Dolwyddelan Castle

Listen first. Wind moves over the grass on this rocky ridge, and somewhere below, a sheep calls across the valley. The ground under your feet is uneven, with bare rock pushing up through the turf. Ahead of you stands a square stone tower, dark grey and quite plain, against a wide sky. There is no town around it and no gift shop at its walls. There is only the tower, the ridge, and the mountains of Eryri, the Welsh name for Snowdonia, rising on every side.

This is Dolwyddelan Castle. It sits above the Lledr Valley in north Wales, and its position explains almost everything about it. The valley below is a natural route through the mountains. Anyone moving between the Conwy Valley and the lands further south had to pass this way. A castle on this ridge could watch that road, control it, and send word quickly if trouble came. Look down at the valley floor now, and imagine it as a medieval highway.

The castle was built in the early thirteenth century by Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, a prince of Gwynedd. Gwynedd was the most powerful native Welsh kingdom of the Middle Ages, and it covered much of the north-west of Wales. History remembers this ruler as Llywelyn the Great. During his long reign he became the dominant figure in Welsh politics, and he held his own against the kings of England. Dolwyddelan was one of his strongholds, built to secure the heart of his mountain kingdom.

Here is something many visitors do not expect. This is not an English castle. Most of the famous castles of north Wales, at places like Conwy, Caernarfon and Harlech, were built by the English king Edward the First to control the Welsh. Dolwyddelan belongs to an older and smaller group. These castles were built by the Welsh princes themselves. They are usually simpler and more compact, and they make clever use of rocky high ground instead of massive walls.

You may hear that Llywelyn the Great was born here. Locals tell this story with pride, and it has been repeated for centuries. But it is probably not quite right. This castle seems to have been built after his birth. A more likely birthplace is an earlier fortification in the valley below, a small rocky mound known as Tomen Castell. So the tradition may point to the right valley, if not to this exact tower.

Now turn to the keep, the main tower in front of you. It is a rectangular block of local stone, built to hold the lord's hall and private rooms. Notice that the doorway is not at ground level. The entrance sits at first-floor height. This was a defensive choice. Attackers could not simply batter down a door at the base of the wall. In its working life, a protective stone structure guarded the stairway up to that entrance.

Look at the top of the tower, and you may see a second surprise. The upper part of the keep, with its neat battlements, is not medieval. It was added in the mid-nineteenth century, when the castle belonged to Lord Willoughby de Eresby. Victorian owners often liked their ruins to look romantic and complete. So what you see is a medieval tower with a nineteenth-century crown. If the light is good, you can often pick out a difference in the stonework between the two.

In the thirteenth century, the fortunes of Gwynedd changed. Llywelyn the Great's grandson, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, fought the armies of Edward the First. In January 1283, during Edward's campaign to conquer Wales, English forces captured Dolwyddelan. Its loss was a serious blow, because this castle had guarded the mountain core of the Welsh princes. With it gone, the last stage of the Welsh resistance was close to its end.

The English did not abandon the site. They strengthened it and used it themselves. Across the courtyard from the keep, you can see the remains of a second tower, usually known as the west tower. It is often linked with this period of English control. Walk the line of the curtain wall that joins the two towers. The wall follows the shape of the rocky ridge closely. This is a good example of builders working with the land, not against it.

The castle had a later life too. In 1488, a local nobleman named Maredudd ab Ieuan took a lease on the castle and made it his home. These were lawless years in this part of Wales, and a strong tower still offered real safety. Maredudd is also linked with the small church of Saint Gwyddelan in the village below. After you leave, it is worth a short visit. The village and the castle share the same story.

Now look outward, away from the stone. To the north-east, a broad mountain fills the skyline. This is Moel Siabod, one of the most recognisable peaks in this part of Eryri. Around you, the slopes are a patchwork of grazing land, dry-stone walls and rough moorland. In wet weather, low cloud can sit on the ridge and hide the tops entirely. On a clear day, the views run far down the valley.

The walk up to the castle is short but steep, and the path can be slippery after rain. That climb is part of the experience. It gives you a small sense of how difficult this place was to attack. Today the site is cared for by Cadw, the Welsh government's historic environment service. Inside the keep you can climb up and look out, much as a lookout might have done here centuries ago.

Before you go, stand still for a moment near the keep. Feel the wind on your face, and notice how quiet the valley is. A railway line and a modern road now run through the land below. Yet the shape of the valley has not changed. As you walk back down the path, look over your shoulder once or twice. Watch the square tower grow smaller against the hills, just as a traveller on the old road would have seen it.