Dyserth Castle

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Dyserth Castle (also called Castell Diserth, Caerfaelan, Carregfaelan or Castell-y-Garrec) is a castle in Denbighshire in Wales . The castle site, protected as a Scheduled Monument , is located on a ridge north of the municipality of Dyserth .

history

After the death of the Welsh prince Llywelyn from Iorwerth , the English king Henry III succeeded. 1241 to conquer Northeast Wales as far as the River Conwy in a campaign . To secure the conquests he had Dyserth Castle built from 1241, according to other information not until 1245. The new castle was to replace the often contested Rhuddlan Castle and, together with Deganwy Castle further to the west, formed the focus of the English fortifications. The construction of the castle was completed by 1250. From 1255 Llywelyn ap Gruffydd tried to restore his grandfather's empire and attacked Dyserth Castle several times in the Anglo-Welsh Wars from 1256 . While the surrounding area had finally been conquered by the Welsh, the heavily fortified castles of Dyserth and Deganwy remained in English hands as isolated fortresses. It was not until August 1263 that Dyserth Castle surrendered after a six-week siege. The castle was subsequently destroyed by the Welsh.

The castle was not rebuilt even after the re- conquest of Northeast Wales by Edward I after 1277 . As a result of the experience gained through the sieges and blockade of Dyserth Castle, Edward I had his new castles built to control Wales on the seashore or by navigable rivers, so that they could be supplied with supplies in the event of a siege by ships.

During the First World War , the ridge was used as a quarry. A large part of the former castle area was removed with the remnants of the wall.

investment

The castle sat on an easily defended, steep ridge at the northern end of the Clwyd Range west of the River Clwyd . The upstream, square outer bailey with the farm buildings was surrounded by earth and wood fortifications. On the north and east sides it was additionally protected by a ditch, while the rock on the south side dropped off steeply. To the west of the original was the higher trapezoidal core castle , which was separated from the outer castle by a wide moat. Access to the main castle was through a twin-towered gatehouse. The main castle was surrounded by a curtain wall with four polygonal towers and consisted of two courtyards, which were separated by an intermediate wall and the polygonal Constable Tower on the north side. The north side was also protected by a moat, the south and west sides by an outer curtain wall, making the castle the oldest concentric castle in Wales. The kitchen and other outbuildings were located on the inside of the intermediate wall, the palace on the south side and another residential building on the west side. The northwest side protected the polygonal, mighty Stable Tower .

Today only the remains of the wall and the moat of the outer bailey are visible.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ancient Monuments: Dyserth Castle, Denbigshire. Retrieved August 26, 2014 .
  2. ^ Dyserth and district field Club: Dyserth - Castle. Retrieved August 26, 2014 .
  3. ^ Adrian Pettifer: Welsh Castles. A Guide by Counties . Boydell, Woodbridge 2000, ISBN 978-0-85115-778-8 , p. 80

Coordinates: 53 ° 18'27.4 "  N , 3 ° 24'35.2"  W.