
A farmer has revealed how his family bought a 13th century castle from a Welsh Lord - by mistake.

Gwylim Morris and his family only wanted to buy a simple farm when they snapped up a parcel of land in the Welsh countryside.

After the deal had gone through the stunned family realised they had accidentally taken over one of Wales' most iconic castles too.

Gwylim Morris and his family wanted to buy a simple farm - but ended up buying Carreg Cennen castle in a bundle of land in Carmarthenshire, south west Wales. Pictured: Bernard Llewellyn, Mr Morris' son-in-law

The castle is five miles from the nearest town and offers scenic views of Carmarthenshire making it perfect for weddings

Carreg Cennen: Castle fought over by English and the Welsh As a raised hilltop, protected from enemy advances, the land is thought to have initially been used as an Iron Age hill fort. With the first castle on the Carreg Cennen mound thought to have been the work of the Lord Rhys, ruler of south Wales (who ruled from 1155 to 1197). The ruins we see today are believed to have been a castle built by Edward I’s loyal baron John Giffard at the end of the 13th century, however records are inconclusive. It was captured by the English in 1277, recaptured by the Welsh in 1282 and claimed again by the English the following year. Historians discovered the site may have been an Iron Age hillfort after human remains dating back to prehistoric times were found on the property. Roman coins have also been uncovered however it is thought unlikely Romans occupied the castle for long. Advertisement

Carreg Cennen stands on top of a hill in Carmarthenshire, West Wales, just 200m away from Gwylim's new front door at Castle Farm.

Having rented the land near the castle from Lord Cawdor of Pembroke, as tenants on his farm on the outskirts of Llandeilo, the Morris family decided to secure the land for prosperity.

However upon purchasing the bundle of land they noticed an unexpected detail in the paperwork, the red line indicating the property boundary showed Carreg Cennen castle to be in their possession.

Gwilym's daughter Margaret Morris and her husband Bernard Llywellyn revealed the extraordinary story of how they came to own a piece of Welsh history in the property deal in 1963.

Mr Llywellyn said: 'It made total sense for the family to buy it - they had been renting it for years and were happy here.

'But, there were no deeds associated with the castle, so a firm drew up the deeds for the farm and drew a red line that went around the castle.

'That meant the castle was included in the purchase.

'They quickly realised their mistake and contacted the family soon after to explain what had happened. They offered to buy the castle back.

'They said that, being a farmer of a certain age, my father-in-law was not in a position to look after a castle.

'He wasn't having any of it - he refused to sell it back.'

The 13th century castle was built on the site of an earlier castle erected to protect the ancient realm of Deheubarth.

Castle Farm farmyard as seen from Carreg Cennen Castle in Carmarthenshire, the family were tenants on the farm owned by Lord Cawdor before they bought it

Bernard Llewellyn, husband of Gwilym's daughter Margaret Morris, posing proudly in front of the castle now managed and run by the family

Visitors can be seen entering the ruins, dubbed one of the most romantic by Countryfile, it was partially destroyed during the War of the Roses in 1461

Cadw, the Welsh Government's historic environment service, pay for the maintenance of the ruins, with the family responsible for running the operation

The castle swapped hands between the English and Welsh frequently and was partially destroyed during the War of the Roses in 1461.

Now Carreg Cennen has been dubbed 'the most romatic ruin' by Countryfile magazine and has become a popular spot for weddings.

While it is run and managed by the Llewellyn family there is a 'guardian agreement' with Cadw, the Welsh Government's historic environment service.

Visitors climb the hill to get a closer look at the 13th century castle, which now has an out-building for weddings, a gift shop and a cafe

It means Cadw take care of any 'major maintenance' while the family run the castle day-to-day.

The Llywellyn family have added a cafe, gift shop and converted an out-building for weddings at the site.

Mr Llywellyn said: 'It seems to be more popular every year.

'My mother-in-law used to sell ice creams here back in the 60s and 70s to people who would come and look at the castle, so the shop and cafe has evolved from there.

'We have weddings here, school trips and the farm is a part of it, the whole experience. We have tried to keep that traditional feel. It's still a working farm - I still have cattle, sheep and horses, and it all adds to it.

The Morris-Llywellyn family have no plans to sell the property, which has become part of their home and income since the mistake

'It's like dressing a film set. It brings it all to life, but it's all authentic. I think that makes it very attractive to visitors.'

Mr Llywellyn says he has been inundated with offers for the farm and castle but insists he will never sell up.

He added: 'This is our family home, we don't want to sell it.

'This is where my wife grew up, we've raised our children here, and the grandchildren all love it. It's fantastic for them.'