Glan yr Afon and Slaughterhouse
The area now known as the Local Nature reserve at Glan yr Afon would have been a tidal salting during the period when the slaughterhouse was in use. A report by the Dyfed Archaeological Trust has shown the building to have very unique features, not found in any other building structure in South Wales. As part of a project in collaboration with The Valleys Regional Park and Carmarthenshire County Council, Ridler & Webster were commissioned to create a walking pack for Kidwelly.
Address / Location:
Bridge Street Kidwelly
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Kidwelly Castle
We all get our moments. But if you want a truly medieval moment, catch a glimpse of Kidwelly shrouded in early morning mist. Spine-tingling stuff. So complete and well-preserved it’s a match for any of the great castles of Wales.
The earliest castle on the site was Norman and made of earth and timber. The town itself is equally ancient, established around 1115 AD. By the time the 13th century had come along the castle had been rebuilt in stone, following the half-moon shape taken by the Normans. The Chaworth family built the compact but powerful inner ward and the castle was later modified by the earls (eventually dukes) of Lancaster.
Kidwelly benefited from the latest thinking in castle design. It had a concentric design with one circuit of defensive walls set within another to allow the castle to be held even if the outer wall should fall. The great gatehouse was begun late in the 14th century but it wasn’t completed until 1422, thanks in part to Owain Glyndŵr’s efforts to stop it going up in the first place.
Just outside the gatehouse stands a memorial to Princess Gwenllian who died in battle in 1136 not far from Kidwelly fighting the lord of the castle, Maurice de Londres, to save Deheubarth – south-west Wales – from Norman invaders.
- KidwellyCastle@wales.gsi.gov.uk
- A toilet is available for users with a disability and limited mobility
- Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult
- Dogs on leads welcome
- No smoking
- Cadw do not allow drone flying from or over its guardianship sites, except by contractors commissioned for a specific purpose, who satisfy stringent CAA criteria, have the correct insurances and are operating under controlled conditions.
- This site is registered on the No Fly Drone website http://www.noflydrones.co.uk
St. Mary's Priory & Parish Church
The Church of Saint Mary is a Grade I Listed Building. The church was listed in December 1963 (Cadw Building ID: 11878). Founded c. 1114 the church was burnt down in 1223 and most of the existing building dates from c. 1320 when it was a Benedictine priory.
It has been listed as the largest parish church in south west Wales, exceptional for the broach spire and fine decorative 14th-century Gothic detail.
Tel: 01554 891311
Mob: 07484 251964
E-mail: deeandtrevor@btinternet.com
Website: http://www.stmaryskidwelly.org.uk/
Address / Location:
Lady St, Kidwelly SA17 4UD