Castell Dinas Bran, Llangollen, Denbighshire, Wales
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Ddraig Ddu
N 52° 58.757 W 003° 09.571
30U E 489289 N 5869977
Castell Dinas Brân is a medieval castle standing high on a hill above the town of Llangollen in Denbighshire, Wales. It is also the site of an Iron Age hill fort. There is folk lore with links to the holy grail and the last true Price of Wales
Waymark Code: WMCP4E
Location: North Wales, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/27/2011
Views: 6
Castell Dinas Brân (or in English; The Castle of Crows) is in what was once the ancient Kingdom of Powys. The last Prince of Powys Gruffydd Maelor died in 1191 and the kingdom was divided into Powys Fadog in the north and Powys Wenwynwyn in the south. His son, Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor was lord of Powys Fadog and founded the nearby Valle Crucis Abbey.
Although no archaeological evidence has been found some records suggest he ruled from Dinas Brân. If a structure did exist it would have been a wooden fortification probably consisting of a wooden palisade surrounding a hall and other buildings. These early records further say it was destroyed by fire and then the new castle was built on the same site, therefore little prospect for finding any archaeological evidence of the early building remains. An even earlier structure has been suggested, belonging to Elisedd ap Gwylog from the 8th century. It was this Elisedd who was responsible for the Pillar of Eliseg and is one of the founders of the kingdom of Powys, but again
The castle visible today was built by Gruffydd II ap Madog son of Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor sometime in the 1260s. At the time Gruffydd II ap Madog was an ally of Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Prince of Wales, with Powys acting as a buffer state between Llewelyn's heartland of Gwynedd and England. Dinas Brân was one of several castles being built following the signing of the Treaty of Montgomery which had secured Wales for Llywelyn, free from English interference. Indeed the castle at Dolforwyn Castle near Newtown ordered to be built by Llywelyn around the same time has some similarities to Dinas Brân and may have been the work of the same master mason.
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