Caerphilly Castle was built between 1268 and 1271. It is one of the largest castles in the United Kingdom. The first thing you notice as you approach Caerphilly Castle is it's great size and beautiful architecture reflected in a large lake. It actually occupies thirty acres and is concentric in design. It has successive lines of defense set one inside the other so that when an attacker stormed one line he would find himself face to face with a second. The first line of defense was the very deep and wide outer moat backed by a huge curtain wall and gatehouse.

The inner moat and the gate houses of the outer ward were the second line of defense. Finally the inner ward that is the very heart of the castle. It is made up of a large quadrangle enclosed by four curtain walls, with massive round towers at each corner and yet more gate houses on the east and west sides.

Caerphilly Castle was a mighty fortress and a fine example of advanced military architecture. It was often threatened but never taken by siege warfare. The southeast tower has split vertically at an angle producing a very noticeable lean. Though there are traces of gunpowder evident on the tower, the lean is most likely due to ground subsidence. However the ‘leaning tower’ adds an unexpected touch to the appearance of the castle.

The castle sits right in the middle of the town of Caerphilly. It is a lovely place to visit and to photograph.