Caerphilly Castle is a medieval castle in Caerphilly, South Wales, built in 1268 by Gilbert de Clare, 7th Earl of Gloucester. The 30-acre castle is the largest in Wales and the second-largest in the United Kingdom after Windsor Castle. "Red Gilbert" built the castle on the site of a Roman fort active from 70 AD to the mid-2nd century AD; the castle was built from 1268 to 1271, although Llywelyn ap Gruffudd interrupted the castle's construction with an attack in 1270. The castle was defended by extensive artificial lakes, as well as Britain's first concentric castle defenses and famously large gatehouses. The castle was taken over by royal officials in 121, and the castle was later attacked by Madog ap Llywelyn in 1294, Llywelyn Bren in 1316, and during the overthrow of Edward II of England in 1326-1327; the castle surrendered after Edward's lover Hugh Despenser surrendered on the condition that he be pardoned. The castle was captured during Owain Glyndwr's revolt but survived intact; however, it went into decline in 1486 after being eclipsed by the more fashionable Cardiff Castle. Caerphilly Castle fell into disrepair, and Thomas Lewis stripped it of much of its stone in 1583 to extend his house. The castle may have been slighted by the Parliamentarians after the English Civil War to prevent its further use as a Cavalier fortification, and several towers collapsed by the 18th century due to subsidence damage caused by the retreating water defenses. John Stuart, 1st Marquess of Bute acquired the castle in 1776, and he and his descendants oversaw the castle's restoration. John Crichton-Stuart, 4th Marquess of Bute commissioned a major restoration project from 1928 to 1938, and the stonework was carefully repaired. The castle was donated to the state in 1950, and the lakes were re-flooded and the restoration completed by the 1960s. In 2006, the castle saw 90,914 visitors, and the castle is protected as a Grade I listed building, while its Great Hall is available for wedding ceremonies.
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