Not much to see and you cant get into the ruins, juat walk around the outside. Impressive considering its in a city centre, wouldnt make a special trip to see it though
Even though you can't access inside, it's always nice to chill out near the ruins . Early years and rebuilding 1106: The first timber castle was built by Henry de Beaumont after he was granted the Lordship of Gower. 1116, 1192, 1215, 1217: The early timber castle was attacked multiple times by Welsh forces, finally being razed in 1217. 1221–1284: William de Braose rebuilt the castle in stone, creating the "New Castle" that forms the basis of the current ruins. Strategic importance and later uses Strategic location: The castle was built on a cliff overlooking the River Tawe, which gave it control of the river and a vital trade route along the coast. Medieval conflicts: The castle was re-garrisoned during the Glyndwr revolt but saw little action in later conflicts like the English Civil War. 18th-century prison: The castle was later adapted to serve as a debtor's prison. Modern era: Today, the ruins are a stark contrast to the modern city center surrounding them, visible in Castle Square.
Ruins of a castle in the city centre. Open to the public for viewing for free, ruins can not be entered or explored for safety reasons.
It's a lovely fort, a ruin in the middle of the city. It has a lot of back story, as explained in the nearby signage. It's worthwhile to see, even though we could only see it from the outside. There appeared to be no entrance for the public to enter the building, and it was completely free, no tickets were needed!
To be honest it should be more about Castle Square than the actual Castle itself. There is not much left to see but the best part about visiting is, apart from the obvious old & new photo opportunity, is the gorgeous Castle Square with it's magnificent fountain and waterfall features. On a lovely sunny afternoon the sun bathed steps heading up to the castle from the square are a beautiful place to sit, enjoy and relax in the while visiting Swansea and all it has to offer
Even of its right in front of you, people are ignorant that its the swansea castle. People watch the fountain across the street. There is a board which tells the history of the castle. Only the ruins of the castle are there. The bars are put up in the doors and window structure so that its not dirtied and for kids safety purpose. There are benches where you can sit and see the castle.
For a defensive structure that’s almost a thousand years old, it’s reasonably well-preserved. As per the signs outside, this is not the original castle or the remnants of one, it was intact re-constructed over a 100 years later - the original castle no longer exists. Personally, I’m not sure when the grills in the window openings were fitted. While they may look old but are they actually a 1000 years old? I seriously doubt it. As this is open to the public, there are no tickets at all, one can walk in anytime and admire the “defensive” structure. Located in Castle Square, it’s adjacent to Wine Street, a street frequented by pub-goers. There are pubs and restaurants all around, including McDonald’s. Try visiting this structure in the evenings when there are fewer cars on the road.
Brings back memories, used to go here all the time as a teenager. Never really paid much attention to it. Nice to see it now as an adult, and appreciate it more. It is strange having a castle ruin in the middle of a city, but nice in a way with the old and new together. Well worth a visit.
Not too much still exists of this once imposing castle. A lot of work has been done in recent years to conserve both the historic castle and also attempts to rejuvenate the gardens in front with interesting fountains, a large screen and an amphitheatre like seating area. Unfortunately being at the end of Wind St. which is full of bars and club's, it can be quite boisterous. As such it's best to time your visit to avoid the the hustle and bustle of revelers.
The other reviews are true. It is a pretty small grounds with no inside access, and modern building have gone up all around. That said, what is left is pretty amazing. It survived war and still looks pretty dang decent! It made me smile when I was walking to it and the modern city opened up and there it was! Totally out of place (nowadays) but still standing in all its glory! Not somewhere I'd say to go out of your way to visit, but if you are in the area, stop by and take a look. It's free and open to the public!
Swansea Castle is located at 8 Castle St, Swansea SA1 1DW, UK
You can find directions to Swansea Castle by following this map link