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Dolbadarn Castle | |
County |
Gwynedd | |
How to get there |
7 miles East of Caernafon, off A4086 | |
History
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The castle stands on a rocky
platform in the Llanberis Pass guarding the route towards Caernafon and the coast.
Although it was never a large fortification it was of great importance to the Welsh
princes and the site may date back to the 6th century. The round tower now dominates the site, standing to about 40 feet high but it is some 100 years younger than the surrounding, unmortared curtain wall. The oldest part of the curtain wall probably dates from the later half of the 12th century. The round tower is said to have been ordered by Llywelyn the Great who used Dolbadarn frequently. After the death of Llywelyn and his son six years later, the Welsh kingdom of Gwynedd became divided over the succession. Unity was only achieved when Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales defeated his rival claimants in 1255. His elder brother Owain Goch was one of LLywelyn's rivals and he had him imprisoned at Dolbardan Castle for 20 years. However, the Prince of Wales soon earned the wrath of Edward I and within 12 years the whole of Wales was under English control. In the second round of Edward's warfare against the Welsh in 1282 Dolbadarn was captured by the Earl of Pembroke. Two years later it was partly dismantled by Edward's forces and the timbers taken to Caernarfon. From that time on the castle decayed rapidly. |
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