Welcome to our Kidwelly Castle visit blog post. It has been a very difficult August for Nicholas and myself. Losing Lily at the end of July was extremely hard on us both. However we rolled into August with already planned visits from friends, some at the start of the month and our friend who visits us every year, came in mid August. We had already been trying to keep ourselves busy to keep our mind off of things so have been out and about a lot for lunches or walks. Something to cheer us up. So with that and our visitors, August seemed to fly by.
We have taken our friend Steve to lots of historical places in Wales over the years on his visits, however we had never been to Kidwelly Castle. So that was our first full day of adventure. It did seem very strange to go somewhere like this without a dog I have to say. Lily would have definitely loved Kidwelly.
The Castle
The castle was much bigger than I had imagined and there was so much to explore. As I was looking around I had in my mind this would make a lovely blog post for our clients and readers around the world to also experience with us. So I took plenty of photos.
We were a little disappointed that there wasn’t much else in Kidwelly itself, other than the castle and river walk. Unless we missed it. We tried to find shops or more specifically an ice-cream shop, but didn’t seem to find much. We did start to walk towards the main street over the river, but it was so hot that day, we couldn’t see anything ahead of us other than houses, so turned back.
Having said that it was a lovely day out and we already had eaten our picnic on the Kidwelly Quay which was very pretty. The other amazing thing was …. the parking was free!
Kidwelly Castle Visit Photos
So the first thing to greet you is the amazing portcullis and walkway into the castle. Just look up as you go through and you’ll spot the little openings above the doorway. These are the murder holes, where the guards could defend the gateway from above. It really does make you feel very small walking underneath it all!
Once you climb up you are rewarded with this wonderful view out over the whole castle and the countryside beyond. It really was so much bigger than we had imagined, with little nooks and rooms to explore around every corner.
One of my favourite bits was the beautiful curved stone doorway just inside one of the rooms from coming into the castle. Just imagine the skill it took to build something like this all those centuries ago, and for it to still be standing today.
So many little windows and arrow slits to peep through, each one framing its own little view of the world outside. The walls are so wonderfully thick you could almost climb right inside them.
Nicholas and Steve having a proper good explore…. no corner was left unchecked! Some of the steps and drops down here were rather steep, so it was watch your footing all the way.
As you can see this is me walking towards the benches. They had deckchairs dotted around the courtyard so you could sit and soak up the sunshine and the history all at once. We could happily have stayed here all afternoon. Especially if they had a cafe!
Gwenllian
And here I am with the star of Kidwelly herself! I believe this is Gwenllian, the warrior princess the castle is so famous for — she certainly wasn’t going to let me pass without a photo. I think I found a new friend… although she wasn’t as chatty as me!!
As quoted by a friend – Gwenllian died at the age of 26 in 1136 when the welsh rebelled against the Normans. Her father and brother had gone North to gather support. She was Gerald Of Wales great aunt by Marridge (Gerald Cambrensis)
One of the great round towers of the inner castle. If you look closely you can spot a visitor down at the bottom. It really does gives you a real sense of just how tall and imposing these towers are.
Not every part has survived the centuries, but even the ruined sections have such a wonderful shape against that gorgeous blue sky. We were so lucky with the weather.
I couldn’t resist a little sit down on this gorgeous hand painted throne tucked away in one of the rooms. It was huge!
We were quite high here, with a beautiful view out over the Welsh countryside. The fields and hedgerows rolling away into the distance. The old stone steps look really good from this viewpoint. Simply stunning.
Standing on a wall looking over at the main tower, the sheer scale of it! It is so hard to capture in a photo. You really do have to see it in person to appreciate it.
One of the larger rooms, open to the sky now, but you can still make out the old window openings high up in the walls. So much to imagine about how life would once have been here.
Those little square holes you can see are where the wooden scaffolding beams once sat when the castle was being built. Little details like this really do bring the whole place to life.
Kidwelly River Walk
After the castle we had a little wander around the outside. This is Nicholas and Steve looking at the old stonework on a house opposite the castle. I think they were pondering chimneys!
And finally the peaceful little river walk, with the church spire peeping up over the trees. We even saw a Kingfisher. Such a pretty way to end our day out. Lily would have absolutely loved a paddle here and on a day like today we both miss her dearly.
Kidwelly Castle Visit
We hope you have enjoyed our blog all about our Kidwelly Castle visit and if you are heading to West Wales anytime, its definitely worth a stop and explore. We will post another adventure soon and if you missed our post about our dog Lily, you can visit it here – Lily 2013 -2026. Stay tuned!
Contact Us!
If you have a question or you would like to commission a portrait, contact us at any time. Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel too.