Carmarthen Castle

The first castle on its current site at Carmarthen is variously dated to 1104, circa 1106 or 1109 and ascribed to Walter of Gloucester, though Ludlow suggests it is more likely that the castle had already been built when Walter was recorded (in 1109) as being sent to defend Carmarthen. An earlier fort existed 1.4 kilometres (0.87 mi) south at Rhyd-y-gors, built by William FitzBaldwin of Devon on behalf of English King William II, probably after the death of the local Welsh King Rhys ap Tewdwr in 1093. It was last mentioned in 1106. Pembroke Castle had been established in 1102.

It was not too long before local Welsh prince Gruffydd ap Rhys (who had had his lands taken from him by the Normans) attacked Carmarthen Castle. Around 1116 he successfully captured it in a night attack, despite the Normans arranging for it to be defended in a two weekly rotation by local chieftains. Gruffydd dismantled the castle and plundered the surrounding town. Subsequently rebuilt, the castle changed hands several times over the following decades. The North Wales prince, Owain Gwynedd ('Owain the Great'), destroyed the castle in 1137 and it was again destroyed in 1143.

Carmarthen Castle is noted as the place of death of Edmund Tudor, father of the first Tudor king of England, Henry VII. Edmund took possession of the castle during the Wars of the Roses on behalf of the House of Lancaster. Opposing Yorkist troops led by William Herbert captured the castle in August 1456, imprisoning Edmund Tudor, who died a prisoner there on 1 November. His 13-year old wife Lady Margaret Beaufort gave birth to Henry in January the following year.