Aberdyfi Castle
Encyclopedia
Aberdyfi Castle is a castle
located near Glandyfi
, Ceredigion
, in Mid Wales
.
All that now remains is the motte
, which is referred to as Domen Las (meaning "green mound" in Welsh
).
It was founded by the Lord Rhys, Rhys ap Gruffydd
in 1156, in response to a threat to his lands from the north from Owain Gwynedd
, who had assembled an army to march on Ceredigion
. Rhys "raised a ditch to give battle", according to Brut y Tywysogion
, or the 'Chronicles of the Princes'.
The threat did not arrive but an earthwork castle was built on the site. A motte was constructed at the end of a low ridge running across marshy ground, surrounded on two sides by the confluence of the Dyfi and Einion
rivers. The mound is still around 20 feet high with a diameter at the top of about 30 feet and it was surrounded by a deep ditch.
Roger de Clare, a Norman lord, attacked and captured the castle in about 1158. However, the Lord Rhys recaptured the castle. Llywelyn the Great
held an assembly at Aberdyfi Castle in 1216 where he supervised the parcelling-out of land in south Wales
to the minor rulers of Deheubarth in return for their homage. Hitherto Llywelyn had ruled over Gwynedd
only; however, the Aberdyfi assembly is seen as a crucial point in his reign, marking the moment at which the minor rulers of Wales submitted to Llywelyn's overlordship. In 1230 he began using the style 'prince of Aberffraw, lord of Snowdon' - in essence, a confirmation of his de facto position as prince of Wales
.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
located near Glandyfi
Glandyfi
Glandyfi is a small hamlet in the county of Ceredigion in Wales on the A487 trunk road from Machynlleth to Aberystwyth....
, Ceredigion
Ceredigion
Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
, in Mid Wales
Mid Wales
Mid Wales is the name given to the central region of Wales. The Mid Wales Regional Committee of the National Assembly for Wales covered the counties of Ceredigion and Powys and the area of Gwynedd that had previously been the district of Meirionydd. A similar definition is used by the BBC...
.
All that now remains is the motte
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
, which is referred to as Domen Las (meaning "green mound" in Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
).
It was founded by the Lord Rhys, Rhys ap Gruffydd
Rhys ap Gruffydd
Rhys ap Gruffydd or ap Gruffudd was the ruler of the kingdom of Deheubarth in south Wales. He is commonly known as The Lord Rhys, in Welsh Yr Arglwydd Rhys, but this title may not have been used in his lifetime...
in 1156, in response to a threat to his lands from the north from Owain Gwynedd
Owain Gwynedd
Owain Gwynedd ap Gruffydd , in English also known as Owen the Great, was King of Gwynedd from 1137 until his death in 1170. He is occasionally referred to as "Owain I of Gwynedd"; and as "Owain I of Wales" on account of his claim to be King of Wales. He is considered to be the most successful of...
, who had assembled an army to march on Ceredigion
Ceredigion
Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
. Rhys "raised a ditch to give battle", according to Brut y Tywysogion
Brut y Tywysogion
Brut y Tywysogion is one of the most important primary sources for Welsh history. It is an annalistic chronicle that serves as a continuation of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae. Brut y Tywysogion has survived as several Welsh translations of an original Latin version, which has...
, or the 'Chronicles of the Princes'.
The threat did not arrive but an earthwork castle was built on the site. A motte was constructed at the end of a low ridge running across marshy ground, surrounded on two sides by the confluence of the Dyfi and Einion
Einion
Einion means Anvil in Welsh, and may refer to:*Cadwallon Lawhir ap Einion a king of Gwynedd in Wales*Cefn Einion, a small dispersed village in South Shropshire, England...
rivers. The mound is still around 20 feet high with a diameter at the top of about 30 feet and it was surrounded by a deep ditch.
Roger de Clare, a Norman lord, attacked and captured the castle in about 1158. However, the Lord Rhys recaptured the castle. Llywelyn the Great
Llywelyn the Great
Llywelyn the Great , full name Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, was a Prince of Gwynedd in north Wales and eventually de facto ruler over most of Wales...
held an assembly at Aberdyfi Castle in 1216 where he supervised the parcelling-out of land in south Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
to the minor rulers of Deheubarth in return for their homage. Hitherto Llywelyn had ruled over Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
only; however, the Aberdyfi assembly is seen as a crucial point in his reign, marking the moment at which the minor rulers of Wales submitted to Llywelyn's overlordship. In 1230 he began using the style 'prince of Aberffraw, lord of Snowdon' - in essence, a confirmation of his de facto position as prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
.