Castell Dinas Brân

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Castell Dinas Brân

Dinas Bran Castle (Welsh Castell Dinas Brân ) is a ruined castle at Llangollen in Denbighshire in Wales. The protected as a Scheduled Monument ruin lies on a free-standing, about 220 m above the Dee towering mountain.

History

Already more than 3000 years Iron Age Hill Fort was built on the steep mountain.

Whether there was a Welsh or Norman castle on the steep hill in the 10th or 11th century, is not supported by any archaeological finds. The walls still preserved today were built in 1260 by Gruffydd Maelor ap Madog, a prince of Powys. According to some sources, his father Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor already started in 1230 with the construction of the castle, but there is no evidence for this. In 1270 a meeting of the sons of Gruffydd Maelor ap Madog was held in the castle, in which they agreed on the division of their father's kingdom and her mother Emma Audley awards for the area of Maelor Saesneg as a widow seat. Maelor and the castle fell to the eldest son of Madog ap Gruffydd. During the war between Llywelyn ap Gruffydd and the English King Edward I, the castle was burnt down in May 1277 by its own crew before by English troops under Henry de Lacy, 3rd Earl of Lincoln could be conquered. Henry de Lacy recommended the rebuilding of strong attachment, which was however rejected by the King. The ruins fell after the war to the new rule of Bromfield, which was awarded to John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey. He built his castle instead of Dinas Bran in Holt, so that the castle was abandoned and fell into disrepair. Already in the 16th century, John Leland described it as forfeited completely. In the 18th and 19th century, the romantic destination, the ruins served as a motif for painters such as Turner and Wilson and as a subject for poets like Wordsworth.

The ruin is now freely accessible, access is via a steep, long walk.

Plant

The ruins are located on a rectangular plateau, which was probably artificially leveled. The plateau falls on all sides, particularly on the north side steeply.

The area of ​​the 3000 year old Iron Age fort is about 1.5 acres in size and surrounded by a wall and moat, only on the steep north side of the wall was waived the plant. The Wall is particularly on the west and south sides still well visible and up to eight meters high. Access was through a secured through a flanking wall gate at the southwest corner of the fort

The medieval castle was in contrast to contemporary English castles just created. The rectangular area was about 90 feet long and nearly 40 meters wide. A stone curtain wall surrounding a central courtyard, the south and east side was additionally protected by a deep, rock-cut ditch. Access was through a protected by two towers gatehouse, of which only the foundations remain, on the northeast side of the castle. This is in addition to Dinas Bran Criccieth Castle, the residence of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, the only of Welsh princes built castle, which was protected by a gatehouse. The gatehouse was, however, much smaller and simpler than the gatehouses contemporary English castles. Just south of the gatehouse bordered the square Keep, of which the western and is a part of the southern outer wall preserved. The only access to the Keep was upstairs. The living hall and presumably the chapel were located on the south side of the castle. To the west of the hall bordered a D-shaped tower, which stood out from the curtain wall, and today is the best preserved part of the ruins.

The castle in the legend

According to legend, the castle of Brân a mythical giant who is also associated with the Holy Grail was built.