Month: September 2019

Caerphilly Castle is a medieval fortification in southern Wales, which was built by Gilbert de Clare in the 13th century. Gilbert (also known as ‘Gilbert the Red’ or ‘The Red Knight’ due to his flaming red hair and fiery temper in battle) was a powerful English nobleman who held lordship to over 200 manors in southern Wales. Caerphilly is the second largest castle in Britain, and is thought to have the most extensive water defenses of any castle due to being surrounded by an extensive network of artificial lakes.

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Cardiff Castle is a medieval castle and Victorian Gothic revival mansion which was originally commissioned by William the Conquerer in the 11th century. It formed the heart of the medieval town of Cardiff, and still stands in the city center of the largest city, and capital of Wales. During WWII extensive air-raid shelters were tunneled in the outer walls of the castle, and could hold over 1800 people.

The Dissolution of the Monasteries, enacted by Henry VIII in the late 1530’s, was one of the most revolutionary events in English history. Monasteries, priories, convents and friaries were disbanded, and their assets and lands were seized for the purposes of increasing the income of the crown, and for the funding of military campaigns. Tintern Abbey was one of the 625 monastic communities dissolved by Henry VIII throughout England, Ireland and Wales.

The abbey, which was founded in 1131, is located of the Welsh bank of the Wye River. Gloustershire, England is just a stones throw on the other side of the river. Tintern Abbey was never rebuilt following the Dissolution. It’s ruins are currently visited by approximately 70,000 people per year. In 2019, we made up for 2 of those numbers …

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