For those of you who do not regard Wales as an oppressed nation; then consider the following fact. There are more Castles per square mile in Wales than in any other country in the World.
Now that's great if you like visiting Castles, but pretty dammed annoying if you lived during the darker periods of Welsh history. Castles were not only built for refuge. A Castle represented power, through its visual presence and the cost of building such a structure. And not just monetary cost, there was the ability to assemble and protect or coerce labour. The ability to take or move natural resources. Yes, a Castle was a place to garrison trained soldiers who where not on the whole, vulnerable to a surprise attack. But it was not just a physical entity, it was also an oppressive statement, and a significant one at that. It was a place to collect and store your wealth. A place to keep your prisoners, and a building to dominate the surrounding countryside and therefore present a constant reminder of your might, to your enemy.
The Romans established forts in the military zones throughout Wales. The early Welsh Princes would have built their own stockades and Castles. But the Normans and then the English Kings decided to dominate the landscape with these superstructures of their time. A decision that was made in order to control and subdue the Welsh people.
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