Ewloe Castle

Last updated

Ewloe Castle
Part of Flintshire
Ewloe, Wales
Ewloe Castle - geograph.org.uk - 878422.jpg
Ewloe Castle's curtain wall and Welsh keep
Wales location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Ewloe Castle
Coordinates 53°12′00″N3°04′01″W / 53.200°N 3.0670°W / 53.200; -3.0670
Type Motte-and-bailey, hillside castle
Height10 metres (33 ft)
Site information
Owner Cadw
ConditionRuin
Site history
Built12th–13th century
Built by Owain Gwynedd
Llywelyn the Great
Llywelyn ap Gruffudd
In useOpen to public
Materials Sandstone
Listed Building – Grade I
Ewloe Castle Ewloe Castle - geograph.org.uk - 4520433.jpg
Ewloe Castle

Ewloe Castle (Welsh : Castell Ewlo) is a native Welsh castle built by the Kingdom of Gwynedd near the town of Ewloe in Flintshire, Wales. The castle, which was one of the last fortifications to be built by the native Princes of Wales, was abandoned at the beginning of the invasion of Wales by Edward I in 1277. Its construction, using locally quarried sandstone, appears to have continued piecemeal over many years and may have not been completed. On taking the castle, the English Crown gave it little military value and allowed it to fall into ruin.

Contents

Ewloe was sited on high ground within Tegeingl, a cantref in the lands of north-east Wales (Welsh Perfeddwlad). Standing near the Chester road, it maintained a strategic position near the Wales–England border. The castle is located on a steeply sloped promontory within a forested valley. It overlooks the junction of two streams with higher ground to the south.

Layout

Ewloe Castle combines features from both motte-and-bailey and enclosure castles. An asymmetrical curtain wall—with parapets—encloses two courtyards. A rock-cut neck ditch defends the southern side of the castle. In the upper triangular inner ward is a D-shaped tower known as the "Welsh keep". This stands on a stone outcrop that forms the motte; it has a stone revetment around its base (a basic chemise). The lower outer ward is enclosed by two separate sections of wall that meet at a circular fortified tower, which stands upon a rocky knoll. As the curtain walls are not joined together, ladders would have had to be used to reach their parapets.

No gateways connected the inner ward to the outer courtyard. Access into Ewloe Castle was entirely via wooden ramps. The outer ward had several wooden buildings. An external defensive rampart occupies the higher ground to the south of the castle above the neck ditch.

Within the inner ward is a D-shaped (or horseshoe-shaped) tower known as the "Welsh Keep". Although a flight of stairs lead up to a first floor gateway—a similarity shared with contemporary military architecture, the shape of the tower does not conform with keeps of the later Plantagenet period. D-shaped towers usually projected out from a wall or gatehouse but at Ewloe the castle builders placed the tower/keep on a motte in the upper ward surrounded by its own curtain wall. This feature has precedence in Welsh military architecture. Llywelyn the Great built a similar D-shaped tower at Castell y Bere at Llanfihangel-y-Pennant in Gwynedd in the 1220s.

The tower's outer walls—which are 2 m (6 ft 7 in) at their base—rose to about 11 m (36 ft). They were higher than the upper storey to protect its pitched roof from projectiles. A parapet ran around the top of the tower. Spaces in the stonework show where storage slots were placed in the upper roof spaces. The tower had a single first-floor hall that stood above a lower ground floor chamber. Defensive arrowslits were placed on the curved sides of the tower. The flat side, which overlooks the outer ward, has a Romanesque window.

History

Construction

Formerly thought to have been built around 1257 by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, it is now thought that Ewloe was started much earlier by Llywelyn's grandfather, Llywelyn ab Iorwerth. [1] Various periods have been put forward for its construction, including 1213–18 or 1221–37. An earlier fortification might have already existed on this site in Ewloe Woods following the victory of Owain Gwynedd, prince of Wales in the Battle of Ewloe against the forces of Henry II in 1157. If construction commenced in the 1210s, Ewloe may have been a factor in prompting Ranulf de Blondeville, Earl of Chester, to normalise relations with Llywelyn. After 1218, the two men remained allies until the earl's death in 1237. [2]

Recapture and refurbishment

During protracted legal disputes over control of the marcher lordship of Mold in the early 1240s, Ewloe was used as a base for failed negotiations between Llywelyn's son, Dafydd ap Llywelyn, and officials of Henry III of England which led to war between 1244 and 1246. After Dafydd ap Llywelyn's defeat, Ewloe appears to have been abandoned by the Welsh when English authority was re-established in this part of north-east Wales.

Ewloe was recaptured and refurbished by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd during his forces reconquest of the Perfeddwlad in 1256–57. It again provided the backdrop for negotiations between the Welsh and the English in 1259 and 1260. [3]

Abandonment

Another view of Ewloe Castle (east wing) Another view of Ewloe Castle (east wing) - geograph.org.uk - 551166.jpg
Another view of Ewloe Castle (east wing)

In 1276, Edward I began the first Welsh War by marching his forces out of the castle at Chester and up the west coast of the Dee Estuary. After an advanced base was established at Flint (a day's travel from Chester), building work immediately began on Flint Castle. Ewloe is not mentioned in the war chronicles of 1276–77 but the presence of what appears to be a siegework outside the castle may suggest it was besieged. [4] Ewloe had no military value to Edward I because his strategic castles at Flint and Rhuddlan could be provisioned by sea.

The last contemporary references to the Ewloe Castle are in the Chester Plea Rolls that mentions a report sent by the Justice of Chester to Edward II in 1311. It is regarding the history of the manor at Ewloe from the middle of the 12th century. The rolls record that by 1257 Llywelyn ap Gruffudd had regained Ewloe from the English and 'strengthened' a castle in the wood, noting in 1311 that much of the castle was still standing.

The castle was ruinous by the late medieval period. Much of the dressed stone work from its curtain walls and keep had been removed for construction material around Mold and Connah's Quay.

Preservation

Ewloe Castle, which is a Grade I listed building, is incorporated within Wepre Park; a country park managed by Flintshire County Council. The castle is under the care of Cadw—the national heritage agency for Wales. It can be reached by footpaths through Wepre Woods. Public access is free.

In November 2009, the castle was among five lots of farmland and woodland put up for sale by Flintshire County Council. The local authority stressed Ewloe and the site it occupies were protected from any development. [5] It was sold at auction to an anonymous farmer along with 24 acres (9.7 ha) of surrounding land for £122,000. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llywelyn ap Gruffudd</span> 13th-century prince of Wales, "the Last"

Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Llywelyn II, also known as Llywelyn the Last, was the native Prince of Wales from 1258 until his death at Cilmeri in 1282. Llywelyn was the son of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Fawr and grandson of Llywelyn the Great, and he was one of the last native and independent princes of Wales before its conquest by Edward I of England and English rule in Wales that followed, until Owain Glyndŵr held the title during the Welsh Revolt of 1400–1415.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Criccieth Castle</span> 13th-century castle in Criccieth, Gwynedd, Wales

Criccieth Castle is a ruined thirteenth-century castle in Criccieth, Gwynedd, Wales. It is located on a rocky headland overlooking Tremadog Bay and consists of an inner ward almost surrounded by an outer ward. The twin-towered inner gatehouse is the most prominent remaining feature and survives to almost its full height, as does the inner curtain wall. The outer curtain wall, the inner ward buildings, and the castle's other three towers are significantly more ruinous, and in places survive only as foundations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dolwyddelan Castle</span> 13th-century castle in North Wales

Dolwyddelan Castle is a thirteenth-century castle located west of Dolwyddelan in Conwy County Borough, North Wales. Tomen Castell, a late twelfth-century tower, is located south-east of the castle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingdom of Gwynedd</span> Kingdom in northwest Wales, 401–1283

The Kingdom of Gwynedd was a Welsh kingdom and a Roman Empire successor state that emerged in sub-Roman Britain in the 5th century during the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aberystwyth Castle</span> Grade I listed castle in Ceredigion

Aberystwyth Castle is a Grade I listed Edwardian fortress located in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Mid Wales. It was built in response to the First Welsh War in the late 13th century, replacing an earlier fortress located a mile to the south. During a national uprising by Owain Glyndŵr, the Welsh captured the castle in 1404, but it was recaptured by the English four years later. In 1637 it became a Royal mint by Charles I, and produced silver shillings. The castle was slighted by Oliver Cromwell in 1649.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dolbadarn Castle</span> Castle in Gwynedd, Wales

Dolbadarn Castle is a fortification built by the Welsh prince Llywelyn the Great during the early 13th century, at the base of the Llanberis Pass, in northern Wales. The castle was important both militarily and as a symbol of Llywelyn's power and authority. The castle features a large stone keep, which historian Richard Avent considers "the finest surviving example of a Welsh round tower". In 1284 Dolbadarn was taken by Edward I, who removed some of its timbers to build his new castle at Caernarfon. The castle was used as a manor house for some years, before falling into ruin. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was a popular destination for painters interested in Sublime and Picturesque landscapes. It is now owned by Cadw and managed as a tourist attraction, and is protected as a grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Powys Fadog</span> Northern realm of Powys

Powys Fadog was the northern portion of the former princely realm of Powys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhuddlan Castle</span> Norman Welsh castle in ruins

Rhuddlan Castle is a castle located in Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, Wales. It was erected by Edward I in 1277, following the First Welsh War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ring of Iron</span>

The Ring of Iron or Iron Ring of Castles was a chain of fortifications and castles built across Wales at Edward I's command after the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd in 1282 and the subsequent Conquest of Wales by Edward I of England. Edward spent over £80,000 on all of the castles, with £20,000 being incurred just by Rhuddlan Castle, Aberystwyth Castle, Flint Castle, and Builth Castle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wepre Park</span> Public park in Flintshire, Wales, UK

Wepre Park is a 160 acres (65 ha) country park near Connah's Quay in Flintshire, Wales. The park is home to Ewloe Castle and contains a children's playground, outdoor gym, football playing pitches and a visitor centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryn Amlwg Castle</span> Former castle near Anchor, Shopshire, England

Bryn Amlwg Castle was an enclosure castle near Anchor, Shropshire, abutting the England–Wales border. It is a scheduled monument, listed in 1930.

This article is about the particular significance of the century 1201–1300 to Wales and its people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deganwy Castle</span> Castle in Wales

Deganwy Castle was an early stronghold of Gwynedd and lies in Deganwy at the mouth of the River Conwy in Conwy, north Wales. It lies at an elevation of 110 m (361 ft) on a volcanic plug. in an area of limestone known as The Vardre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Gwynedd during the High Middle Ages</span>

The history of Gwynedd in the High Middle Ages is a period in the History of Wales spanning the 11th through the 13th centuries. Gwynedd, located in the north of Wales, eventually became the most dominant of Welsh polities during this period. Contact with continental courts allowed for Gwynedd to transition from a petty kingdom into an increasingly sophisticated principality of seasoned courtiers capable of high level deplomacy and representation; not only with the Angevine kings, but also the king of France and the Papal See. Distinctive achievements in Gwynedd include further development of Medieval Welsh literature, particularly poets known as the Beirdd y Tywysogion associated with the court of Gwynedd; the reformation of bardic schools; and the continued development of Cyfraith Hywel. All three of these further contributed to the development of a Welsh national identity in the face of Anglo-Norman encroachment of Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carndochan Castle</span> 13th-century castle

Carndochan Castle is a ruined stone castle near Llanuwchllyn, Gwynedd, north Wales. It was probably built in the early thirteenth century and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dafydd ap Gruffydd</span> Prince of Wales and last independent ruler of Wales

Dafydd ap Gruffydd, was Prince of Wales from 11 December 1282 until his execution on 3 October 1283 on the orders of King Edward I of England. He was the last native Prince of Wales before the conquest of Wales by Edward I in 1283 and English rule in Wales that followed, until Owain Glyndŵr held the title during the Welsh Revolt of 1400–1415.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tenby Castle</span> Castle ruins in Pembrokeshire, Wales

Tenby Castle was a fortification standing on a headland separated by an isthmus from the town of Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales. The remaining stone structure dates from the 13th century but there are mentions of the castle from as early as 1153. It is a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caernarfon Castle</span> Medieval fortress in Wales

Caernarfon Castle is a medieval fortress in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. The first fortification on the site was a motte-and-bailey castle built in the late 11th century, which King Edward I of England began to replace with the current stone structure in 1283. The castle and town established by Edward acted as the administrative centre of north Wales, and as a result the defences were built on a grand scale. There was a deliberate link with Caernarfon's Roman past—nearby is the Roman fort of Segontium—and the castle's walls are reminiscent of the Walls of Constantinople.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conquest of Wales by Edward I</span> 1277 to 1283 English military campaigns

The conquest of Wales by Edward I took place between 1277 and 1283. It is sometimes referred to as the Edwardian conquest of Wales, to distinguish it from the earlier Norman conquest of Wales. In two campaigns, in 1277 and 1282–83, respectively, Edward I of England first greatly reduced the territory of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, and then completely overran it, as well as the other remaining Welsh principalities.

References

  1. Ewloe Castle : Native-built castle in an unconventional forest setting, Cadw, Welsh Government
  2. Jones, Craig (February 2022). Princely Ambition: Ideology, castle-building, and landscape in Gwynedd, 1194-1283. University of Hertfordshire Press. pp. 58–65. ISBN   978-1-912260-27-0.
  3. Jones, Craig (February 2022). Princely Ambition: Ideology, castle-building, and landscape in Gwynedd, 1194-1283. University of Hertfordshire Press. pp. 62–65. ISBN   978-1-912260-27-0.
  4. Jones, Craig (February 2022). Princely Ambition: Ideology, castle-building, and landscape in Gwynedd, 1194-1283. University of Hertfordshire Press. pp. 120–25. ISBN   978-1-912260-27-0.
  5. "13th-Century castle is to be sold". BBC. 18 November 2009. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
  6. "Ewloe Castle has sold to farmer at auction". Daily Post . 10 December 2009. Retrieved 11 August 2023.