Home » History

History

If these mighty walls could talk, they’d tell you some stories. About bloody battles. Colourful characters. And a cultural celebration that would go down in history. Discover the history of Cardigan Castle and the people who lived here.

  • 2015

    Cardigan Castle reopens as a heritage attraction, restaurant, accommodation and events venue, after a £12m restoration project.

  • 2011

    Restoration work begins on site.

  • 2011

    Cadwgan Building Preservation Trust receives much-needed grants from funders, including Heritage Lottery Fund and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through Welsh Government, to restore Cardigan Castle.

  • 2001

    Local paper, The Tivy-Side Advertiser, starts a 'Save the Castle' campaign.

  • 2003

    The Castle is bought by Ceredigion County Council

  • 1984

    Castle Green House declared unfit for human habitation. Miss Wood moves into a caravan in the grounds.

  • 1999

    Miss Barbara Wood leaves the Castle and moves into a local nursing home.

  • 1961

    Cardigan Castle becomes a Scheduled Ancient Monument and Castle Green House a listed building .

  • 1976

    Cardigan hosts the National Eisteddfod. Barbara Wood began the occasional practice of admitting visitors at 50p a head, until 1990.

  • 1941

    Final commercial cargo leaves Cardigan harbour.

  • 1942

    Cardigan hosts National Eisteddfod.

  • 1808

    Castle Green House is built, extended in 1827.

  • 1940

    Castle Pillbox is erected.

  • 1644

    Castle is besieged and captured by Parliamentarians under General Laugharne.

  • 1645

    Royalists besiege Cardigan Castle, leaving Cardigan Bridge partially demolished. The Royalists are defeated and the Castle is left slighted and burned.

  • 1501

    Katherine of Aragon receives Cardigan as part of her dowry.

  • 1543

    Henry VIII grants Cardigan its last Charter.

  • 1469

    Morgan and Henry ap Thomas ap Gruffydd ap Nicholas seize Cardigan Castle.

  • 1485

    Richard Griffith and John Savage meet Henry Tudor at Cardigan Castle, en route to Bosworth.

  • 1414

    Cardigan Castle garrisoned against John Oldcastle and the Lollards.

  • 1428-29

    Major renovations to Cardigan Castle take place.

  • 1405

    Cardigan Castle is garrisoned by sixty men-at-arms and 300 archers. It was besieged by Glyndŵr supporters, without success.

  • 1406

    Prince Henry receives Cardigan Castle.

  • 1376

    Following the death of Edward, the Black Prince, his widow, Princess Joan, runs an administration at Cardigan that is independent of the Crown. The Castle has its own exchequer.

  • 1385

    Princess Joan dies on the 7 August.

  • 1343

    Cardigan Castle is passed to the officers of Edward, the Black Prince.

  • 1349

    The Black Death reaches Cardigan and the town is left with only seven occupied homes.

  • 1301

    Prince Edward receives Cardigan.

  • 1321

    Cardigan Castle turret completed.

  • 1284

    Edward I resides at Cardigan Castle on 23 November.

  • 1295

    King Edward I resides at Cardigan Castle with a massive army, between 1 and 3 June.

  • 1279

    King Edward makes Cardigan the County Town of Cardiganshire.

  • 1282

    600 foot soldiers garrison Cardigan Castle.

  • 1245

    Followers of Dafydd ap Llywelyn attack Cardigan, but fail to capture it.

  • 1254

    Prince Edward receives Cardigan Castle on 14 February.

  • 1240

    Cardigan is captured and re-fortified by Walter Marshall.

  • 1244

    Robert Waleran begins to rebuild Cardigan Castle and the town walls.

  • 1223

    Cardigan is captured by William Marshall II.

  • 1231

    Cardigan is captured by Maelgwn ap Maelgwn ap Rhys.

  • 1197

    Lord Rhys dies on 28 April.

  • 1215

    Followers of Llywelyn ap Iorwerth capture Cardigan Castle.

  • 1171

    Rhys ap Gruffydd (Lord Rhys) moves his chief court here and begins to rebuild the Castle in stone for the first time. This is believed to be the first stone castle ever built by a Welshman.

  • 1176

    To celebrate the completion of his new castle, Lord Rhys hosts, what is now accepted as, the first Eisteddfod.

  • 1136

    Welsh forces attack the Castle during the Battle of Crug Mawr on 10th October, but fail to capture it.

  • 1165

    In early November, Rhys ap Gruffydd captures the Castle using scaling ladders and demolishes it.

  • 1093

    References to a castle established by Earl Roger de Montgomery at the Teifi estuary probably refer to the site at Old Castle, a mile downstream.

  • 1110

    The present castle was probably first occupied by Gilbert fitz Richard de Clare.

  • 988 (Early Medieval)

    Vikings raid nearby St. Dogmaels.

  • 1091 (Norman)

    Battle of Llandudoch takes place.

  • Neolithic (c4500 BC – c2200 BC)

    Flint scrapers from this period have been found at Cardigan Castle. A flint axe was also discovered at St Dogmaels.