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May 31 Laugharne Castle Under the mile off moon we trembled listening...
To the sea sound flowing like blood from the loud wound  And when the salt sheet broke in a storm of singing The voices of all the drowned swam on the wind. - from Lie still, sleep becalmed by Dylan Thomas
On foreshore, nine miles southwest of Carmarthen in Wales, you'll find a low cliff that hangs just above the little town of Talacharn with a ruined castle just below and hidden from sea invaders, known locally by the name Laugharne Castle. Talacharn is the sleepy village which was immortalized by Dylan Thomas in his poetic play"Under Milk Wood" and it still carries all the charm and wonder he invoked in the writing he undertook there- especially when he couldn't help but instill quite a bit of the town and the castle directly in his words. The above partial of "Lie still, sleep becalmed" is only one such example. Owing to the fact that he was buried here at St. Martin's Churchyard after he died and his wife right next to him forty-one years later, I would tend to believe that he lies in the earth of his true muse: Talacharn and her magnificent castle originally called Abercorram ( Aber= River mouth) due to its proximity to the Coran stream ( flows just beneath the western wall of the castle ), a tributary to the estuary Taf which empties into Carmarthen Bay.
 Laugharne, along with the castles Llansteffan and Kidwelly, formed a girdle of coastal defenses with Laugharne on the west side, Kidwelly on the east and Llansteffan defending the middle upper portion of the Taf. These are three of the many fortresses controlling the ancient road along the south Wales coastline. Other remains of castles in the immediate area exist a little further inland such as St Clears, Paxton's Tower, Dryslwyn and Roche but the true might of defense existed in the first three with Laugharne getting the worst of it with sieges during the 13th century by the Welsh and those considered invaders, by turns.
These three castles were originally early 12th century earth and timber ringwork fortresses with Laugharne being founded by Robert Courtemain. Archaeological excavations have shown that the headland which the castle rests close to was once a ploughed field which would associate it with prehistoric and a possible Roman settlement on the hillside to the north of the current castle. The earliest written reference to Laugharne is an entry in 1116 of the Brut y Tywysogyon ( The Chronicle of the Princes) which names Bleddyn ap Cedifor to be entrusted with "the castle of Robert Courtemain, which was at Abercorram". According to further records in the Brut, by 1189 and upon the death of King Henry the 2nd, "Lord Rhys (Prince of Deheubarth) gained possession of the castle of St Clears, Abercorram and Llansteffan." By 1215, the same triplex were destroyed by Llywelyn ap Iorwerth (the Great), with the support of the Welsh princes, between their destruction of Carmarthen and their siege of Cardigan. Yet again in 1257 Laugharne and Llansteffan were taken and destroyed and by that date the Guy de Brians were in possession of it. The de Brian legacy went on from mid 13th century until the end of the 14th century and much building and rebuilding in stone created a strong and high standard fortification. Laugharne was listed as defensible in 1403.
 After the death of Guy de Brian the 7th in 1390 the inheritance fell into a dispute which lasted almost a century! It was finally settled in 1488 when possession passed into the hands of the fourth Earl of Northumberland, Henry Percy who most likely did very little with the property. By 1575, when Queen Elizabeth granted the castle to one of Henry the 8th's sons, Sir John Perrot, the castle was in a terrible ruinous state and Sir John decided to update it by converting it into a Tudor mansion. Carew Castle was also a part of his earlier inheritance and his improvements there remain a wonderful example of his achievements in architecture. A few years later he was convicted of high treason and died while imprisoned at the Tower of London. Much of his interior work was removed along with anything of value taken and then further damage ensued during the Civil War.
Parliamentary forces under the direction of Major General Rowland Laugharne attacked in 1644 and the use of cannon wrecked the appearance of it. Much later cannonballs were found embedded in the walls ! After the Royalist garrison of the castle surrendered it was additionally slighted so that use of it would be impossible, as was done with many such castles.
The medieval remains consist of an early round keep and round towers which were built later in the 13th century and the outer gatehouse which was most likely built at or near the end of the 13th century and was the work of the de Brians. When you visit the site you'll note that much of the rebuild was done in a distinctive green stone for which Guy de Brian the 7th was responsible. Prior to this, the castle had been built in red sandstone which makes it very easy to see what portions were originally built and what was rebuilt later and at a much greater height. (This is a rarity among castles since rebuilding is often done from stone taken from the same local quarry.) Most of the older masonry can be viewed on the southwest tower along with the adjoining curtain wall.
Sir John Perrot completely remodeled the old hall and added battlements to its curtain wall. He built more Tudor structures along the south and east of the inner courtyard and took out the north curtain wall replacing with a large rectangular accommodation block.. The upper floors were made accessible by a projecting semicircular stair tower and the inner gatehouse was heightened considerably. Lastly he laid out gardens in the outer ward. His obvious intent was to create a more habitable residence than it had ever been.
 During the entirety of the 18th century it was left simply as romantic ruins but by the 19th century Laugharne was turned into formal gardens. The garden with a box-edged parterre features mostly Victorian varieties of Roses along with shrubbery and lawns. A gazebo which overlooks the Taf Estuary was built some time during the first half of the 20th century and attracted writers such as Richard Hughes and Dylan Thomas and famous artists like J.M.W. Turner and Sam and Nat Buck in 1795. This is a fitting tribute to the grounds considering that the county of Carmarthenshire is referred to as The Garden of Wales.
To find Laugharne from Carmarthen take A40 towards Haverfordwest. At St Clears leave the trunk road and immediately turn right to Laugharne, it is three and a half miles south. The historic site ownership is Cadw, located in the town center, off King St. at 113 Lammas Street.
Open daily, April to September from 10:00 to 5:00 p.m.
T: 01994 427906 cadw@wales.gsi.org.uk www.cadw.wales.gov.uk
(wonderful photos of Laugharne Castle from the BBC)
and check out my Wales photo album with new photos of Laugharne and more ....
“ I love you Caitlin. I love you more than anyone in the world …. Write to me very soon, and tell me you really meant the things you said about loving me too; if you don’t I shall cut my throat or go to the pictures.” The Castle Lady pictures you with a big lipstick stain on your cheek!
May 30 The Wraggle Taggle GypsiesAs a child my favorite Halloween costume was my homemade gypsy outfit....
  A Scottish Ballad
There were three gypsies a-come to my door,
And downstairs ran my lady-o.
One sang high and another sang low
And the other sang bonny bonny Biscay, O !
Then she pulled off her silken gown,
And put on hose of leather-o
And a bright red gown and a ragged apron
And she's gone with the wraggle-taggle gypsies, O!
What makes you leave your house and land?
What makes you leave your money-O?
What makes you leave your loving friends,
To follow the wraggle-taggle gypsies-O?
What care I for my house and land?
What care I for my money-O?
What care I for my loving friends?
I'm off with the wraggle-taggle gypsies, O!
Silken kisses from The Castle Lady !
 May 26 Crookston Castle~ An OdeCrookston Castle in Renfrew, south of the Firth of Clyde and three miles south of Paisley, is reputedly the legendary marital seat of Mary, Queen of Scots to Lord Henry Darnley. Its date of origin is uncertain but it belonged to the barony of Crookston in the twelfth century of whose heirs happened to be Robert Croc, a Norman gentleman. This X-plan castle which is very similar to Hermitage Castle (which I covered in my only remaining "first" entry on this blog) was built by 1400. In 1489 the two west side towers were blown down by James I with the cannon Mons Meg which you can see in my Northumberland photo album. (It is # 43 on the album.) The Stuarts gained possession of it in the thirteenth century and thus passed to Lord Darnley. The Northeast tower remains have been added to my Scottish Castles Photo Album so take a look. The following poem is one of many written about Scottish castles. Enjoy! -
The Castle Lady
  basement vaulting of CrookstonThou proud memorial to a former age
Time-ruined Crookston; not in all our land
Romantic with a noble heritage
Of feudal halls, in ruin sternly grand,
More beautiful doth tower or castle stand
Than thou! as oft the lingering traveler tells.
And none more varied sympathies command;
Though where the warrior dwelt, the raven dwells,
With tenderness thy tale the rudest bosom swells.
Along the soul that pleasing sadness steals
Which trembles from a wild harp's dying fall,
When fancy's recreative eye reveals
To him, lone-musing by thy moldering wall,
What warriors thronged, what joy rung through thy hall,
When royal Mary- yet unstained by crime,
And with love's golden scepter ruling all-
Made thee her bridal home. There seems to shine
Still o'er thee splendour shed at that high gorgeous time!
Anonymous
This poem, published in Frank Roy Fraprie's book
Castles and Keeps of Scotland
published 1993 by Barnes and Noble
Please see more photos of Crookston which have been added to my Scottish Castles album !
Congrats to the Nuggets on their incredible 120 over 101 win against the Lakers yesterday !
You guys R
CK ! May 21 The Weirdest Hotel in England~ Malmaison in Oxford ! Among the list of the weirdest hotels on Tripadvisor's top ten list, Malmaison ranks at fifth and it also manages to be one of the most sought after locations to stay at in England presently. Its most prominent rooms are former prison cells which were a part and parcel of Oxford Castle and is, of course, a tourist attraction and in quite good shape as ruin remains can be for England.
  The next full county entry on this blog will be castles of Oxfordshire so this will give you a small taste of what is coming up. Oxford Castle which was built in 1071 by Norman Baron Robert d'Oilly (or d'Oyly depending on which account you read) sits smack dab in the middle of the Oxford metropolis today and is the only prison in the U.K. to be converted into a hotel. However, it's not just a hotel. The redeveloped site includes apartments, bars, restaurants, events venues and a visitor centre which has its own web site "Oxford Castle- Unlocked". www.oxfordcastleunlocked.co.uk
 This is one of the few castle sites in which you can make yourself at home at an historically authentic castle- as a one stop deal. It's all here and you can stay as long as you like. The features of the historic site include the square, imposing Saxon-built St. George's Tower (which is stepped inwards at several places up to its height) with a crypt underneath that features Romanesque columns, the original motte and bailey remain (sorry, the wooden keep is gone, of course) which has a winding path to the top where you can see out over the entire town. During Henry II's time polygonal and round keeps came into vogue so Oxford's decagonal (12-sided ) shell was an original experiment with a relatively new form. A vaulted well chamber which dates from the 13th century is also there. (The surrounding walls once resembled that of Troy in shape and the angles.) An 18th century Debtors' Tower and Prison D-wing are also featured in a tour of the castle and there is a lot of history to relate on the tours covering one thousand years of violence, executions, great escapes, betrayal and even romance.
 One rather especially famous escape was that of Princess Matilda (a.k.a. Empress Maud) in 1142 when King Stephen besieged the castle. She was given support as the heir to the throne by Robert D'Oyly. After the siege lasted for several months she was lowered over the walls, completely dressed in white (as camouflage in the snow) and crossed over the castle mill stream (the Thames!) to freedom. Interestingly enough, she was Henry I's only legitimate child !
The castle was officially recorded as a prison in 1230 although it is thought that it had been used as such, as far back as the castle's beginnings. Then it was purchased by Christ Church College during the reign of King James circa 1611. By 1770 it was condemned by John Howard because conditions from gross neglect had made it uninhabitable even as a prison ! The Government reacquired the entire site and a major redevelopment was started with new buildings which in part were designed by a prison architect by the name of William Blackburn.
 By 1800 it was reappointed as a County Hall with a remodeled County Jail and Court. It was at this point that the Debtors' Tower came into existence, the Governor's House and Office and the A, B, C and D wings along with punishment cells and an exercise yard. In 1878 this became Her Majesty's Prison of Oxford and at times housed three men to a cell.
When it was closed as a prison in 1996 it became the property of the County Council and became a popular place for Hollywood filmmakers. Bad Girls was made there in 1999 and Spy Game in 2001 among many others as well. By 2004 the County Council, with the help of Trevor Osborne and the Oxford Preservation Trust, added the new tourist site after signing a 200 year lease and in May of 2006 the Queen officially reopened the site as the Oxford Castle Heritage project.
Exploration of Oxford itself will yield many delights, by the way. It abounds with magnificent museums such as the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology on Beaumont Street and the Pitt Rivers Museum , an ethnographic museum and best known for the grand architecture and its period atmosphere. There are two other major museums and the not-to-be missed Botanic Gardens at the University which is the oldest botanic garden in Britain and this splendor dominates the heart of Oxford. Don't forget to stop by The Eagle and Child pub- it was a favorite haunt of C.S. Lewis !
 With forthright affection, The Castle Lady !  May 18 Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau ~ Land of My FathersThe following lyrics are from the most popular Welsh melody and is considered Wales National Anthem. The lyrics were written by Evan James (Ieuan ap Iago) who lived and died in the 19th century and the most favored arrangement of the song was written by Gwynn Williams. The translation into English I have included was written by Ebenezer Thomas (Eben Fardd) and was a contemporary of Evan James.- The Castle Lady
 (1) Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi, Gwlad beirdd a chantorion, enwogion o fri;
Ei gwrol ryfelwyr, gwladgarwyr tra mad, Tros ryddid gollasant ey gwaed.
(1) translation:
The land of my fathers, the land of my choice,
The land in which poets and minstrels rejoice:
The land whose stern warriors were true to the core,
While bleeding for freedom of yore.
(chorus) Gwlad, Gwlad, pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad. Tra mor yn fur i'r bur hoff bau,
O bydded i'r hen iaith barhau.
(chorus translation)
Wales! Wales! favorite land of Wales!
While sea her wall, may naught befall
To mar the old language of Wales.
(2) Hen Gymru fynyddig, paradwys y bardd, Pob dyfffryn, pob clogwyn i'm golwg sydd hardd;
Trwy deimlad gwladgarol, mor swynol yw si, Ei nentydd, afonydd, i mi.
(2) translation:
Old mountainous Cambria, the Eden of bards,
Each hill and each valley, excite my regards;
To the ears of her patriots how charming still seems
The music that flows in her streams.
(3) Os treisiodd y gelyn fy ngwlad tan ei droed, mae hen iaith y Cymry mor fyw ag erioed,
Ni luddiwyd yr awen gan erchyll law brad, Na thelyn bersainiol fy ngwlad.
(3) translation:
My country though crushed by a hostile array,
The language of Cambria lives out to this day;
The muse has eluded the traitors' foul knives,
The harp of my country survives.
For a basic on the tune click on www.castlewales.com/home.html and under the Please Select a Topic and the
3 Red Dragons like this:
 you'll find a link for this tune. I may also add my own rendition on this blog soon.
Also, check out my new Wales photo album.
With music for your ears and kisses for your heart,
The Castle Lady
 May 08 Untrodden Ways She dwelt among the untrodden ways
Beside the springs of Dove,
A maid whom there were none to praise
And very few to love;
A violet by a mossy stone
Half hidden from the eye!
-Fair as a star when only one
Is shining in the sky.
She lived unknown, and few could know
When Lucy ceased to be;
But she is in her grave and, oh,
The difference to me!
William Wordsworth
The Castle Lady with kisses that make a difference!
Proverb du Jour: All real living is meeting.- Martin Buber
May 04 Do You Love Castles, too ? ?I recently started a Live Group for Castles so if you would like to get a little more involved
in what I am doing here on this blog and on my official web site www.ilovecastles.com
this is your chance to shine and show off your local castle.
If you have questions, answers, photos you'd like to add or possible anecdotes,
poems or have anything to say about castles this is the group where it's all happening.
All you have to do is request to join and start photographing and uploading castles ! It's that easy.
The Castle Lady leading the way to historical bliss !
  Proverbe du Jour: You can make more friends in two months by becoming genuinely interested in other people
than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you. - Dale Carnegie May 01 Lily of the ValleyA grand old French tradtion
For May Day
I offer you a pretty sprig
of Lily of the Valley
in honor of our friendship.
(Pour a` lire en Francais )
Song of Solomon 2:1-2 from http://parisparfait.typepad.com
  The Castle Lady |
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