The ruins of Candleston stand on the Merthyr Mawr Sand Dunes, on the edge of the Merthyr Mawr Warren. A small fortified manor, Candleston was built in the first half of the 14th century on the initiative of the Cantilupe family. The Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales reported that Candleston’s “elevated position was just sufficient to save it from the encroaching sand dunes on the northern fringe of the Merthyr Mawr Warren, which entirely surrounded the promontory and formed a relatively stable margin close to the southern wall of the castle”.

The building remained occupied until the 19th century and is consequently much altered. It comprises a D-shaped courtyard with a very ruined wall, plus a two-storey hall block and tower on the east side. The tower has a parapet on a corbel table around a dark topmost room, probably for the use of servants. Within the hall block is a 15th-century fireplace backing onto the tower, which contains a solar above a dark cellar with a very flat vault. The solar is reached from below by a straight stair in the thick south wall and has a fireplace, large windows, and a latrine. The wing projecting south from the hall block is a later addition, and the range east of the tower is even more recent.

To visit, you can park in the (paid) on-site car park (51°28’56.7″N 3°37’34.8″W).