Ewloe Castle
Ewloe Castle | |
---|---|
Part of Llywelyn the Great Llywelyn ap Gruffudd | |
In use | Open to public |
Materials | Sandstone |
Listed Building – Grade I |
Ewloe Castle (
Ewloe was sited on high ground within
Layout
Ewloe Castle combines features from both
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
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
In 1276,
The last contemporary references to the Ewloe Castle are in the
The castle was ruinous by the
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
References
- ^ Ewloe Castle : Native-built castle in an unconventional forest setting, Cadw, Welsh Government
- ISBN 978-1-912260-27-0.
- ISBN 978-1-912260-27-0.
- ISBN 978-1-912260-27-0.
- ^ "13th-Century castle is to be sold". BBC. 18 November 2009. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
- Daily Post. 10 December 2009. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
External links
- 3D Reconstruction on YouTube