Special Sub-Topic: Name that Welsh Castle Click Here To Play: Name that Welsh Castle

This castle situated in mid Wales is a highly unusual diamond-shaped concentric fortress. This castle is situated in an university town, and the structure was blown up and heavily damaged by Cromwell's parliamentary forces in 1649.

Aberystwyth Castle. This castle was constructed in the reign of Edward I in 1277 as part of his "Ring of Steel". The castle changed hands between the Welsh and the English several times, including an occupation by Owain Glyndwr in 1404. An earlier castle was constructed a mile south of the current site by Gilbert de Clare in around 1110.

This castle is situated in the southeast of Wales, and stands on limestone cliffs above the River Wye. The castle is situated in an ancient market town, is the oldest surviving stone fortification in Britain and was originally called "Striguil", meaning river bend.

Chepstow Castle. The castle was constructed by William FitzOsbern, later Duke of Hereford, in 1067. It is the southernmost of a chain of castles created to defend the Welsh Marches. The castle has a massive Great Tower, dating from the 13th Century in its current form. Provisions were brought in by river and hoisted up the massive cliffs.

This castle was established by the Normans in 1093, and gives its name to another of the traditional counties of Wales. It was also the birthplace of the man who became Henry the Seventh, King of England.

Pembroke Castle. This castle became the property of Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Pembroke, in 1138. The keep was built in around 1200 and is 23 metres high with 6 metre thick walls. The castle was besieged by parliamentary forces led by Oliver Cromwell himself during the Civil War, after the owners changed sides.

This castle in mid Wales was turned into a luxury residence during the 17th Century. It contains formal gardens, landscaped grounds and a portrait of a member of the owning family by Sir Joshua Reynolds. The name was derived from one of the ancient kingdoms of Wales.

Powis Castle. More of a grand country mansion now than a castle, it is now owned by the National Trust. The Herbert family (later Earls of Powis) have lived there since the 16th Century. Lady Henrietta Herbert married Edward Clive, eldest son of Clive of India. Queen Victoria visited the castle in 1832.

This castle in northwest Wales was the site of the investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales in 1969. The design of the walls was based on those of the city of Constantinople. It lies adjacent to a walled town of the same name.

Caernarfon Castle. This is one of the castles belonging to the"Ring of Steel" constructed by Edward I. Caernarfon is positioned at a strategic location where the River Seiont meets the Menai Straits. The Roman fort of Segontium is situated nearby. A motte and bailey had been built on the site in 1090 by Hugh d'Avranches, first Earl of Chester.

This castle in the south of Wales is both the largest in the principality and the second largest in Britain. This moated castle was built in a concentric style by Gilbert de Clare, mainly between 1268 and 1271. It has a famous leaning tower.

Caerphilly Castle. The castle later became the home of the Despenser family. Owain Glyndwr captured the castle in 1403, lost it, and took it again in 1405. Jasper Tudor, uncle of Henry the Seventh of England was one of the people charged with maintaining the castle during the 15th century. The leaning tower came about as a result of slighting by explosives caused by parliamentary forces during the Civil War in 1648, and is not in imminent danger of collapse.

This Anglo-Norman castle was founded in 1106 and overlooks the Gwendraeth river in Carmarthenshire. It was famously used in the opening scene of the film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail".

Kidwelly Castle. This well-preserved castle consists of a massive gatehouse and a square inner bailey with four round towers. The castle withstood a siege by Owain Glyndwr in 1403, although the gatehouse was heavily damaged. The castle was undamaged during the Civil War.

This castle in the northwest of Wales was begun in 1295 by the famous architect James of St George, but was never finished. The castle has been named as a World Heritage site, and the adjacent town has a surviving medieval courthouse and gaol.

Beaumaris Castle. This concentric structure is widely regarded as the most architecturally perfect castle in Britain, and cost nearly £15,000 to build. The attached settlement, literally "beautiful marsh" in French, developed at the same time as the castle. By the time the castle and the associated dock was nearing completion, the situation with the Welsh had stabilised, therefore large-scale construction ceased in 1298.

This castle is situated on the site of a Roman fort built in 55 AD to control the tribe known as the Silures. The Norman shell keep is the only part of the castle that has not been extensively altered. The 3rd Marquess of Bute commissioned architect William Burgess to make his unusual renovations in the 19th Century.

Cardiff Castle. Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy, was imprisoned in the Norman keep until his death in 1134 by order of his brother, Henry the First of England. The 3rd Earl of Bute inherited the castle through marriage to the famous Herbert family, who owned large parts of Glamorgan. William Burgess's renovations for the 3rd Marquess include the stone animals on the outer wall, the clock tower with its garden, and the distinctive interior decoration of the residential wing of the castle. The renovations were paid for by the money the Bute family had made out of the transportation of coal.