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Logo The Cymru Cycles gyda draig goch a chroes Geltaidd.
Fiery Mountain Sunset
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MEDIEVAL CYMRU CYCLE

The Cymry, Kings and Castles of Medieval Cymru

The Medieval Cymru Cycle explores Wales during the age of kingdoms, princes, castles, and conquest.

 

Through the stories of Welsh rulers, medieval society, and the fortresses that shaped the landscape, it examines how power, identity, and community evolved during one of the most transformative periods in Welsh history.

 

Building upon the kingdoms and traditions established in the Dark-Age Cymru Cycle, it follows Wales through centuries of conflict, cultural development, and political change.

 

The cycles that follow continue this story, exploring how the end of the medieval world gave rise to the social, religious, cultural, and economic transformations of Tudor and Industrial Cymru.

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From farming communities and market towns to bardic halls, mountain farms, coastal trade routes, and growing medieval settlements, Cymry of Cymru explores the everyday lives, culture, and identity of the people of medieval Wales. Rather than focusing solely on kings and warfare, the book examines how ordinary communities lived, worked, travelled, worshipped, and maintained Welsh traditions within a changing medieval world.

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From mountain fortresses and princely courts to contested borders, alliances, and wars for supremacy, Kings of Cymru explores the rise of medieval Welsh kingdoms and the rulers who shaped the political history of Wales. Following the age of the warlords, the book traces how competing dynasties transformed fragmented territories into powerful kingdoms struggling for control, independence, and survival.

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From mountain fortresses and coastal strongholds to ruined towers rising above valleys and rivers, Castles of Cymru explores the castles that shaped the medieval history and landscape of Wales. Blending history, archaeology, architecture, and landscape interpretation, the book traces how Welsh princes, Norman lords, and English kings used castles to project authority, defend territory, control trade routes, and dominate frontier lands.

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Contact us and I'll let you know when it's available

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Eryri Through Time

By the High Middle Ages, Eryri had become the great stronghold of the Princes of Gwynedd. Its rugged mountains and narrow passes provided a natural refuge during war, allowing Welsh rulers to resist repeated invasions. Castles including Dolbadarn and Dolwyddelan guarded the main routes through the mountains, while Dinas Emrys remained an important stronghold. Beyond the fortresses, farming communities thrived in stone longhouses, moving livestock between valley farms and upland pastures. Early Christian foundations also developed into medieval churches, serving the scattered communities that lived among the mountains.

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Mountains of the Princes

1st July 2026

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Tywi Valley Through Time

The Heartland of Deheubarth

11th July 2026

During the medieval period, the Tywi Valley became the political, military and religious heart of the Kingdom of Deheubarth. Dinefwr Castle served as the princes' royal seat, while Dryslwyn and Carreg Cennen defended key crossings and approaches through the valley. Rich farmland supported a prosperous economy, and growing towns, churches and monasteries reflected the kingdom's increasing wealth. Talley Abbey became an important religious centre, while medieval field systems, fisheries and mills reveal an intensively managed landscape. Together, these monuments show the Tywi Valley at the height of native Welsh power before Edward I's conquest.

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COMING SOON!

Journal highlighting the most recent research happening in Cymru

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Buy the guidebook

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Eryri (Snowdonia)

Explore medieval features including Dolbadarn castle.

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Buy the guidebook

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Tywi Valley

Explore medieval features including talley abbey, dinefwr castle, and dryslwyn castle.

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Monastic Wales

Monastic Wales is one of the most comprehensive online resources dedicated to the monasteries of medieval Wales. It brings together detailed histories, archaeological plans, photographs and historical research for abbeys, priories and friaries throughout the country.

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Rather than simply describing individual buildings, the website explains why each monastery was founded, which religious order occupied it, who supported it and how it influenced the surrounding landscape.

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How to investigate medieval monasteries

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  1. Open the Monastic Wales website.

  2. Browse the interactive map or search by county, monastery name or religious order.

  3. Open an individual monastery page and examine:

    • the foundation date;

    • the founder or patron;

    • the religious order;

    • the site's history;

    • architectural plans;

    • photographs;

    • suggested further reading.

  4. Compare monasteries belonging to different religious orders, including:

    • Cistercians;

    • Benedictines;

    • Augustinians;

    • Franciscans;

    • Dominicans.

  5. Notice how their locations differ. Cistercian abbeys were often established in remote valleys where they could develop large agricultural estates, while friaries were usually founded within medieval towns to serve growing urban communities.

  6. Compare several monasteries across Wales and consider how geography, patronage and politics influenced their development.

 

Understanding the results

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Every monastery tells a different story.

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When reading a monastery record, ask yourself:

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  • Why was the monastery founded?

  • Which ruler, prince or noble family supported it?

  • Which religious order lived there?

  • How did the monastery make its living?

  • What survives today?

 

Rather than viewing monasteries simply as places of worship, think of them as centres of education, administration, farming, craftsmanship and political influence.

 

Comparing different religious orders reveals how varied medieval monastic life could be across Wales.

Castle Studies Trust

The Castle Studies Trust supports archaeological research into castles throughout Britain, publishing excavation reports, digital reconstructions and articles explaining how castles developed over time. Its work goes beyond visitor interpretation, demonstrating how archaeologists investigate medieval fortifications and reconstruct buildings that no longer survive.

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The Trust's projects combine historical records, excavation evidence and modern technology to answer questions about castle construction, defence and daily life.

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How to investigate medieval castles

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  1. Open the Castle Studies Trust website.

  2. Browse recent research projects or search for a particular Welsh castle.

  3. Begin by reading the project summary before exploring the accompanying reports and illustrations.

  4. Examine:

    • archaeological plans;

    • reconstruction drawings;

    • excavation photographs;

    • drone imagery;

    • architectural analysis.

  5. Compare castles from different periods, including:

    • native Welsh castles;

    • Norman castles;

    • Edwardian castles.

  6. Consider how castle design changed through time. Compare:

    • defensive walls;

    • gatehouses;

    • towers;

    • great halls;

    • domestic accommodation;

    • service buildings.

 

Understanding the results

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Castles were continually altered throughout the medieval period. They expanded, adapted and changed ownership as military technology and political circumstances evolved.

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The Castle Studies Trust explains how archaeologists identify these different building phases and reconstruct structures that have disappeared. Rather than viewing castles as static monuments, you begin to see them as places that evolved over generations.

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When comparing different castles, remember that they were built for different purposes. Some controlled frontiers, others served as royal residences, administrative centres or symbols of lordly authority. Understanding these differences helps explain why no two castles are exactly alike.

Tretower Court and Castle

While castles often dominate our image of the Middle Ages, most members of the Welsh gentry lived in manor houses rather than great fortresses. Tretower Court and Castle provides one of the finest opportunities to understand this aspect of medieval society.

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Located near Crickhowell, Tretower combines the remains of a Norman castle with one of Britain's best-preserved medieval manor houses. Carefully restored interiors allow visitors to experience domestic life during the fifteenth century, illustrating how noble families lived, worked and entertained within a medieval household.

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How to investigate medieval daily life

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  1. Begin by exploring the history of Tretower Court and Castle on the Cadw website before visiting.

  2. As you walk through the manor house, pay particular attention to:

    • the great hall;

    • private chambers;

    • kitchens;

    • service rooms;

    • gardens;

    • defensive features.

  3. Compare the manor house with the adjoining castle. Consider how their functions differed. One served primarily as a fortified residence, while the other became a comfortable home for a wealthy family.

  4. Think about how the building reflects medieval society. Ask yourself:

    • How were servants and household members organised?

    • Where did the lord receive guests?

    • Which rooms were public and which were private?

    • How did the household prepare food and manage daily life?

  5. If possible, attend one of the site's living-history events or demonstrations. These often include medieval crafts, cooking, combat, music and domestic activities that help bring the archaeological evidence to life.

 

Understanding the results

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Unlike many ruined castles, Tretower allows visitors to experience a medieval building as a functioning home rather than simply as an archaeological monument.

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The restored interiors demonstrate that medieval architecture was not only about defence. Comfort, hospitality, administration and family life were equally important parts of a noble household.

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As you explore the manor house, compare what you see with the castles discussed throughout the Medieval Cymru Cycle. Consider how the lives of princes, marcher lords, monks, merchants and landed gentry differed, and how each group shaped the medieval landscape of Wales.

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