Now that you've got the background, it's time to go and see all these spectacular castles for yourself. Keep reading to learn about 16 beautiful castles in Wales to inspire your next trip ...

There are roughly 427 castles in Wales, 100 of which are still standing. Here's a taster of some of them, taken by members of the BBC Wales Nature Flickr group. You can find out more about castles ...

Margam Castle is part of Margam Country Park, a gorgeous 1,000-acre South Wales estate in the Neath Port ... theme among psychic investigators, who all agree that his spirit seethes with fury ...

According to Paul Davis of Show Caves of the World: “The castle has, justifiably, drawn visitors from all over the world ... (which encircles the South Wales coalfield) and lies over half ...

Wales has no shortage of magnificent castles—from the impenetrable stronghold of Harlech Castle, to the fierce fortifications of Carnarvon. Wales boasts a series of castles known as the Iron ...

Mr Hughes said Wales had one of the highest proportions of historic buildings in Europe, adding it was "extraordinary" that about 30% of all residential buildings predate World War One.