I had to pop into Swansea to deliver a lecture. I usually end up doing these trips once or twice an year and go meet up with the MBA students as part of my professorial duties. But before this, I have usually taken the train and then reached there few hours before, seen the sights and taken some pictures while walking around. But I think I have now done Swansea to death. (See here for the previous photo essays). So this time I decided that I will drive down, have couple of hours in hand and see Wales.
This time, I decided to pop into Caerphilly. Which is on the way to Swansea.
Parked in this tiny car park
And you turn around to see this massive brooding but at the same time menacing castle glowering at you. 
Did you know this castle was used for the filming of the TV Series Merlin? 
Its big, the biggest in Wales and the second biggest in the United Kingdom (after Windsor Castle). 
I didnt have that much time, only an hour or so, so the best I could hope for was a quick circumnavigation of the site. 
The fort was made by Gilbert de Clare Lord of Glamorgan, follower of Henry III, the English King, in the late 13th century. It was designed to protect the surrounding countryside from the then Welsh King. This castle has never fallen. The above is one of the fort which dams up the southern lake
This is a sluice gate. This is actually a giant dam, you can see the 8 giant buttresses along this wall in the top photo. There is another dam on the right hand side, but that’s for later. 
The lake/moat is full of water and ducks of various kinds. 
Here’s another view of the southern dam. 
A bronze model is shown. You can see the southern dam on the left and the northern dam on the right hand side. Then there are a series of concentric walls and defences. This can tell you how bloody impregnable this has been. 
I start walking towards the entrance. 
The chap on the right is cleaning up the moat gutters. 
On the right of the bund is the market town. A very pretty place. 
There is a medieval market sign on the entrance bridge. 
Sign on the bridge, slippery when wet. I am not surprised. 
Looking back at the southern dam wall. 
The gatehouse is very imposing. Looks like something out of a computer game dealing with fantasy demons. Well, that’s the idea, to strike fear into the attackers. 
On the right is the wall which held back the northern lake. 
But the buttresses are now starting to sag away from the actual wall. 
Walking into the gatehouse. 
The arrow slits are severe and few in number. This would be really scary. 
The inner moat ground is flattened and has these mounds. With embedded lights. 
The gatehouse walls have these supporting buttresses. First time I have seen a triangular one actually, they are usually square. 
The imposing wall of the gatehouse. 
The gatehouse proper
With arrow slits and the carved runners for the portcullis. 
You wouldnt want this to pop down on your head. 
These gaps were made for a reason, to have multiple doors or to allow people to throw molten lead or boiling water/oil down on the attackers. 
See? the slots were open. 
The inner door, iron studded huge monstrosity. Not the original I am afraid. 
Some kids playing in the inside garden of the outer ward. 
A path leads up to the inner castle and then to the inner keep. 
The ticket office and shop. 
The inner ward has this southwestern tower which is leaning way off the vertical. Gosh, looks like a good shove will make it all come down. 
The inner ward is entered between these two towers. But I didnt have the time to go check out the inner ward. So decided to check out the outside. 
The gatehouse is huge. Its not just a gatehouse, it has a full and proper structure. 
That’s the gatehouse. 
A photo of what the castle looks like hangs on the wall. 
Another exit just to the right of the inner gatehouse leads to the nothern side of the castle. 
This is a fortified gate. 
Exiting into the open.
A channel runs through the side of the outer ward wall. 
This is the dam wall. 
And yes, its tilted outside, its sagging. 
Walking out…
Looking back at the gatehouse. Massive structure. 
The wall is definitely leaning out. The entire thing. It wont be easy or cheap to fix this one. 
Peering below the bridge, you can see an arched tunnel which presumably connected the moat with the northern lake. 
This exit would presumably be to the latrine. 
The walls are covered with ivy. 
A sewer lid, with various icons. 
Started walking around the inner ward. This is the first time I have seen two moats and two draw bridges. No wonder the damn thing is impregnable. 
The inner ward walls. 
I am now walking on a spit of land which separates this northern lake and the inner moat. 
The inner ward walls. 
The far side of the northern lake. 
The walls continue on for the inner ward. 
The place was full of swan poo. 
The inner keep
The moat curves around. 
Looking back at the gatehouse in the distance and the entrance to the inner ward in the middle. 
The eastern end of the castle with the main keep tower. 
The top of the castle with another entrance. 
The entrance lead to a man made island which had its own moat. Good heavens. 
You can see the remains of the main keep walls. 
Looking back at the spit of land that I walked. I head back
The curve of the moat. 
A couple were cuddling in the shelter of this low wall. Actually this is another defence wall here which protected the moat as well. Bloody hell, this has multiple layers of defence. Its about 8 feet wide. So not decorative, its big. 
You can see the entrance into the inner ward now. Walking back into the gatehouse. 
This set of stairs takes you to the room above the gatehouse where there is an exhibition. 
I walk outside
Behind the huge doors is this tiny gate. Fascinating. 
Walking out. 
Looking back at the castle
I walk on the raised embankment back to the car park.
This castle spoke to me, too bad I didnt get a chance to peek inside but one day I will be back. I could feel the soldiers tramping around, the architect and the builders, the long decline of the castle but yes, lovely castle.
BTW, here, here, here, here, here and here are some good links for the history of the castle
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