Three contrasting castles

So first stop of the day was Powis Castle. Powis is in Wales and to be honest no longer looks like a castle. However it was built in the 13th century. It is the seat of the Herbert family the Earls of Powis. in 1784 Henrietta Herbert married the eldest son of Robert Clive (Clive of India) which replenished the family fortune. no doubt at the expense of the native Indian population.

It is famed for its interior, alas no photos allowed and for its wonderful gardens. Alas I never had a scone as one cafe was close and the other had long queues so I didn't bother.

I'd say it was the finest house in Wales? and it was a bit peopley. I wore a mask inside (one of the few).#

So we headed on to Dolforwyn Castle in the care of CADW (The Welsh equivalent of English Heritage).

According to CADW.

It was built by Welsh lord Llywelyn ap Gruffydd (Llywelyn the Last) in 1273 on hill above the Severn Valley, Dolforwyn Castle was a flashpoint in Anglo-Welsh relations from the very beginning. When word reached King Edward I about the castle, he wrote to Llewelyn forbidding him to continue with the construction. Llewelyn responded that he did not need the king’s permission to build on his own land and carried on regardless. Unfortunately, Llywelyn’s defiance was to be short-lived. Marcher lord Roger Mortimer took Dolforwyn in 1277 after a two-week siege. The castle was abandoned in the 14th century, falling into disrepair until comparatively recent excavations uncovered its crumbling remains.

We then went to its antagonist Montgomery Castle a few mile further east.

According to CADW

Montgomery is one of those castles that, even in ruin, retain a powerful atmosphere and presence that transcend its state of preservation. Perhaps it’s something to do with its location, on a steep crag above a pretty Georgian town with all-seeing views across the Welsh border. 

Commenced around 1223 on the orders of Henry III in response to the growing power of Welsh native prince Llywelyn ap Iorwerth (Llywelyn the Great), Montgomery’s stone castle replaced a nearby wooden fort known as Hen Domen. Perched on its rocky ridge, this new fortress was significantly sturdier and more sophisticated, with a stone inner ward, well, deep defensive ditches crossed by drawbridges and walled town. 

The castle remained in use for centuries, surviving attacks by Llywelyn in 1228 and 1231 and Llywelyn’s son Dafydd in 1245. The castle’s ultimate end came during the Civil War, when it fell to the Parliamentarians and was demolished in 1649, leaving just the crumbling towers and low walls that stand day.