Dolforwyn Castle

Dolforwyn Castle is a castle in the Welsh county of Powys, about 4 miles from Montgomery near the village Abermule. It was built on a wooded mountain ridge above the valley of the River Severn and is a fine example of the Castles of the Welsh Princes in contrast to the built by the English in Wales.

Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, the last ruler of an independent Wales had brought to 1263 the districts Cedewain and Ceri under his control and was in 1267 by Henry III. been confirmed as Prince of Wales. That from 1273, built across the Severn Dolforwyn Castle should secure his power over the conquered territories. The violation of the English claims to power, however, the increased tensions between Llywelyn and the new English king Edward I. Subsequently the castle was shortly after its completion by Roger Mortimer, 1st Baron Mortimer, and Henry De Lacy besieged and on 8 April 1277 taken. Use of the castle was first awarded to the Welsh prince Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn, but later fell together with the districts of Ceri and Cedewain to Roger Mortimer.

Dolforwyn Castle seems to have been inhabited until the time of Richard II (1377-1399), but was already described in 1381 as " ruinous and worthless " and afterwards was meaningless. Later, the Earl of Powys came into the possession of the castle. Then it was sold to the grandfather of film producer John Knatchbull. 1955 was the heir the estate of Cadw ( Welsh Ancient Monuments ), which had carried out 1981-2002 on the site of excavations and subsequently made ​​available to the public there.