Castell y Bere
Encyclopedia
Castell y Bere is a native Welsh
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...

 castle near Llanfihangel-y-pennant in 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...

, Wales. Constructed by 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...

 in the 1220s, the stone castle was intended to maintain his authority over the local people and to defend the south-west part of the princedom of 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...

. In 1282 war with Edward I of England
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...

 resulted in the death of Llywelyn's grandson, Llywelyn the Last
Llywelyn the Last
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd or Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf , sometimes rendered as Llywelyn II, was the last prince of an independent Wales before its conquest by Edward I of England....

, and Castell y Bere fell to English forces. Edward I expanded the castle further and established a small town beside it. In 1294 the Welsh leader Madoc ap Llywelyn mounted a major revolt and the castle was besieged and apparently burnt. Edward did not repair it and it became ruined. Today it is in the hands of Cadw
Cadw
-Conservation and Protection:Many of Wales's great castles and other monuments, such as bishop's palaces, historic houses, and ruined abbeys, are now in Cadw's care. Cadw does not own them but is responsible for their upkeep and for making them accessible to the public...

 and operated as a tourist attraction
Tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....

.

1220-40

Castell y Bere Castle was built in the 1220s by Llywelyn the Great on a rocky hillock
Hillock
A hillock or knoll is a small hill, usually separated from a larger group of hills such as a range. Hillocks are similar in their distribution and size to small mesas or buttes. The term is largely a British one...

 overlooking the Dysynni Valley, near Llanfihangel-y-pennant. Traditionally the Welsh princes had not constructed castles, instead using undefended palaces called ilysoedd, or courts. From the late 11th century onwards, the Normans had advanced into Wales
Norman invasion of Wales
The Norman invasion of Wales began shortly after the Norman conquest of England under William the Conqueror, who believed England to be his birthright...

, taking lands in the north and establishing a band of occupied territory in the south called the Welsh Marches
Welsh Marches
The Welsh Marches is a term which, in modern usage, denotes an imprecisely defined area along and around the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods...

. During the 12th century some timber and earthwork castles began to be built, but in small numbers.
Llywelyn the Great initially controlled the princedom of Gwynedd, but grew more powerful over the course of his reign, extending his influence over much of Wales during the early years of the 13th century. Llywelyn was faced by several challenges, including dealing with the threat from the kings of England, and maintaining his authority over the native Welsh.

In 1221 Llwelyn took control of neighbouring Meirionnydd
Meirionnydd
Meirionnydd is a coastal and mountainous region of Wales. It has been a kingdom, a cantref, a district and, as Merionethshire, a county.-Kingdom:...

 from his son, Gruffydd
Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Fawr
Gruffydd ap Llywelyn was the first born son of Llywelyn the Great . His mother Tangwystl probably died in childbirth.-Hostage:...

; Llywelyn had previously placed Gruffydd in power there, but the father and son had fallen out. The prince then began to build the castle of Castell y Bere with the intent of controlling the local population and securing his new south-west border, which included the mountain trade routes between Gwynedd, Powys Wenwynwyn
Powys Wenwynwyn
Powys Wenwynwyn or Powys Cyfeiliog was the southern portion of the former princely state of Powys which split following the death of Madog ap Maredudd of Powys in 1160...

 and Deheubarth. Castell y Bere was the first of several stone castles built by Llewelyn and the initial castle consisted of several towers positioned around a courtyard, situated on a rocky hillock
Hillock
A hillock or knoll is a small hill, usually separated from a larger group of hills such as a range. Hillocks are similar in their distribution and size to small mesas or buttes. The term is largely a British one...

 in the Dysynni Valley near Cadair Idris
Cadair Idris
Cadair Idris or Cader Idris is a mountain in Gwynedd, Wales that lies at the southern end of the Snowdonia National Park. The peak, which is one of the most popular in Wales for walkers and hikers,  is composed largely of Ordovician igneous rocks, with classic glacial erosion features such as...

.

1240-1300

Following Llwelyn's death in 1240, Gwynedd's power declined and many of its eastern lands were taken by 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...

 in 1247. Llwelyn's grandson, Llywelyn the Last
Llywelyn the Last
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd or Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf , sometimes rendered as Llywelyn II, was the last prince of an independent Wales before its conquest by Edward I of England....

, took power in 1255 and imprisoned his brother Owain ap Gruffudd
Owain Goch ap Gruffydd
Owain ap Gruffudd, , , was brother to Llywelyn the Last and Dafydd ap Gruffudd and, for a brief period in the late 1240s and early 1250s, ruler of part of the Kingdom of Gwynedd .- Lineage :Owain was the eldest son of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn and the grandson of Llywelyn the Great...

 before extending his power across Wales. Llweyln extended the castle with an additional tower to the south, similar to that built at Dolforwyn
Dolforwyn Castle
Dolforwyn castle is a castle situated within the Welsh county of Powys some 4 miles from Montgomery close to the village of Abermule...

, probably in order to provide additional accommodation.
The conflict between the Welsh princes and the English kings continued in the reign Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...

. In 1282 Llweyln fought a final campaign against Edward, ending in the prince's death near Builth that December. His brother, Dafydd ap Gruffydd
Dafydd ap Gruffydd
Dafydd ap Gruffydd was Prince of Wales from 11 December 1282 until his execution on 3 October 1283 by King Edward I of England...

, assumed power but during 1283 was forced south into Snowdonia
Snowdonia
Snowdonia is a region in north Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three National Parks in Wales, in 1951.-Name and extent:...

. Meanwhile, forces under the command of Roger Lestrange and William de Valence
William de Valence, 1st Earl of Pembroke
William de Valence, 1st Earl of Wexford and 1st Earl of Pembroke , born Guillaume de Lusignan or de Valence, was a French nobleman and Knight, who became important in English politics due to his relationship to Henry III...

 marched from south Wales and Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...

, placing Castell y Bere under siege and taking it on 25 April. Edward deployed 7,000 troops to detain Dafydd who was finally captured and executed in October. A team of five mason
Mason
Mason may refer to:* Masonry worker, who builds with concrete, brick or stone* Bricklayer, a craftsman who lays bricks to construct brickwork* Mason , a common English surname* Mason , Dutch electronic music duo* Mason , on the Moon...

s and five carpenter
Carpenter
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....

s, under the command of Master Bertram the Engineer, were left at Castell y Bere to conduct unspecified work after the English army had left.

Edward continued to invest money and time in Castell y Bere; he visited three times in 1284, establishing a small town alongside the castle, possibly just to the east. Walter of Huntercombe was appointed the constable
Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...

 of the castle by Edward in 1284 and spent £47 building a new chamber there, potentially for the king to use during visits.
Another £262 was spent between 1286 and 1290, most of this in the year following the revolt of Rhys ap Maredudd
Rhys ap Maredudd
Rhys ap Maredudd was a senior member of the Welsh royal house of Deheubarth, a principality of Medieval Wales. He was the great grandson of The Lord Rhys , prince of south Wales, and the last ruler of a united Deheubarth...

. A pair of linking walls to the south tower was probably built around this time, and the external barbican and gate towers may also also have been built at this time.

In 1294, however, the Welsh leader Madoc ap Llywelyn mounted a major revolt across Wales. Richard Fitzalan
Richard FitzAlan, 8th Earl of Arundel
Richard FitzAlan, 8th Earl of Arundel was an English Norman medieval nobleman.- Lineage :...

, the Earl of Arundel
Earl of Arundel
The title Earl of Arundel is the oldest extant Earldom and perhaps the oldest extant title in the Peerage of England. It is currently held by the Duke of Norfolk, and is used by his heir apparent as a courtesy title. It was created in 1138 for the Norman baron Sir William d'Aubigny...

, was ordered in mid-October to ensure that the castle was secure, but by late October the castle was under siege from Madoc's forces. Robert FitzWalter
Robert FitzWalter, 1st Baron FitzWalter
Robert FitzWalter, 1st Baron FitzWalter was an English peer.FitzWalter was Constable of Castell y Bere castle in Merionethshire and of Hadleigh Castle in Essex as well as Captain and Keeper of the Peace in Essex. On 23 June 1295 he was summoned to Parliament as Lord FitzWalter. FitzWalter was...

, the castle's constable, was sent to lead a relief expedition. The final fate of Castell y Bere is uncertain, but it was probably taken by Welsh forces in late 1294 and subsequently burnt.

14th-21st century

Following the revolt Castell de Bere and the new English town were both abandoned. While the castle was well situated, unlike the other new coastal castles built by Edward I it could not be provisioned by sea and as a result did not fit well into his plan for controlling North Wales.

After many years, the site was finally cleared of undergrowth in the 1850s, revealing more of the castle's remains, and the first archaeological investigations were carried out. In 1949 Charles Corbett, the owner of the ruins, placed them into the guardianship of the state. In the 21st century the site is in the care of Cadw
Cadw
-Conservation and Protection:Many of Wales's great castles and other monuments, such as bishop's palaces, historic houses, and ruined abbeys, are now in Cadw's care. Cadw does not own them but is responsible for their upkeep and for making them accessible to the public...

 and is protected as a scheduled monument and maintained as a tourist attraction
Tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....

. In the light of Welsh devolution and other political changes, the history of Castell y Bere and similar Welsh castles has become increasing prominent. In response, Cadw have noted that they intend to give an increased priority to communicating the history of these castles and the Welsh princes.

Architecture

Today the ruins of Castell y Bere still stand on a rocky outcrop, with protective ditches cut into the stone on the south and east sides. The entrance to the castle lies on the west side, where the barbican, probably built by Edward I, contains two gatetowers, overlooking the stone steps approaching the inner gate. Through the barbican is the castle courtyard, containing a large well and the remains of several internal buildings of uncertain date.

The north tower is an apsidal, or "D-shaped", design that is characteristic of Welsh castles of the early 13th century. Originally it may have contained either a hall or a chapel. What is today the middle tower was originally the southernmost part of the defences, but now leads through the Edwardian ditch yard to the south tower, another apsidal design that once contained spacious accommodation. Both the apsidal towers lacked fireplaces in the main chambers, instead using central heaths to heat the rooms.

Unusually for an early Welsh castle, there is evidence of decorative sculpture, including statues of soldiers, having been built into the castle, along with decorative floor tiles. Castell y Bere is the only castle, other than Criccieth
Criccieth Castle
Criccieth Castle is a native Welsh castle situated on the headland between two beaches in Criccieth, Gwynedd, in North Wales, on a rocky peninsula overlooking Tremadog Bay...

, to display such features. Historian Lawrence Butler considers that the castle has delivered some of "some of the finest stone carving from thirteenth-century Wales".

External links

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