Oystermouth
Castle stands today in the middle of Mumbles village on the outskirts
of Swansea and the edge of the Gower peninsular.
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(enjoygower.com) |
When
it was originally built it stood on a steep hill overlooking Swansea
Bay from the west. With Swansea Castle at the other end of the then
shallow bay the main approach to Gower from the east was well
guarded. The other side of the Gower peninsular was guarded by
Loughor Castle.
The
word 'Oystermouth'
is a corruption of the Welsh Ystum Llwynarth
– llwynarth
means oyster, and the sands of the bay below the castle were famed
for their oysters in medieval times.
(Evening Post) |
The
gatehouse of Oystermouth Castle is flanked by two half-towers, which
are very unusual. There is no apparent evidence of any intention to
build the outer half of the towers and it has long caused
speculation. As part of a recent refurbishment, an archaeological dig
finally found the foundations of the outer half of the towers, but we
still do not know why they were never built.
Inside
the castle the keep and adjacent buildings look as though they were
built together, but were in fact built in several stages. The last
strengthening of the castle was done by William II de Breos
(or Braose)
after Welsh attacks on
the Gower in 1256 & 1288. It was impressive enough that King
Edward I stayed there for 2 nights in 1284.
Edward
I had
just completed the conquest of Wales and made a grand tour of the
Principality.
I wrote a
long chapter on the conquest of Wales for my Alina
book, then realised it happened before she was born, and had to take
it out!
Swansea Castle was the caput
or capital of the Lordship of Gower, but it had not been repaired
after repeated Welsh attacks, so Oystermouth Castle was used. In
fact, the de Breos family preferred to live at Oystermouth for
several generations.
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(Wikimedia) |
The
last addition to the castle was the chapel block, added in the early
14th century by
Alina, the subject of my book Alina, The White
Lady of Oystermouth.
Following her husband's part in the barons' rebellion against Edward
II, he was executed and Alina and her son locked in the Tower of
London. When Edward III came to the throne the rebels were pardoned
and Gower was returned to Alina and her son.
![]() |
(Friends of Oystermouth Castle) |
The
chapel block is very distinctive, with a
square construction and three floors. The lower floors were
residential, with the chapel on the top floor. It has beautiful
tracery windows, dressed in Sutton stone, and carved pieces brought
from Neath Abbey. The recent refurbishment has revealed the remains
of medieval paintings on the walls. A glass bridge has been installed
so that visitors can now climb the spiral
staircase up to the chapel and see it close up.
The
refurbishment also provided easier access to the castle and a toilet
block. There is now a path which runs round the outside of the field,
making a much easier gradient for those who can't manage the short
steep climb to the gate.
The
Friends of Oystermouth Castle look after it and run the gift shop
inside the chapel tower. The charge is only £2.50 to go in, and
there are displays of the castle's history and a fun cutout of a
knight and his squire for you to put your head through and have your
picture taken.
Swansea
Council put on various events during the year in the field outside
the castle, including concerts, plays and medieval fayres. The castle
is open from Easter to the end of September, and is well worth a
visit.
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