CAERF11.LY, CAERPHYLLVON, or CAERPHILLY) (a word signifying a castle of haste,) is a small town of South Wales, in the county of Glamorgan, remarkable chiefly for the ruins of an immense castle. It is a neat town, with many good houses, and is situated in a broad valley, and encircled with barren and dark mountains. The Roman coins found among the ruins, sufficiently in dicate the high antiquity of the place. The castle of Caerfilly is supposed by Warner, to have been originally erected in 1090, by Robert Fitzhamon, lord of the bed chamber to William Rufus ; but it is the opinion of Daines Barrington (See Arclueologia, vol. that it was erected by Edward I. This extensive structure is said to have once covered an area of two acres, while its fosse was crossed by thirteen drawbridges. Its ruins are highly interesting both to the painter and to the architect. The citadel, which resembles a separate castle, is in closed by two moats ; and its gateway, which is a high Gothic arch, having its centre supported by two circular bastions, forms the western entrance to the inner court.
A range of noble apartments, communicating with a long gallery, surrounds this court. The great hall, which is 70 feet by 30, and 17 feet high, is a fine specimen of Gothic architecture. The north window of the chapel is very perfect and elegant ; and the mint, which is arched in a curious manner, is furnished with two fur naces for melting metal. At the cast end of the inner i court is the leaning tower, which is a circular building 80feet high, and deviates 11 feet from a vertical fine.
, 1 he inhabitants of this place are principally employed in the manufacture of pig and bar iron. Here is also a small manufacture or stockings and blankets ; and at. the lairs are sold horned cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, and yarn stockings. Number of houses 70 ; population 200. See Archeologia, vol. i. Warner's Tour in South Wales. Evan's Tour in South Wales, 1804. And Malkin's See eery, Antiquities, and Biography of South Wales, 1804.
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