Bleddfa Castle facts for kids

Bleddfa Castle was an old castle in Powys, Wales. It was a type of castle called a motte and bailey. This means it had a big mound of earth (the motte) with a tower on top, and a fenced-off area below (the bailey).

This castle was built before the year 1195 and was no longer used by 1304. Today, you can still see a damaged oval mound, about 46 by 36 meters wide. There are also some small parts of stone walls left. Around it is a rectangular area, about 100 by 60 meters, which was the bailey.

Where is Bleddfa Castle?

The remains of Bleddfa Castle are found next to the A488 road. It is near the village of Llangunllo, north of the Radnor Forest.

The name Bleddfa means "home of the wolves." Long ago, during the time of the Tudors, wolves lived in this area. People say the last wolf in Wales was hunted near Cregina. This place is between Builth and Glascwm.

A Short History of Bleddfa Castle

The first time Bleddfa Castle is mentioned is in 1195. At that time, King Richard I gave permission to Hugh de Say to make the castle stronger. Hugh de Say was killed in a battle later that same year.

In 1262, a Welsh prince named Llewelyn ap Gruffydd took over the castle. He destroyed it, taking it from the Mortimer family who controlled it.

By 1304, King Edward I started using stones from the castle. He used them to build a church tower nearby. However, the Welsh people destroyed that church tower in 1403.

What Was the Castle Like?

The castle had a deep ditch, or moat, around it. This moat was about 9.1 meters deep, but it is mostly ruined now. The stone parts still left on the mound might have been from a square tower.

There is an old writing from 1195 that talks about fixing up this tower. Near the bailey, there are also signs of two other towers. These towers were protected by a man-made lake on their western and southern sides.