Rhuddlan Castle
Encyclopedia
Rhuddlan Castle is a castle located in Rhuddlan
, Denbighshire
, Wales
. It was erected by Edward I
in 1277 following the First Welsh War.
. It has a unique 'diamond' in layout as the gatehouses are positioned at the corners of the square baileys instead of along the sides like at Flint
, Harlech
or Beaumaris
.
The inner ward has defensive wall
s with twin-tower gatehouses. The outer ward is surrounded by a curtain wall
that has small towers and turrets. The castle also had a dry moat
to improve defence on its landward side. Within the inner ward there was a great hall, kitchens, private apartments and a chapel. The outer bailey had a granary, stables and a smithy
.
Much of the work was overseen by master mason James of St George. Rhuddlan, which was not completed until 1282, was built concurrently with Flint Castle
.
Rhuddlan is next to the River Clwyd
. During the fortification's lengthy construction, the river course was straightened and dredged to allow ships to sail inland along a man-made channel. Its purpose was to allow provisions and troops to reach the castle even if hostile forces or a siege prevented overland travel.
, Rhuddlan was at the heart of a Welsh cantref. From here the Lords of Rhuddlan commanded the lands of North East Wales
(Welsh
Perfeddwlad) on behalf of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn
(1007 – August 5, 1063), the last ruler of all Wales.
But in the late 11th century, the Normans invaded Gwynedd
. Rhuddlan was fought over by the Princes of Gwynedd
and the Earls of Chester
. The remains of a Norman castle at Twthill
, built in 1086, is just to the south of the current castle.
In July 1277, at the outbreak of the Welsh Wars, Edward I left Chester
and established an advance base at Flint
, where building work immediately began on Flint Castle
. With naval assistance from 25 ships of the Cinque Ports fleet, the army pushed along the coast. By August Edward had moved his forces onto Rhuddlan. Three months later it was ceded to the English Crown
following the Treaty of Aberconwy
between Llywelyn II of Gwynedd
and Edward I.
Work on Rhuddlan Castle began immediately under the control of Master Bertram, a Gascon
engineer, but construction was soon handed over to Savoy
ard master mason, James of St George who remained in charge until labour ceased in 1282. Edward I also created a new borough
, north of his castle, away from the pre-existing Norman town and Dominican
Friary. The 13th-century street layout can still be seen in the modern town
. The borough, like at Flint, was defended with a pair of ditch-separated earthworks
and a timber palisade
.
Elizabeth
the eighth daughter of Edward I was born at Rhuddlan in 1282, the same year work at the castle was completed. Two years later the Statute of Rhuddlan
was signed here following the defeat of Llewellyn the Last. It ceded all the lands of the former Welsh Princes to the English Crown
and introduced English common law. This meant Edward I could now appoint Royal officials such as sheriff
s, constables, and bailiffs to collect taxes and enforce English law throughout Wales. The Statute of Rhuddlan remained in effect until 1536, shortly after which Welsh law
, which continued to be used in Wales after the conquest was fully replaced by English law under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542
.
In 1294 the castle was attacked during the Welsh rising of Madog ap Llywelyn
but was not taken. It was attacked again by forces of Owain Glyndwr
in 1400. This time the town was badly damaged but the castle held out. In the later 15th and 16th centuries the castle's condition slowly deteriorated and its importance waned.
However Rhuddlan Castle was again garrisoned by Royalist troops during the English Civil War
. It was taken by Parliamentary forces
after a siege in 1646. The fortress was then partially demolished
with gunpowder
to prevent any further use in 1648.
, a Welsh-government body with the mission to protect, conserve and promote the building heritage of Wales.
Rhuddlan
Rhuddlan is a town and community in the county of Denbighshire , in north Wales. It is situated to the south of the coastal town of Rhyl and overlooks the River Clwyd. The town gave its name to the Welsh district of Rhuddlan from 1974 to 1996...
, Denbighshire
Denbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
, 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 was erected by 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 1277 following the First Welsh War.
Construction
Rhuddlan was planned as a concentric castleConcentric castle
A concentric castle is a castle with two or more concentric curtain walls, such that the outer wall is lower than the inner and can be defended from it. The word concentric does not imply that these castles were circular; in fact if taken too literally the term "concentric" is quite misleading...
. It has a unique 'diamond' in layout as the gatehouses are positioned at the corners of the square baileys instead of along the sides like at Flint
Flint Castle
Flint Castle located in Flint, Flintshire, was the first of a series of castles built during King Edward I's campaign to conquer Wales.The site was chosen for its strategic position in North East Wales...
, Harlech
Harlech Castle
Harlech Castle, located in Harlech, Gwynedd, Wales, is a concentric castle, constructed atop a cliff close to the Irish Sea. Architecturally, it is particularly notable for its massive gatehouse....
or Beaumaris
Beaumaris Castle
Beaumaris Castle, located in the town of the same name on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, was built as part of King Edward I's campaign to conquer the north of Wales. It was designed by James of St. George and was begun in 1295, but never completed...
.
The inner ward has defensive wall
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
s with twin-tower gatehouses. The outer ward is surrounded by a curtain wall
Curtain wall
A curtain wall is an outer covering of a building in which the outer walls are non-structural, but merely keep out the weather. As the curtain wall is non-structural it can be made of a lightweight material reducing construction costs. When glass is used as the curtain wall, a great advantage is...
that has small towers and turrets. The castle also had a dry moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
to improve defence on its landward side. Within the inner ward there was a great hall, kitchens, private apartments and a chapel. The outer bailey had a granary, stables and a smithy
Forge
A forge is a hearth used for forging. The term "forge" can also refer to the workplace of a smith or a blacksmith, although the term smithy is then more commonly used.The basic smithy contains a forge, also known as a hearth, for heating metals...
.
Much of the work was overseen by master mason James of St George. Rhuddlan, which was not completed until 1282, was built concurrently with Flint Castle
Flint Castle
Flint Castle located in Flint, Flintshire, was the first of a series of castles built during King Edward I's campaign to conquer Wales.The site was chosen for its strategic position in North East Wales...
.
Rhuddlan is next to the River Clwyd
River Clwyd
The River Clwyd is a river in North Wales which rises in the Clocaenog Forest northwest of Corwen.It flows due south until at Melin-y-Wig it veers northeastwards, tracking the A494 to Ruthin. Here it leaves the relatively narrow valley and enters a broad agricultural vale, the Vale of Clwyd...
. During the fortification's lengthy construction, the river course was straightened and dredged to allow ships to sail inland along a man-made channel. Its purpose was to allow provisions and troops to reach the castle even if hostile forces or a siege prevented overland travel.
History
The story of Rhuddlan goes back much further than the fortress built by Edward I. Prior to the Norman occupation of lower GwyneddGwynedd in the High Middle Ages
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 principalities during this period...
, Rhuddlan was at the heart of a Welsh cantref. From here the Lords of Rhuddlan commanded the lands of North East Wales
Perfeddwlad
Perfeddwlad, , , was a name adopted during the twelfth century for the territories in north-east Wales lying between the rivers Conwy and Dee, and comprised the cantrefi of Rhos, Rhufoniog, Dyffryn Clwyd and Tegeingl...
(Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
Perfeddwlad) on behalf of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn
Gruffydd ap Llywelyn
Gruffydd ap Llywelyn was the ruler of all Wales from 1055 until his death, the only Welsh monarch able to make this boast...
(1007 – August 5, 1063), the last ruler of all Wales.
But in the late 11th century, the Normans invaded Gwynedd
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...
. Rhuddlan was fought over by the Princes of Gwynedd
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 the Earls of Chester
Earl of Chester
The Earldom of Chester was one of the most powerful earldoms in medieval England. Since 1301 the title has generally been granted to heirs-apparent to the English throne, and from the late 14th century it has been given only in conjunction with that of Prince of Wales.- Honour of Chester :The...
. The remains of a Norman castle at Twthill
Twthill, Rhuddlan
Twthill is a Norman castle located near the town of Rhuddlan, Denbighshire in Wales; historic names for the site include Toothill and Tot Hill Castle.-History:...
, built in 1086, is just to the south of the current castle.
In July 1277, at the outbreak of the Welsh Wars, Edward I left Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
and established an advance base at Flint
Flint, Flintshire
Flint is a town in Flintshire, North Wales, lying on the estuary of the River Dee. It was the county town of the historic county of Flintshire and today is the third largest town in Flintshire. According to the 2001 Census the population of the community of Flint was 12,804...
, where building work immediately began on Flint Castle
Flint Castle
Flint Castle located in Flint, Flintshire, was the first of a series of castles built during King Edward I's campaign to conquer Wales.The site was chosen for its strategic position in North East Wales...
. With naval assistance from 25 ships of the Cinque Ports fleet, the army pushed along the coast. By August Edward had moved his forces onto Rhuddlan. Three months later it was ceded to the English Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
following the Treaty of Aberconwy
Treaty of Aberconwy
The Treaty of Aberconwy was signed in 1277 by King Edward I of England and Llewelyn the Last of modern-day Wales, who had fought each other on and off for years over control of the Welsh countryside...
between Llywelyn II of Gwynedd
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 Edward I.
Work on Rhuddlan Castle began immediately under the control of Master Bertram, a Gascon
Gascony
Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
engineer, but construction was soon handed over to Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
ard master mason, James of St George who remained in charge until labour ceased in 1282. Edward I also created a new borough
Plantation (settlement or colony)
Plantation was an early method of colonization in which settlers were "planted" abroad in order to establish a permanent or semi-permanent colonial base. Such plantations were also frequently intended to promote Western culture and Christianity among nearby indigenous peoples, as can be seen in the...
, north of his castle, away from the pre-existing Norman town and Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
Friary. The 13th-century street layout can still be seen in the modern town
Rhuddlan
Rhuddlan is a town and community in the county of Denbighshire , in north Wales. It is situated to the south of the coastal town of Rhyl and overlooks the River Clwyd. The town gave its name to the Welsh district of Rhuddlan from 1974 to 1996...
. The borough, like at Flint, was defended with a pair of ditch-separated earthworks
Earthworks (engineering)
Earthworks are engineering works created through the moving or processing of quantities of soil or unformed rock.- Civil engineering use :Typical earthworks include roads, railway beds, causeways, dams, levees, canals, and berms...
and a timber palisade
Palisade
A palisade is a steel or wooden fence or wall of variable height, usually used as a defensive structure.- Typical construction :Typical construction consisted of small or mid sized tree trunks aligned vertically, with no spacing in between. The trunks were sharpened or pointed at the top, and were...
.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth of Rhuddlan
Elizabeth of Rhuddlan was the eighth and youngest daughter of Edward I of England and Eleanor of Castile...
the eighth daughter of Edward I was born at Rhuddlan in 1282, the same year work at the castle was completed. Two years later the Statute of Rhuddlan
Statute of Rhuddlan
The Statute of Rhuddlan , also known as the Statutes of Wales or as the Statute of Wales provided the constitutional basis for the government of the Principality of North Wales from 1284 until 1536...
was signed here following the defeat of Llewellyn the Last. It ceded all the lands of the former Welsh Princes to the English Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
and introduced English common law. This meant Edward I could now appoint Royal officials such as sheriff
High Sheriff
A high sheriff is, or was, a law enforcement officer in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.In England and Wales, the office is unpaid and partly ceremonial, appointed by the Crown through a warrant from the Privy Council. In Cornwall, the High Sheriff is appointed by the Duke of...
s, constables, and bailiffs to collect taxes and enforce English law throughout Wales. The Statute of Rhuddlan remained in effect until 1536, shortly after which Welsh law
Welsh law
Welsh law was the system of law practised in Wales before the 16th century. According to tradition it was first codified by Hywel Dda during the period between 942 and 950 when he was king of most of Wales; as such it is usually called Cyfraith Hywel, the Law of Hywel, in Welsh...
, which continued to be used in Wales after the conquest was fully replaced by English law under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542
Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542
The Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 were parliamentary measures by which the legal system of Wales was annexed to England and the norms of English administration introduced. The intention was to create a single state and a single legal jurisdiction; frequently referred to as England and Wales...
.
In 1294 the castle was attacked during the Welsh rising of Madog ap Llywelyn
Madog ap Llywelyn
Madog ap Llywelyn, or Prince Madoc, was from a junior branch of the House of Aberffraw and a distant relation of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last recognised native Prince of Wales.-Lineage:...
but was not taken. It was attacked again by forces of Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower , was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales...
in 1400. This time the town was badly damaged but the castle held out. In the later 15th and 16th centuries the castle's condition slowly deteriorated and its importance waned.
However Rhuddlan Castle was again garrisoned by Royalist troops during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. It was taken by Parliamentary forces
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
after a siege in 1646. The fortress was then partially demolished
Slighting
A slighting is the deliberate destruction, partial or complete, of a fortification without opposition. During the English Civil War this was to render it unusable as a fort.-Middle Ages:...
with gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
to prevent any further use in 1648.
Present day
Today Rhuddlan Castle is managed by CadwCadw
-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...
, a Welsh-government body with the mission to protect, conserve and promote the building heritage of Wales.
See also
- Castles in Great Britain and Ireland
- List of castles in Wales
- Denbigh CastleDenbigh CastleDenbigh Castle was a fortress built following the 13th-century conquest of Wales by Edward I.The castle, which stands on a rocky promontory above the Welsh market town of Denbigh, Denbighshire, was built upon an earlier Welsh stronghold. It was defended by a unique triple-towered gateway.A planned...