The ruined remains of Skenfrith, along with the nearby Grosmont and White Castles, were built on earlier Norman fortifications to dominate the border region between England and South Wales. The so-called ‘Three Castles’ were operated as a single defensive unit under the control of an English Marcher Lord.
Unlike the other two fortifications, the 13th century Skenfrith had a central round keep inside a rectangular ward with a tower at each corner and a flooded moat. It too saw a number of Welsh uprisings and also fell into ruin by the 16th century.
Wales (Cymru in the Welsh language) is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The major cities are Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and Bangor. The city of St. Davids is the smallest city in the UK with a population around 2000. Wales itself has a population of around 3 million. The Welsh language is spoken by around 20% of the population.