Candleston Castle - Castell Candleston

Built in the fourteenth century this fortified manor now consists of a wall around a courtyard, tower and hall. It is located less than a mile northwest of Ogmore Castle and southwest from Merthyr Mawr village. The Castle is easily reached from the car park of Merthyr Mawr Nature Reserve and is an impressive site with substantial remains. Since its construction in the fourteenth century the lands that surrounded the manor were lost to the encroaching sand that is such a feature of this section of the South Wales coastline. However, the building continued to be occupied until into the nineteenth century and so has undergone considerable alteration since first being built. Interesting features remain and within the hall block of the structure a 15th century fireplace can be seen. The ruins of this old building have a haunting atmosphere that could easily act as a backdrop to an old Hammer horror film. You can wander around the site and get a feel for its lost grandeur. This is a Scheduled Ancient Monument which is free to visit.

The building stands next to a car park from which the National Nature Reserve of Merthyr Mawr can be explored. This is the highest sand dune system in Wales and a haven for wildlife. Over many years sand has settled on top of an ancient limestone cliff. There is evidence of settlement in the Reserve that goes back many thousands of years. Flints from the Stone Age, burial mounds, pottery from the Bronze Age, hearths form the Iron Age and Roman tiles have been discovered in Merthyr Mawr.

Candleston Castle is an interesting place to see and can be combined with a visit to the unique sand dune system of Merthyr Mawr Nature Reserve.