Menu
 
Portfolio
 
Terms of Use
 

Rhuddlan Castle

Rhuddlan Castle is a castle located in Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, Wales. It was erected by Edward I in 1277, following the First Welsh War.

 

The story of Rhuddlan goes back much further than the fortress built by Edward I. Prior to the Norman occupation of lower Gwynedd, Rhuddlan was at the heart of a Welsh cantref. From here the Lords of Rhuddlan commanded the Perfeddwlad (lands of northeast Wales) on behalf of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (1007 – 5 August 1063), the last ruler of all Wales. The town itself, however, began as a Saxon “burgh” founded by Edward the Elder.

 

In the late 11th century, the Normans invaded Gwynedd. Rhuddlan’s strategic position ensured that it was fought over by the Princes of Gwynedd and the Earls of Chester, with Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, who had been driven out by Harold Godwinson, re-taking the town. The remains of a Norman castle at Twthill, built-in 1086, is just to the south of the current castle; it was built by Robert of Rhuddlan, a supporter of King William I of England.

 

In July 1277, at the outbreak of the Welsh Wars, Edward I left Chester and established an advance base at Flint, where building work immediately began on Flint Castle. With naval assistance from 25 ships of the Cinque Ports fleet, the army pushed along the coast. By August Edward had moved his forces on to Rhuddlan, which, as was his custom, he was able to supply by the river. Three months later the town was ceded to the English Crown following the Treaty of Aberconwy between Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and Edward I.

 

Work on Rhuddlan Castle began immediately under the control of Master Bertram, a Gascon engineer, but construction was soon handed over to Savoyard master mason, James of St George who remained in charge until labor ceased in 1282. Besieged by the Welsh during the rebellion of 1282, until relieved by an English force led by future Amadeus V, Count of Savoy.

 

Edward I also created a new borough, north of his castle, away from the pre-existing Norman town and Dominican Friary. The 13th-century street layout can still be seen in the modern town. The borough, like at Flint, was defended with a pair of ditch-separated earthworks and a timber palisade. Rhuddlan Castle became a part of Edward’s Ring of Iron fortifications.

 

 

More posts..

York Castle

In the 11th century, York was a Viking capital in the 10th century and continued as an important northern city in the 11th century. In 1068, on William the Conqueror’s first northern expedition after the Norman Conquest, he built a number of castles across the

Read More
Woodhenge

  Woodhenge – Neolithic henge and timber circle monument 2 miles north-east of Stonehenge, just north of the town of Amesbury. Pottery from the excavation was identified as being consistent with the grooved ware style of the middle Neolithic, although later Beaker sherds were also

Read More
Danebury Iron Age Hill Fort

  Danebury Iron Age Hill Fort is one of the most studied Iron Age hill forts in Europe and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. ‘Iron Age’ describes the period between the end of the Bronze Age and the start of the Roman period (700BC to AD43).

Read More
Hastings Castle

Immediately after landing in England in 1066, William of Normandy ordered three fortifications to be built, Pevensey Castle in September 1066 (re-using the Roman Saxon Shore fort of Anderitum), Hastings (prior to the Battle of Hastings), and Dover. Hastings Castle was originally built as a

Read More
Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on pinterest
error: