Morlais Castle near Merthyr South Wales

When the Normans conquered England and Wales, they knew the value of castles. A castle was a home but it was also well protected. It was a fortress where people and animals were safe from attack. Castles were built to defend vital places such as towns, river crossings, and borders or simply to defend places already won in battle.

Morlais Castle was a small fort built by the Normans to defend their borders.

The earliest evidence of occupation on Morlais Hill is believed to date back to the Iron Age, when a hill fort stood on the site.

The area is named after the nearby Morlais brook. It is believed this is derived from the Welsh “Mawr” and “Glais.” Another nearby brook is called “Glais,” meaning young salmon. The Morlais brook is the larger brook, hence it was known as “Mawr-Glais.”

Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester and Lord of Glamorgan built Morlais Castle sometime betwen 1286 and 1290. He had already built the much larger Caerphilly Castle in 1270. Both these castles were intended to strengthen de Clare's borders against the Welsh Prince Llewellyn ap Gruffydd. Although a defence against the Welsh, it was another Norman lord who challenged the construction of the castle.

The leaning tower at Caerphilly Castle.