Newcastle Emlyn Castle

It is strategically located on a steep-sided promontory overlooking the River Teifi and was probably built by the Welsh lord Maredudd ap Rhys in about 1240.

The English forces hauled their siege engine from Dryslwyn to Cardigan with the help of forty oxen, and then continued up the Teifi Valley to Newcastle Emlyn, now needing sixty oxen to haul it; the castle managed to hold out for some time but eventually fell and passed into English hands, bringing Rhys ap Maredudd's revolt to an end.

Under his ownership, the castle passed through a period of stability, and one custodian, Richard de la Bere, was in post for nineteen years.

[5] The castle also played a part in the English Civil War when it changed hands several times and was besieged in 1645 by parliamentary troops.

[6] While the history of the castle has gained attention from historians, the first accurate plan of the site was not produced until 1985.