In tlieory, the best defenses prox ided a lord with his best offense against an assault, whether or not his perception of the threat from the local populace or an opponent’s army was realistic, d'hroughout the Middle Ages, and later, this concept was repeated!} tested. Some castles fell; others remained strong. Some, such as Cacrphill}’, never really had their defenses tested. Perhaps Gilbert de Clare’s masterful concentric stone and water defenses were so intimidating that the Welsh and rial lords dismissed any thought of a
During its notably brief histor', Caerphilly Castle never experienced a fullblown siege, nor were the Welsh successful in bringing down its walls. I’heir threat was minimal at best. Perhaps, the complexity of the defenses thwarted the best efforts of the Welsh against the Lord of Glamorgan; perhaps, de Clare’s army was strong enough to keep the rebels away from the castle walls. Perhaps, de Clare perceived that his subjects w ere a greater menace than in realit}' they could ever possibly be. Whatever the case, Caerphilly’s defenses were certainly much more complex than they apparently needed to be.
Certainly, de Clare wanted to ensure the safety and security of his Stronghold, his garrison and his household against the ever-present possibility of Welsh rehellion. De Clare also recognized the need for protection against rival lords, such as Hninphrey de Bohnn, Lord of Brecon, with whom he had sparred for years. He may also have kept a wary eye out for the king’s troops, knowing Edward I had less than positive feelings toward him. However, with Edward’s attention focused elsewhere in Wales and also in Scotland, the real threat to de Clare’s power base in South Wales would have been from a relatively poorly organized, weakly equipped group of Welshmen, like those who had destroyed Caerphilly Castle in the early stages of its construction.
One may conclude that the real reason behind the heavy defenses and structural complexities of the Edwardian-era castles in Wales had less to do with safeguarding its residents than it did w'ith ensuring the Anglo-Norman lords maintained their grip over the Welsh. Certainly, such defenses wordd protect them during a siege. But, even more so, the structures projected a menacing posture and probably created the perception that it w'as not worth the effort to attempt a siege in the first place.
World History
