Pennard Castle, Medieval castle ruins in Three Cliffs Bay, Wales.
Pennard Castle is a ruined stone fortification on a limestone cliff above Three Cliffs Bay on the Gower Peninsula in Wales. What survives today is mainly a gatehouse with two circular towers and sections of wall that rise above the surrounding sand dunes.
The castle was built around 1200 by Norman lords seeking to control the southern coast of Wales. By the 16th century, sand dunes had spread across the site and made it impossible to live in, so it was left empty.
The red sandstone walls rise directly from the sand, making the gatehouse with its two round towers easy to read as a medieval structure. Visitors walking through the dunes can get a clear sense of how the space was once divided between defended and open areas.
The ruins are reached on foot from Penmaen village, along paths that also lead down to Three Cliffs Bay and through the dunes. The ground is uneven in places, so sturdy footwear is a good idea before setting out.
A local legend says the dunes swept over the castle as punishment after its lord stole from a fairy wedding. Whether the story is real or not, it shows how much the sudden disappearance of the place stayed in the memory of people living nearby.
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