Deganwy Castle
Encyclopedia
Deganwy Castle was an early stronghold of Gwynedd
and lies at the mouth of the River Conwy
in Conwy, north Wales
. It lies at an elevation of 108 m (354 ft) above sea level.
. Traditionally, it was the headquarters of Maelgwn Gwynedd, King of Gwynedd (fl. c. 520 - 547). A nearby hill is called Bryn Maelgwyn and other places in the locality are associated with him. An important coin hoard of 204 Silver Cnut Pennies were found here in July 1979.
Deganwy was probably first occupied during the Roman
period, but was popular in the years following their departure because it was safe from Irish
raids. The area beneath the rocky stronghold may have been the site of a settlement of serfs. The stronghold was destroyed when struck by lightning
in the year 860.
The castle was rebuilt in stone for King Henry III of England
, but was abandoned and finally destroyed by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales
in 1263. Conwy Castle
was later constructed just across the estuary.
When the ruins were excavated by archaeologist Leslie Alcock
in the 1960s a dozen sherds of Dark Age pottery which had been imported from the Mediterranean were discovered indicating the far-reaching contacts of Gwynedd's royal dynasty.
Kingdom of Gwynedd
Gwynedd was one petty kingdom of several Welsh successor states which emerged in 5th-century post-Roman Britain in the Early Middle Ages, and later evolved into a principality during the High Middle Ages. It was based on the former Brythonic tribal lands of the Ordovices, Gangani, and the...
and lies at the mouth of the River Conwy
River Conwy
The River Conwy is a river in north Wales. From its source to its discharge in Conwy Bay it is a little over long. "Conwy" is sometimes Anglicized as "Conway."...
in Conwy, north Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It lies at an elevation of 108 m (354 ft) above sea level.
Details
The Dark Age fortress, which is now little more than ditches and mounds, was formerly made of wood and constructed on a massive rock outcrop in what is now the suburbs of modern LlandudnoLlandudno
Llandudno is a seaside resort and town in Conwy County Borough, Wales. In the 2001 UK census it had a population of 20,090 including that of Penrhyn Bay and Penrhynside, which are within the Llandudno Community...
. Traditionally, it was the headquarters of Maelgwn Gwynedd, King of Gwynedd (fl. c. 520 - 547). A nearby hill is called Bryn Maelgwyn and other places in the locality are associated with him. An important coin hoard of 204 Silver Cnut Pennies were found here in July 1979.
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
period, but was popular in the years following their departure because it was safe from Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
raids. The area beneath the rocky stronghold may have been the site of a settlement of serfs. The stronghold was destroyed when struck by lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
in the year 860.
The castle was rebuilt in stone for King Henry III of England
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
, but was abandoned and finally destroyed by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, 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...
in 1263. Conwy Castle
Conwy Castle
Conwy Castle is a castle in Conwy, on the north coast of Wales.It was built between 1283 and 1289 during King Edward I's second campaign in North Wales....
was later constructed just across the estuary.
When the ruins were excavated by archaeologist Leslie Alcock
Leslie Alcock
Leslie Alcock was Professor of Archaeology at the University of Glasgow, and one of the leading archaeologists of Early Mediaeval Britain. His major excavations included Dinas Powys hill fort in Wales, Cadbury Castle, South Cadbury in Somerset and a series of major hillforts in Scotland.-Early...
in the 1960s a dozen sherds of Dark Age pottery which had been imported from the Mediterranean were discovered indicating the far-reaching contacts of Gwynedd's royal dynasty.