The castles that dot Wales' landscape are a symbol of Cymru's past.
Some of the big events of our history have been decided in and around these imposing fortifications which often were used to oppress the Welsh, rather than protect them.
But at Kidwelly Castle in Carmarthenshire perhaps one of the most pertinent ever questions in the history of humanity was asked: "Where did you get those coconuts?"
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This led on to other important questions such as "are you suggesting that coconuts migrate" or, perhaps most iconically - "what is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?" Which of course begs the further question of whether it is an African or European swallow?
This is because the castle at Kidwelly was the setting for the opening of the cinematic sensations which was the Monty Python and the Holy Grail film from 1975. As King Arthur "rides" up to the castle and demands to see the lord he is greeted with a stream of questions about coconuts that his squire is dutifully banging together (though admittedly the full questions about swallows came later in the film by the Bridge of Death).
If you visit the acutal castle you can see why it was chosen. Set above the river Gwendraeth, it is a vision of what you probably imagine when you think of a medieval fortress. If you were to attack it, you would probably have no more luck that poor King Arthur and his knights when they tried to attack the trash talking Frenchmen later in the film (mothers/hamsters/elderberries and all that jazz).
According to Cadw, Kidwelly began in the early 12th century as a Norman "ringwork" castle made of wood and protected only by an earthen bank and ditch. Not surprisingly it was under constant attack by Welsh princes including the Lord Rhys, who captured it in 1159.
Four decades later the Normans were back in charge. By the 1280s the Chaworth brothers, powerful Marcher lords, had created the stone "castle within a castle" that still stands today.
Attackers faced a really tough prospect. First you had to conquer the great gatehouse with its drawbridge and portcullis, a hail of arrows and rocks raining down on you. Breach these outer defences and you were faced by the four towers of the inner ward. No way forward – and nowhere to hide. A true killing zone.
After centuries of see-sawing conflict between Norman invaders and native princes Kidwelly was now a match for any castle in Wales. The gatehouse added by the Duchy of Lancaster made it even more impregnable and with the forces of Owain Glyndŵr unable break through.
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