AMAA - Wales - 10 Welsh Castles You Must See! - Reaction by Average Middle Aged American

[@dorkvader3778]

"never thought of Wales for castles" ..welcome to the ride my friend :)

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

LOL 🙂

[@Al-AI]

The Welsh objected to conquest. Yma o hyd.

[@brianstanton6663]

O Loegr, rydym I gyd yn dal yma gyda’n gilydd

[@EmyrRees-n6j]

Wales is home to over 641 castles, more per square mile than any other country in Europe. Try Kidwelly Castle, Laugharne Castle, Llansteffan Castle, Dinefwr Castle, Carreg Cennen Castle, Pembroke Castle, Carew Castle, Manorbier Castle, Picton Castle, and Cilgerran Castle, just a few in my area.

[@markjones127]

I live 2 miles from Conwy, you never get tired of the castle, every time I pass I look at it in awe and think that's so freaking cool! It got extensively refurbished when I was a kid and was covered in scaffolding, my Dad was a train driver based at the station in the shadow of the castle and was always getting asked by tourists what the scaffolding was for, so he used to tell them they started building the castle in 1283 but hadn't finished it yet! 🤣All the traffic coming along the North Wales coast used to have to drive through the centre of the small town of Conwy, and the town walls which are part of the castle circle the entire town, and the gaps in the wall are only wide enough for a single lane of traffic, so during tourist season this would cause traffic jams which at the peak of summer could be up to 4 miles long, but in 1991 they built a tunnel under the river bypassing the town and solving the problem.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

That is AWESOME!

[@tellyheadlol4258]

I'm from Edern near Nefyn and Pwllheli, Conwy was always a nice trip, especially on the medieval fair days. A hefyd ma na digon o pobol yma syn siarad Cymraeg! (Sori am fy treiglo, sgenaim mynadd teipio'n gywir.)

[@jukeseyable]

@@Average_Middle_Aged_American regarding your courtyard questions. 1 absolutely not, the whole town would not be bougth into the castle in time of danger, as the towns people were Welsh and therefore the Enemy. These are Edwardian castles, built by Edward the 1st to subjegate the people of wales, not protect them. The role of the castle is that of a force multiplier, casles can actually be defended by comparitively few soldiers, the fewer the better, as less occupants means supplies in a siege will last longer. 2 The couryard appears larger today than when it was build as the wooden buildings such as stables. workshops are no longer present. All of the inside of the iner walls would have features wooden buildings, drastically shrinking the open space

[@jukeseyable]

@@Average_Middle_Aged_American Whats the deal with Edward the 1st. otherwise know as the hammer of the scots. He is a tyrant and a murderer, he invaded wales, slaughtered our people, and still to this day we are occupied by the english, that is the deal

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@@jukeseyable - thanks for the education!

[@karenthomas5358]

Rarely mentioned oystermouth with its duel staircases built for intreg

[@markjlewis]

Most of the footage of "Cardiff Castle" was drone shots of Cardiff Bay and surrounding areas. The castle is situated in the centre of the city and about 1.5 miles from the bay. The bay area was reclaimed from the old docks that exported millions of tons of coal that were mined in the South Wales valleys. Cardiff is the capital of Wales and was only given city status in 1905. The Wiki page for Cardiff has plenty of information about the city and the Castle.

[@stevenburgess2856]

Great video, Wales is beautiful (I'm biased though). The courtyards sometimes housed locals and their businesses in them, I think. The castles were long regarded as a symbol of English oppression but now they are part of Wales and we love them (the castles that is ;) ) Yes you are correct, those places in Cardiff are in completely different places!! Cardiff Castle was a Roman fort, you can still see the original Roman stonework on the fortifications. Castell Coch north of Cardiff was only built in the 19th century but it looks like a fairytale castle. Worth a look.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@@stevenburgess2856 - so much to see! Thanks for commenting and checking out my videos!

[@stevenburgess2856]

@@Average_Middle_Aged_American Welcome, all the best 👍

[@captaincorky237]

The 'Cardiff Castle' film was stock footage of Cardiff. Carreg Cennyn is pronounced Karreg Kennin. Edward I was the classic 'medieval knight' and was seen as such around Europe. I once had the chance to spend time visiting 'Krak des Chevaliers' in Syria. Take a look at that place! Built for the Templars.

[@Paul-tp9vf]

The courtyards originally contained timber framed buildings which have not survived the intervening centuries,

[@stephenelliott7071]

"I can't even imagine driving by a castle every day"...I can walk to my nearest castle every day - Caerphilly Castle. And I can also have a meal or a beer and look across the moat at that castle...You might want to check out Castell Coch which is not far from Caerphilly Castle too.

[@spursgog835]

I live near Conwy castle and used to see it every day from my living room window before I moved further away. It was spectacular when lit up at night, such a privilege. Some people don’t celebrate these castles as they see them as a historic symbol of Welsh subjugation to the English 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing!

[@4.20Everyday]

My home town where the 1st castle is

[@javierhillier4252]

I’m in university in Cardiff and only one of those photos was of the castle lol 😂

[@_starfiend]

I live within 20 miles of at least ten castles, including three of these ones. (Cardiff, Caerphilly and Raglan.) Love wandering around them. Been to both Chepstow and Caldicott castles many times. (Both of these also within 20 miles of where I live!)

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@@_starfiend - That is amazing!

[@TottWriter]

My nan used to volunteer at Powys Castle, it's really beautiful and very imposing

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

Nice!

[@ssanti66]

If you like simmetry, you should watch aerial views of the Castello di Barletta, Italy, built in 1090, and Castel del Monte, Italy, built in 1240.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@@ssanti66 - Amazing!

[@me37631]

More castles in Wales than anywhere else!

[@TomTomicMic]

More castles "per square mile" than anywhere else in the World over 600 in 8,024 square miles, just less than the size of New Jersey and with 1,680 miles of coast!?!

[@mikebray6400]

Large courtyard. Used in time of conflict to bring all people, stock animals, food etc inside the castle walls for safety. Some attacks lasted months and even years. Cardiff Castle. Just two castle views and everything else was city views. It’s a great castle to visit although my absolute favourite is Caerphilly Castle. Why did they not include Chepstow Castle. It was the first stone built castle in the United Kingdom and was developed from the Motte and Bailey which was a simple mound surrounded by a ditch with wooden buildings on it and a wooden fence or Bailey (Much like your old Forts). The spoil from the ditch was used to build the mound. The ditch would often fill with water which became the moat as another defence and a retractable drawbridge was used to cross the moat. Glad you like the true Welsh warring castles. They were attacked many times and only defeated when gun powder and cannons were developed.

[@lailachopperchops9290]

There are more than 600 in wales , i love wales x

[@ftumschk]

The narrator - AI? - really struggled with Carreg Cennen :)

[@Joseph13163]

My local castle in ireland is similar to many there because it was built by much the same people

[@James-wp3jq]

Yeah,that was weird, they showed all the castles except Cardiff, maybe 2seconds of it ! I I've in Cardiff . Maybe do a separate film on just Cardiff castle.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@@James-wp3jq - I will check it out. Thanks!

[@NickNick-tp5cr]

Chirk Castle and Castle Dinas Bran are within 4 miles of where I live. My village (froncysyllte) is a 5 min walk to the pontcysyllte aqueduct which is a unesco world heritage site.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

Very Cool!

[@cerijenkins8564]

Pembroke Castle morphed into Carew Castle if you’re wondering why some of drone footage looked different

[@tyethebalder5666]

Grate now check out the beaches of wales .

[@captaincorky237]

The large courtyard could provide shelter for those living in the towns around the castle at times of invasion.

[@andrewlewis9231]

Edward the First came up so often because he was the English king who conquered North Wales. He constructed a rig of castles - Harlech, Caernarfon, Conwy, Beaumaris etc to keep the Welsh quiet. It cost him a fortune. Impressive though they be, Owain Glyn Dwr overcome several of them in the fifteenth century during his War for Independence - Harlech became his HQ. He nearly won the war - but the greater resources of the English Crown were too much to overcome. In his time - there were two Princes of Wales >>> Owain and who was to become Henry the Fifth. Which one do you think Welsh people celebrate today? Owain was never defeated or caught and is believed to be buried in Herefordshire on an estate that was owned by the Scudamore family who had married one of Glyn Dwr's daughters. The same family own it today.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@@andrewlewis9231 - WOW! Thanks for commenting and checking out my videos!

[@kathrynnorman4259]

We have three in Bridgend

[@crocsmart5115]

There are so many castles,Cymru fought every inch. Yma o hyd.

[@christopherlawley1842]

Check out the song, too. Yma..o..hyd. As sung at the rugby.internationals. (spacebar trouble over here!)

[@martinjones12]

The giant central open space is useful for nearby villagers and their livestock/ grain/food to be collected in event of a siege........the locals would seek shelter /protection within.

[@markjlewis]

Take a look at Chepstow castle.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@@markjlewis Thanks, I will!

[@ftumschk]

9:20 The county of Pembrokeshire is in South _West_ Wales, not the East.

[@AncientHyperGeek]

Coch Castle - or castle Coch, Coch is Red in Welsh. Remodelled by the marquise of Bute and his architect Burges, it is a Victorian reimagining of the original castle that stood there. It is still very castley. Wales has so many castles, and your vid only touched on a very few of them, because the Welsh were medieval troublemakers, the Medieval version of the Maginot line. I have been to some privately owned castles, e.g. Usk castle, which are still occupied, the people living in them view medieval as last month and Rome as last year. Look at Roman forts in wales Cardiff, Caerleon, they has similar trouble with the Welsh. Why? see Welsh gold.

[@Lemmys_Mole]

i got married in there

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@@Lemmys_Mole - Awesome! Congrats!

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@@AncientHyperGeek - I will check it out. Thanks!

[@JohnnyBoy-h6z]

There are over 600 castles in Wales. Cardiff Castle is in the centre of the city of Cardiff the video showed a lot of the city centre with a couple of glimpses of the castle which was why you had trouble actually spotting it. Most of the castles will be like these but in various conditions (that is some of them are more of a ruin than others). He picked some good ones for the video. Caerphilly and Pembroke are good although Pembroke is in South West Wales not South East Wales like he said. His pronunciation was terrible throughout as well. A more gothic looking castle in Wales is Castell Coch just north of Cardiff. Castell Coch translates to Red Castle in English. I guess if you planned it right you could do a castle tour taking in a number of castles in one day.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@@JohnnyBoy-h6z - Pinned. Thanks for the information!

[@DavidPaulMorgan]

Great pictures - terrible terrible narration - plenty of better narration available. Live in Cardiff, so familiar with the inner Norman and outer 'edwardian' castle. Love Conwy & Caernarfon . Grew up in Newport - so we had Newport Castle on the Usk - now pretty much ruined. it's a great excuse for a day out - visit a castle and a national park!

[@wotsitjimbob2271]

Pembrokeshire is South West Wales not South East Wales. Even our small market town in Pembrokeshire had a castle, not a lot left of it now though.

[@andrewlewis9231]

Also, the Cardiff segment was pretty poor - a good view of the docks and bay area - but vert little of the castle >>> which is a beautiful building. Originally a Roman fort, then a medieval castle and finally the home of the Marquis of Bute (who owned most of Cardiff in the nineteenth century) who restored it and gave to the city in the 1920's. The Bute's also restored Castell Coch - another castle just outside Cardiff - in Tongwynlais. Both castles well worth a visit - especially if you like pre-Raphaelite art and Victorian Gothic. Castell Coch was also given to the city in 1950.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@@andrewlewis9231 - Thanks!

[@thewalkingdeaduk]

English Norman built castles in Cymru Wales

[@bujin1977]

The Cardiff footage was just plain weird! It should also go without saying that the pronunciation of most of those castle names was absolutely nothing like the real pronunciation. That's the problem with AI generated voice. Not that many non-Welsh people would get the pronunciation right anyway, but real people often make a better go at it. What's the deal with Edward I? Sore point for the Welsh. An arrogant Norman king who decided he wanted to subjugate the Welsh people, and that's why most of those castles were built. They are monuments to oppression. On the plus side, I like to think of Edward I looking up at us from hell, seething with anger as we use the castles he built to generate tourist income for the Welsh economy - we're still here more than 740 years since he tried to eradicate us. Incidentally, when you asked that question, the video was showing Criccieth Castle. That one, and the one before, Carreg Cennen, were both native Welsh castles, rather than English castles in Wales. For "beautiful" castles, I think the best one in Wales would probably be Castell Coch. Most castles across the UK are ruined because they were specifically part-demolished after the Englsh Civil War in the 17th century so that they could no longer be used as fortifications, so you won't find too many in the "beautiful" category.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

Thanks for commenting and checking out my videos!

[@simonwatkins3236]

Castell Coch is worh a look

[@docksider]

Edward 1st built many castles in Wales because his military conquest of Wales was shaky and the dozen or so castle that he had built were necessary to hold the country. England took well over 200 years to conquer Wales. All the Welsh princes and lords built their castles too, hence the 600 or so in the country. Edward nearly bankrupted England to pay for the castles and conquest of Wales, partly paid for by expelling the Jews from England and confiscating their Welsh. English rule was brutal - hence the many rebellions hence the need for the castles.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

Thank you for the information and for checking out my videos!

[@docksider]

@@Average_Middle_Aged_American should have been confiscated their wealth! lol anyway Edward 1st was an incredibly unpleasant monarch. The castles had an additional function in guarding the colonies of people planted into Wales - mainly English and Flemings, who lived in the walled towns he built. These colonists guarded their separate and privileged status - the Welsh were forbidden to live in these towns. This survived until the acts of union in the 16th Century.

[@cardiffbob]

Caernarfon is pronounced Cayr-NAR-von, a single "f" is always pronounced hard, double "FF" soft;. like in "of" and "off". Stock footage of the City of Cardiff, hardly any of the castle itself.

[@jonathangoll2918]

There are many more Welsh castles. These AI voiceovers cannot cope with the Welsh language at all, so there are some pretty dreadful pronunciations! You were robbed in Cardiff; that was just stock footage. There are ancient Welsh Cathedrals at Bangor, St Asaph, Llandaff, and above all St David's. Another commenter has rightly mentioned Chepstow Castle, which I visited recently. It is only just in Wales. The part of England bordering Wales is called the Welsh Marches, and also has many castles, such as Goodrich Castle, Skenfrith Castle, Stokesay Castle, and Ludlow Castle. Wigmore Castle is interesting. You have to get there by walking, and it's deliberately kept a bit ruinous, so it's atmospheric. In the middle of the fifteenth century, during the Wars of the Roses, there was a skirmish involving Harlech Castle. A poem was written about this and set to music; the resulting 'March of the Men of Harlech' is the great Welsh fighting song. I think back in the day those large courtyards had temporary booths, etc., for armourers' workshops and the like. English castles are usually looked after by English Heritage. The equivalent body for Wales is called Cadw, Welsh for 'care'. You can have yearly memberships of both bodies, which cuts down costs, and tourists can have short memberships. There is some way to get both. These organizations provide audiosets you can use to explain to you various features of the castle. If you're going to Wales you really must have a look at the Welsh language, nothing like English and spoken as a mother tongue by half a million people.

[@martinjones12]

Most castles were build BEFORE the advent of gunpowder and therefore cannon..... they were physically indestructible up to that age..... and many were built close to the sea...... and were easily supplied via boats...........most threats could not afford a navy or boats .....so sea supply /reinforcement was ideal.

[@neilrusling-je6zo]

Most Castles are really just fortified nice fancy houses, they are a nice house first and a fortress second, your Welsh castles were built as a fortress first and a nice place to live second, so the priority was war, thats why they look like they were built by a bloke that wanted a fight twice a week and three times on Sunday...because they were.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@@neilrusling-je6zo - LOL. Makes sense to me!

[@javierhillier4252]

Most of the mediaeval castles you see in Britain are French styles you will see lots of them in France, but not the post 16th century ones those are modern and don’t give the medieval feel

[@ianasquith3902]

The living spaces were made of wood, no longer there

[@kathrynnorman4259]

Llandovery castle

[@matthealey187]

kai-nar-fon not kurn-a-fon

[@gagada124]

Almost all "castles" in Germany, France, Spain are not castles but Chateaux (houses), and were built as homes and not for warfare

[@ronjareubel32]

Every country in Europe has medieval castles to offer. The castles in Wales are very impressive. More impressive than those in Germany. If you like castles, you should skip Germany. Because if you're honest, the only three good castles in Germany are: Neuschwanstein, Hohenzollern, Burg Eltz. Nothing more...really not much compared to other countries in Europe. Carcassonne in France is very impressive.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@@ronjareubel32 - Thank you for the suggestions!

[@christopherlawley1842]

(sigh) Let's face it, AI isn't much good at the Welsh language.

[@simonwatkins3236]

So many mispronounciations,

[@bh4885]

Good video.Terrible voiceover Take a look at Krak des Chevaliers in Syria. Its amazing

[@reggriffiths5769]

The trouble here is a common one: An American narrator who does not have the first idea of castles, presumably trying to educate similar of his countryfolk about something about which he has no knowledege. In the process, he gets a lot of things wrong. For example if you go to "southeast Wales" looking for Pembroke Castle,, you won't find it because it's in southwest Wales about 100 miles away! If want to find Kerno phen Castle, there's no castle with that name, and he probably means Caernarfon - which is pronounced closely, if not accurately as Car nar von, would get you a lot closer. Having said that, I've met many Americans who have arrived in Car mar then looking for Caernarfon where they understand Prince Charles was "crowned" Prince of Wales. The problem is that one is in North Wales, the other in South Wales with over 100 mile in between! Castles were built for varied reasons, e.g. to defend the local community, or as a major bastion from which to provide an army. Large interior areas were used for military training and minor events. In times of defence, they could be used to temporarily house the locals for their protection against raids. In the main, they were strategically sited, usually on high ground, but as often on low ground as sea defences. In many cases towns grew up around them over years, which is why today, many castles are in or close to town centres. I had to see the image before I recognised what is Carreg Cennen which the narrator calls "carriage." Car reg (as in reg-ular), and "landy lo" (Llandeilo, pronounced Llan die lo). If you can't get close to the right pronunciation, you'll get blank stares from the locals when you ask! I know the majority of the 500 castles in Wales, and get really tired when (particularly) American tourists ask the most silly questions such as "why did they build this castle so close to an airport?" "Did they have trains ands railway lines alongside castles in those days?" For castle names, it would take too long to relate. Your best plan is to look at Google maps, pick any one town in Wales, and you're almost certain to find a castle nearby! Chirk, Ruabon, Monmouth, Abergavenny, Newport, Chepstow, Swansea, Carmarthen, Haverforwest, Tenby, Cardigan....and dozens of others in between. But there is a moral to this story, so take heed: When you want to know anything about the UK, your best course of action is to ignore it if it's produced by an American! Stick to a proper British video, anf preferably by someone with a name that people know. If it isn't British, it probably isn't accurate.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

A little brutal, don't you think?

[@reggriffiths5769]

@@Average_Middle_Aged_American Brutal perhaps. Accurate totally! I call it as I find it, and I've given you good advice and haven't made anything up. It's up to you where to go from there. Enjoy your searches.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@@reggriffiths5769 - You think Rick Steves is an idiot, too?

[@reggriffiths5769]

@@Average_Middle_Aged_American I did not say that! However, RS is a traveller and knows his way around - more or less. He does interesting little travelogues, but because he is not local to the region, his knowledge base isn't perfect, and like all such presenters depends on his researchers who do not always get it right. Rick is OK, I watch some of the places he goes to, and much of what he relates is fine; but like anything, if you want factual details whici may or may not be aired full in a programme, it makes sense to follow it up with a visit via your internet. If you type Caernarfon Castle as an example, there is a wealth of good, honest and reliable information to be got. I'm not trying to be unkind, but if you want solid information, you're not going to get it in any 30-minute travelogue - but yoo may well get something like the video you just watched!

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@@reggriffiths5769 - RS is American. 🙂

[@Ingens_Scherz]

You might have picked the worst video ever made about our castles! Bad luck, lol.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

Please post links in the comment section if you find any great videos. Thanks!

[@alan-]

Stock footage and such utterly butchered pronunciation so bad that it could easily start a war. That source video should be taken down.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

LOL! I liked it. Please link better onea...

[@geoffmelvin6012]

See - Chronicle. Medieval Histories. Edward I "Hammer of the Scots"

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@@geoffmelvin6012 - will do. Thanks!

[@christopherlawley1842]

Hammered anyone who disagreed with him, basically.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@@christopherlawley1842 - ouch