9 BEST Castles in Mid-Wales [With Map]

Although the castles in Mid-Wales might not be as impressive those in the more strategic north and south of the country, each has its own unique story to tell about how it shaped the region.

As a Welshman, I've visited almost every Welsh castle by this point. In this guide, I'll share my favourite castles to visit in Mid-Wales.

Map

Best Castles in Mid-Wales

1. Powis Castle

Powis Castle is my favourite castle to visit in Mid-Wales as it's one of the few castles in Wales that isn't fully or partially ruined.

The castle was built in the 13th century by Gruffudd ap Gwenwynwyn, the Prince of Powys, to protect against Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the Prince of Gwynedd to the north.

It was later sold to the Herbert family and turned into a family home. The castle passed through descendants of the family, including a tenure by the wealthy Clive family who transformed the interiors and decorated it with treasures from India.

The castle was handed to the National Trust in 1952, although the family still retain the right to live in part of the castle.

Powis Castle is open to the public and is known for its lavish interiors, including extravagant furnishing and impressive murals. There's also a museum that contains many of the artefacts and paintings collected by the Clives.

You can also spend time exploring the vast gardens. This includes 17th-century Italianate terraces and an Edwardian Formal Garden (look out for the peacocks roaming freely too). I prefer to visit during the summer when the garden cafe is open.

Powis Castle is worth going out of your way for - you can easily spend 2-3 hours here or even longer on a sunny day when you can spend more time in the gardens or the surrounding parkland.

2. Hay Castle

The town of Hay-on-Wye is best known for its many bookshops, but one of the other attractions in the small market town is Hay Castle.

The current Hay Castle, or what’s left of it, was built in the 11^th or 12^th century back when Hay was a walled town known as Hay Anglicana. Through its early years, it was involved in many conflicts including Owain Glyndwr’s rebellion and the Battle of the Roses.

When the fighting calmed down, the castle became a mansion and passed through many wealthy families until it landed in the hands of Richard Booth who turned it into one of the first of many bookshops in Hay.

Today, it’s in the hands of the Hay Castle Trust. There’s a shop and cafe on the ground floor which are free to visit. On the upper floors, there's an exhibition and gallery (admission fee applies).

I joined one of the daily tours which run at 11am and 2pm. The tour will teach you about the history of the town and some of the most important characters that made it into what we see today.

The tour is excellent for history buffs like myself, but be prepared for information overload – it might not be a great activity for children. No need to book ahead, just turn up and pay on arrival.

3. Cilgerran Castle

At CiIlgerran on the outskirts of Cardigan, you’ll find the ruins of an impressive 13th-century Cilgerran Castle.

The fortress would have once protected the Teifi Gorge and changed hands many times between English and Welsh forces. Today, only two towers, the gatehouse, and the curtain wall remain.

The castle is managed by CADW and open to the public. You can wander around the ruin and climb up inside one of the towers.

The castle visitor centre is seasonal, open from Friday to Sunday during the summer months. When the visitor centre is closed, you can still visit the ruins for free.

After visiting the castle, you can head through the woodland to the Teifi River. There's a scenic riverside path that runs all the way up to the Welsh Wildlife Centre. The walk takes just under an hour each way.

Other Castles in Mid-Wales

4. Montgomery Castle

Although now a ruin, Montgomery Castle still creates a powerful atmosphere. It sits on a mound overlooking the tiny town of Montgomery with views across the Welsh countryside.

Building began on the site in 1223, ordered by Henry III to counter the increasing power of the Welsh Prince Llywelyn ap lorwerth (Llywelyn the Great).

The stone structure we see today was a replacement for a wooden fort built nearby called Hen Domen. This stone structure originally had a stone inner wall with deep defensive ditches which could be crossed by a drawbridge.

Accompanying the castle would have been a set of walls around the town, although nothing remains of these.

The ruins are free to visit and make a great stop if you're passing nearby, however, I wouldn't travel across the country to see them since you'll only spend 20 minutes here at the most.

5. Brecon Castle

On the outskirts of the modern-day market town of Brecon, you'll find the ruins of Brecon Castle. It stands overlooking the Afon Honduu river as it flows into the River Usk.

The original castle was constructed by the Normans in the 11th century, making it the oldest stone castle in Mid-Wales. However, most of the ruins that are left today were additions added later in the 13th and 14th centuries including the Great Hall, the keep, and a watch tower.

Brecon Castle is now privately owned and a huge hotel, known as The Castle of Brecon Hotel, has been built onto the back of the ruins, meaning you can technically stay in this castle.

I featured it in my guide to the best castles you can stay in across Wales.

6. Bronllys Castle

Bronllys Castle is found at the northern end of the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park. It's not worth visiting on it's own, but you could combine it with a visit to Hay-on-Wye and Hay Castle which I mentioned earlier in the article.

This is another example of a Norman motte and bailey castle which was first constructed in 1100.

All that remains today is the large keep (24m high) on top of a small hill right next to the main road. There's a layby opposite where you can park your car and walk across to the tower.

There's no charge to visit and you can freely climb up inside the keep to enjoy picturesque views across the Mid-Wales countryside.

7. Aberystwyth Castle

Aberystwyth Castle was one of King Edward I’s great castles of Wales, built in the 13th century when Aberystwyth was a walled town.

The castle changed hands many times during its history, with a long siege during the revolt of Madog ap Llywelyn in the late 13th century and was briefly captured by Owain Glyndwr in the 15th century.

Unfortunately, its location next to the wind and waves from the sea along with its involvement in several conflicts, means that it isn’t so grand today. All that remains are two towers from the inner keep, some crumbled sections of the outer wall, and the foundations of the main gatehouse.

If you're planning to visit Aberystwyth, make sure to swing by since it's free to visit and they are located right on the promenade.

There are some information signs around the castle that provide limited information about its history. But a better way to understand the castle is by visiting the Ceredigion Museum in the town centre where you'll find information and small models of how it once looked (as shown below).

When visiting the castle, look out for the spectacular Aberystwyth War Memorial one one side and Aberystwyth’s Gorsedd Stones in the middle which were last used when the National Eisteddfod was held here in 1992.

Before the castle you can see today, it is thought that there was another castle in Aberystwyth at a site around half a mile south. This was built by Gilbert de Clare around 1110 and is often called Old Aberystwyth Castle or Tan-Y-Castell, however, nothing remains of this today (source: Coflein).

8. Cardigan Castle

At the heart of the town of Cardigan is Cardigan Castle which is open to the public under ownership of Ceredigion County Council.

The most impressive part of the castle is the castle walls which are best viewed from the outside where they stand mightily overlooking the Teifi River that runs through the town.

Inside the castle walls, you won't find a keep or indeed any buildings that resemble a castle. That's because it was badly damaged during the English Civil War and for many centuries only used as a prison.

In the 19th century, a manor house was built inside the walls, known as Castle Green House. This remains there to this day and now houses an exhibition about the castle's history and the National Eisteddfod which has strong links with the castle.

Personally, I didn't think it was worth the entrance fee to go inside as there was very little to see. The castle is best when admired from the outside.

You can still support the castle by visiting the one-of-a-kind restaurant that's part of the castle called 1176. You don't need to buy an admission ticket to visit the restaurant.

9. Dolforwyn Castle

My final Mid-Wales castle to mention is Dolforwyn Castle. Although little remains, the ruins present a breathtaking example of Welsh defiance.

The castle was originally built by the Welsh Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffydd (Llywelyn the Last) in 1273. It sits on a hill overlooking the Severn Valley.

From the very beginning, it was a point of contention between the Welsh and the English. When King Edward I heard about the castle he immediately wrote to Llywelyn forbidding him to continue its construction.

The prince ignored Edward's demands and built it anyway. Then, in 1277, the castle was taken by the Marcher Lord Roger Mortimer after a two-week-long siege. It was later abandoned in the 14th century and fell into disrepair which is why only ruins remain today.

If you're planning a visit to Dolforwyn Castle, keep in mind that you'll need to walk for about 20 minutes up a steep hill from the car park. This is an unmanned attraction so there is no charge to visit.