Dolwyddelan Castle

Dolwyddelan Castle
Part of Conwy County
Dolwyddelan, North Wales
The square keep at Dolwyddelan Castle.
Location in Wales
Type	Enclosure Castle
Coordinates	53°03′11″N 3°54′29″W / 53.05293°N 3.90809°W / 53.05293; -3.90809Coordinates: 53°03′11″N 3°54′29″W / 53.05293°N 3.90809°W / 53.05293; -3.90809
Built	c.1210-1240
Built by	Llywelyn the Great
Construction materials	Siltstone
In use	Open to public
Current condition	Partially ruinous
Controlled by	Cadw
Events	Welsh Wars Prince Madoc's Rebellion

Dolwyddelan Castle (Welsh: Castell Dolwyddelan) was a native Welsh castle located near Dolwyddelan in Conwy County in North Wales. It was built in the 13th century by Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Gwynedd and North Wales.

Construction

Dolwyddelan was built between about 1210 and 1240 as one of the Snowdonian strongholds of the princes of Gwynedd. It consisted of two rectangular towers linked by an irregular curtain wall.

History

Dolwyddelan Castle commands the valley from a prominent hill.

The Welsh castle functioned as a guard post along a main route through North Wales. On January 18, 1283, it was captured by Edward I of England's forces during the final stages of his conquest of Wales. The castle was then modified and strengthened for occupation by an English garrison.^[1]

Edwardian troops maintained a military presence here until 1290. As the long-term strategy of control in Wales began to rely on military and administrative centres accessible by sea, the inland castles became obsolete.

In the 15th century, an upper storey was added to the keep by local lord Maredudd ap Ieuan. It was restored and partly re-modelled in the 19th Century by Lord Willoughby de Eresby, who added the distinctive battlements.

Present day

The castle is now under the protection of CADW, which is part of the Welsh Assembly's historic environment division.

Media appearances

In 1980 the location was used for all the outdoor shots of Ulrich's castle during the making of the film Dragonslayer.

References

1. ^ CADW: Dolwyddelan Castle

External links

• http://www.llywelyn.co.uk
• Castles of Wales, information and photographs of Dolwyddelan Castle
• "Castle Explorer" page
• www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Dolwyddelan Castle