Rhyd-y-gors - Rhyd-y-gors Castle

Rhyd-y-gors Castle

Rhyd-y-gors Castle was constructed on the order of King William II 1087-1100, known as Rufus, by the Norman invader William Fitz Baldwin, Sheriff of Devon, in the late 11th century (1093–1094). It was situated on a bluff overlooking the River Towy, about one mile South of Carmarthen. The castle was located on the East bank of the Towy, at a place where there was an ancient ford in the river. The word Rhyd-y-gors in Welsh means "Ford of the Marsh". The castle is thought to have been a timber structure surrounded by earthworks, but all trace of it is now gone.

At his untimely death in 1099, King Llywelyn ap Cadwgan was an under-King of William II. Llywelyn issued the only known coins of a Welsh ruler. At King William's mint at Rhyd-y-gors, he struck coins bearing the legend, 'Llywelyn ap Cadwgan, Rex'.

Rhyd-y-gors Castle was an important centre for the Norman invasion and subsequent control of Southwest Wales. William Fitz Baldwin held the castle until his death in 1096, at which point it was abandoned. William’s brother Richard re-established the castle in 1106, and it remained an important focal point until Henry I 1068–1135 built the more permanent Carmarthen Castle by 1109. It seems Rhyd-y-gors Castle had outlived its purpose and slowly crumbled. In the late 19th century, the line of the Great Western Railway was constructed through the site, and any remains were obliterated.

In AD 75, a Roman fort was established at Carmarthen, it evolved into the Roman settlement of Moridunum. It was the tribal capital of the Demetae, the Celtic tribe that inhabited the area. Various archaeological artefacts have been uncovered locally, and can be seen in the County Museum.

A perfectly preserved bronze coating from an ancient British shield, constructed to imitate the shields of the Romans, was found in the marsh at Rhyd-y-gors. The shield would originally have been made of wicker, with the decorative bronze plating attached to the front. This shield is slightly more than two feet in diameter and is decorated with concentric circles and many small brass knobs. It became part of the extensive collection of arms and armour acquired by Samuel Rush Meyrick 1783-1848, known as the Meyrick Collection. Following Meyricks' death, the collection was dispersed, and the shield is now displayed in the British Museum.