Dryslwyn Castle Walk

0.6 miles (1 km)

This walk explores Dryslwyn Castle in the Tywi Valley of Carmarthenshire.
The walk around Dryslwyn Castle begins at the small public car park set beside the B4297 road, just below the castle site. From here a steady, steep path leads uphill towards the entrance, rising over gravel, steps and uneven ground before opening out onto the ruined castle.... The climb can take around ten to twenty minutes and requires sturdy footwear, but the position of the castle high on its rocky hill offers early glimpses over the surrounding countryside as you ascend.
Once inside the castle grounds you can walk among the fragments of stone walls that once formed the inner, middle and outer wards of this 13th-century fortress. The castle was built by a Welsh prince of Deheubarth and later expanded before being besieged and captured by English forces in 1287. What remains today are the evocative ruins of curtain walls, foundations and the site’s distinctive polygonal inner ward, all of which follow the contours of the hilltop.
Follow paths around the summit to explore the ruins from different angles, tracing the line of the old walls and pausing at viewpoints where the ground falls away steeply towards the River Tywi below. From the top you can look out over the wide valley, with extensive views across farmland and rolling hills that stretch towards Carmarthen and Llandeilo. Although much of the castle has been reduced to low walls and earthworks, the traces of its structure give a sense of the scale of the original complex.
The return to the car park retraces the ascent, leading back down the steep path through open ground toward the road. The whole visit is simple in layout but rich in historic atmosphere, combining the physical effort of the climb with expansive views and the chance to walk amidst the remnants of one of Wales’s notable native medieval castles.
You can continue your walking by heading east to visit Gelli Aur Country Park.