the first Wesh War in the later 13th century prompted the Normans to build a more secure fortress to replace the original stronghold a mile away.
Gilbert de Calre, a prominent Marcher Lord, had built the original motte and bailey castle south of the current site. The first timber and earthworks fortification was called Tan-y-castell.