Laugharne Castle, Medieval castle and archaeological site in Carmarthenshire, Wales.
Laugharne Castle is a ruined medieval fortress that sits on a rocky headland above the Taf estuary in Carmarthenshire, Wales. The surviving walls include two round towers and traces of formal garden terraces that were added to the site over the centuries.
The castle was founded in the early 12th century by Robert Courtemain and changed hands many times during the medieval period as Welsh and Norman lords competed for control. In the 16th century it was partly converted into a manor house before being left to decay after the Civil War.
Dylan Thomas lived in Laugharne for many years and wrote in a small wooden shed overlooking the Taf estuary, not far from the castle. The town and its ruins are closely tied to his memory, and visitors often come as much for that connection as for the medieval stonework.
The ruins are reached by a short walk from the center of Laugharne, and the paths through the site are well kept. The location near the estuary means the wind can pick up at any time, so bringing a jacket is a good idea regardless of the season.
Before Dylan Thomas made the town famous, the writer Richard Hughes rented the castle's gatehouse as a writing retreat in the 1920s and worked on his novel 'A High Wind in Jamaica' there. The gatehouse still stands within the ruins and can be seen during a visit.
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