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Norman Castles
Castles appeared in Wales
shortly after the Norman's victory over the Saxons at the battle of Hastings.
Though Norman barons, active in the conquest of Wales, were extremely
small in number, they were the first in Wales to combine
a fortified base with an organized military and armored
calvary. Aside from their later stone castles, their earlier fortresses of earth and
timber (motte & bailey castles) frequented the landscape and were quick to construct.
The Normans, being actually Vikings that were granted
land in France (Normandy) by King Charles the Simple.
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Kidwelly Castle
(above- charcoal & dry Pastel)
Cydweli,
Carmarthenshire
Mighty is the word to describe this fortress. Kidwelly Castle
sits on a prominent ridge overlooking the River Gwendraeth
and is one of several Norman castles built along the southern coast of Wales. Strong
and well preserved, the castle was built
in the 12th century during the rein of Henry I. It fell to Welsh hands on and off in
the late 12th & early 13th century. It was transformed many times over the years
and the great gatehouse itself took more than a century to complete. Maes
Gwenllian, or Gwenllian's Field, about a mile north of the castle, stands
out strongly in my mind when i think of Kidwelly Castle. Gwenllian,
sister of the the great Owain Gwynedd, was the daughter of Gruffudd
ap Cynan, King of Gwynedd and the wife of Gruffudd ap Rhys, the
king of Deheubarth in Dyfed. In 1136, while her husband was seeking support of his
father-in-law in the north, Gwenllian, in the fashion of Boadicea, led an army against the
invaders at Kidwelly. Defeated by Lord Maurice de Londres,
she sadly met her death there on Maes Gwenllian. It is said that Gwenllian's
headless ghost was still seen walking about the battlefield for centuries until someone
finally reunited it with
its head. |
Welsh Castles
English Castles
Tretower Castle
(above- ink &
dry pastel)
near Crickhowell, Powys
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EvelynFJames@aol.com
Evelyn F. James'
drawings are copyrighted.
Please respect her expression of art by not using the drawings
on these pages without her permission. Thank you!
We hope you have enjoyed your visit.
NOTECARDS
BY EVELYN
A LITTLE ABOUT EVELYN
BACK TO EXPRESSIONS OF ART
JODEE
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In a marshy spot in the Usk Valley, nestled in its pastoral
setting, Tretower Castle's tall round keep stands enomously against the neighboring farm
buildings and manor house.
The keep was first actually made of timber, put up by the
Norman knight Picard to command the area. About 1150 it
was replaced with a shell keep which contained a kitchen,
hall and apartments. Early on in the13th century, a larger great tower was
constructed around the old, again by the Picard
family. This having three stories and containing living quarters with window seats
and fireplaces. The medieval manor house which stands side by side with the looming
tower,
was constructed in the 1300's.
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