Dryslwyn Castle
| Dryslwyn Castle | ||
|---|---|---|
 The ruins of Dryslwyn Castle over the River Tywi |
||
| Creation time : | 13th Century | |
| Castle type : | Hilltop castle | |
| Conservation status: | ruin | |
| Geographical location | 51 ° 51 '45.7 " N , 4 ° 5' 58.2" W | |
|
||
Dryslwyn Castle is a ruined castle in Carmarthenshire , Wales . Classified as a Grade I cultural monument and protected as a Scheduled Monument , the ruin was one of the largest castles built by the Welsh princes. The ruin is located at Llanarthney 8 km east of Carmarthen on a steep hill above the Afon Tywi .
history
Foundation and expansion in the 13th century
The exact date of construction of Dryslwyn Castle is unknown, but it is believed that it was built by Rhys Gryg around 1230 . Rhys Gryg had two sons, his older son Rhys Mechyll was able to inherit the main seat of Dinefwr Castle , while his younger son Maredudd could inherit the new castle Dryslwyn. In 1245, Maredudd was besieged in the castle by English troops from Carmarthen, without success . In 1257 Maredudd got into an argument with the Welsh prince Llywelyn ap Gruffydd and has been an ally of the English ever since. Maredudd continued to expand the castle around the middle of the 13th century, and after his death in 1271 his son Rhys ap Maredudd inherited the castle. In contrast to all other Welsh princes, Rhys was also an ally of the English, which is why he was allowed to keep his castle after Edward I's victory over Llywelyn ap Gruffydd in 1277 . Contrary to the king's promises, however, he did not receive Dinefwr Castle, his cousin's Rhys Wyndod's castle , as a reward for his loyalty. Nevertheless, he continued to support the English in the war from 1282 to 1283 and was rewarded with territorial expansions at the expense of his cousin after the English victory. This gave him the means to expand Dryslwyn Castle. However, because of border disputes, he soon came into conflict with the royal counsel of West Wales, and when he was to appear before an English court, he began an open rebellion against English rule in June 1287.
The siege of 1287
After Rhys had conquered the castles of Llandovery , Dinefwr and Carreg Cennen and sacked large areas in South Wales, the English prepared for a counterstrike. With the king in his possessions in France, his deputy and cousin Edmund of Cornwall took control of the troops, which were concentrated in England and Wales from mid-July. Rhys ap Maredudd then holed up in Dryslwyn Castle, which he had expanded into a mighty fortress in recent years. On August 9, Edmund set out from Carmarthen at the head of an army of 4,000 men for the siege of Dryslwyn. On August 15, he was reinforced by troops from Chester under Reginald Gray and from Montgomery under Roger Lestrange , so that the English army was about 11,000 men and began the siege of Dryslwyn Castle on the same day.
Chester troops included numerous artisans and builders who had been withdrawn from the construction sites of Edward I's castles in north Wales. They erected a blide with which stones weighing over 50 kg and a diameter of over 40 cm could be shot onto the walls of the castle. To do this, the besiegers began to undermine the walls of the castle , especially those on the east side of the castle. When part of the wall collapsed early as a result, 150 workers as well as some knights such as John de Bonvillars and William de Munchensi , who inspected the construction site, were killed. After three weeks of siege, the castle was captured on September 5th, but Rhys ap Maredudd escaped. He was later able to seize the castle of Newcastle Emlyn , but this was also conquered with the help of the Blide in January 1288. Rhys escaped again and lived on the run, but in 1292 he was finally betrayed and executed in York .
The siege is well documented through contemporary chronicles and later archaeological excavations.
Dryslwyn Borough
To the north and east of the castle, on the summit plateau under Rhys ap Maredudd, a small town was built, which was chartered in 1281. The city had 34 houses and was fortified with moats, ramparts, walls and two gates, but had no church. After the conquest of 1287, the city was settled with English settlers. The settlement survived the destruction of the castle in the 15th century, but was finally abandoned in the 17th century.
The castle under English rule
After the conquest, the English had the destroyed castle rebuilt, but did not undertake any major alterations or extensions. It served as the administrative center and symbol of royal rule. In 1317 Edward II gave the castle to his confidante Hugh le Despenser . During the Despenser War , the revolt of the Marcher Lords against the unpopular Despenser, the castle was conquered and sacked in 1321. In 1403 the Welsh steward handed the castle over to Owain Glyndŵr , who used it as a base for further attacks and raids. After Owain Glyndŵr had to withdraw from the English, the English razed the castle so that it could no longer serve as a base for the rebels. After the rebellion was finally put down, the castle was burned down and the ruins were torn down.
Extensive archaeological excavations took place in the castle between 1980 and 1995. Today the ruins are managed by Cadw and can be visited.
investment
The castle was built on an isolated rock above the Tywi, which slopes steeply to the south to the river. Of the settlement surrounding the castle in the north and east, only small remains of walls and traces of terrain have been preserved. The actual castle extended over three courtyards from east to west and was separated from the settlement by another moat. Of the outer and middle outer bailey , which contained the farm buildings, only small remains of the wall and foundations are visible.
The core castle , which was located on the western edge of the mountain, originally consisted of the round keep on the east side and a polygonal circular wall that adapts to the shape of the terrain . It was increased after 1280, but only the foundations of it and the keep have been preserved. The simple castle gate was located immediately north of the keep on the northeast side of the castle. In addition to a few small wooden buildings, the originally small hall was located in the west of the core castle, which was expanded around the middle of the 13th century. After 1280 the hall was enlarged again and extended by adding a block with living quarters and a chapel tower in the southeast. In addition to the foundations, only two two-storey wall sections of the hall and the chapel tower remain of this residential building complex, which characterize the view of the ruin from the south.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Listed Building Database Record: Dryslwyn Castle. Retrieved May 28, 2015 .
- ↑ Ancient Monuments: Dryslwyn Castle. Retrieved September 8, 2013 .
- ↑ The 1287 Siege of Dryslwyn Castle. Retrieved September 11, 2013 .
- ↑ Coflein: Dryslwyn MEDIEVAL BOROUGH. Retrieved September 12, 2013 .
- ^ Adrian Pettifer: Welsh Castles - a Guide by Counties. Boydell Press, Woodbrige 2000. ISBN 978-0-85115-778-8 , p. 48