Wales of a Time VIII - Raglan Castle

     After leaving St. Fagans, we headed north and east towards the English border. It was one of the days that we didn't have a reservation for the evening and our search for a room was a bit stressful.  Fortunately, we found a spot in Abergavenny, Wales.  It was great.  We heartily recommend Plas Derwen in Abergavanny, not only for the fine rooms(some with tubs), but also great food and beverage.
     Our last stop in Wales was at Raglan Castle.  It was an excellent site set in the rolling farmland of eastern Wales.

    
        The remains of the castle dates from the 15th century when Sir William ap Thomas began construction of the castle by building the Great Tower which could only be entered from inside the castle and was surrounded by a moat..

          His son continued work on the castle by beginning construction on sumptuous living quarters and a splendid gatehouse.  Unfortunately William backed the wrong side in one of the many English fights for the Crown and was executed in 1469.  His work was finished and expanded by the Somerset family who became the owners of Raglan, at the King's pleasure of course.

      Through the 16th century the castle was expanded and refined to become an elegant Elizabethan country house with lush gardens, walled terraces, and a lake.  The Long Gallery on the third floor was the entertainment center of the castle.  All that is left of that room now is the remains of an ornate Renaissance fireplace.

     When Civil War broke out in England between the Crown and Parliament in 1642, the owners of Raglan backed King Charles I.  Oops!  After a 10 week siege in 1646 the 5th Earl of Worcester surrendered the castle to the Puritan forces.  It was decided  by the victors that the castle should be destroyed and steps were taken to take it down.. After removing all things of value from the castle, the piece by piece destruction of the buildings was abandoned.  The lead and timbers were removed and used to build bridges around Bristol.  What remains however is an impressive reminder of the elegance of  Elizabethan times.
 

   
     The views from the Great Tower show the beauty of the surrounding countryside, which are as impressive as the remains of the castle.