Dinefwr Castle facts for kids
Dinefwr Castle (also spelled Dynevor) is an old, ruined castle in Wales. It stands high above the River Tywi near the town of Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire. The castle is built on a ridge, with a steep drop down to the river. Long ago, Dinefwr was the main home for the rulers of a Welsh kingdom called Deheubarth. Today, it is a very important historic building, known as a Grade I listed building. This means it's protected because of its special history and architecture.
What the Castle Looks Like
When you visit the castle today, you enter through a strong, protected doorway. This entrance has a restored battlement, which is a wall with gaps for defense. From the path leading to the castle, you get amazing views of the Towy valley.
Inside the main walls, there are several stairs. These stairs lead up to the battlements and towers. A narrow spiral staircase takes you to a tall tower. From here, you can see far across the deer park to the north. You can also see the Towy valley to the south and west.
The main tower of the castle, called the keep, has a cellar at its bottom. To walk around the top of the keep, you need to use the battlement walk. You can still see old features like the castle's well and several garderobes (which were old toilets) built into the walls. There's also a path that goes around the base of the main castle structure on the north side.
Castle History
People say that the first castle here was built by Rhodri the Great. He was a very important Welsh ruler. However, archaeologists haven't found any proof from that time. Later, Hywel Dda, Rhodri's grandson, made Dinefwr his main home. Hywel Dda was the first ruler of Deheubarth. He later became king of most of Wales.
Rhys ap Gruffydd ruled Deheubarth from 1155 to 1197. It's believed he rebuilt the castle. A writer named Giraldus Cambrensis told a story about King Henry II of England. Henry wanted to attack Dinefwr during a fight against Rhys. He sent a trusted follower to check out the castle. A local Welsh priest was supposed to guide him the easiest way. But the priest led him on the hardest path instead! At the end, the priest even stopped to eat grass. He said this was what local people ate when times were tough. Because of this, the planned attack was called off.
Rhys ap Gruffydd also built the amazing Carreg Cennen Castle. It's about four miles away. You can't see Carreg Cennen from Dinefwr. But you can just see Dryslwyn Castle on a hill. It blocks the Towy valley to the south-west. Rhys also started two religious places. Talley Abbey was the first Premonstratensian abbey in Wales. Llanllyr was a Cistercian nunnery. It was only the second nunnery in Wales and the first to do well.
After Rhys ap Gruffydd died, his son Rhys Gryg took over the castle. The oldest parts of the castle we see today might be from his time. Llywelyn the Great from Gwynedd started to control this area. Rhys Gryg couldn't fight him, so he took down parts of the castle. But Llywelyn had it fixed and kept it until he died in 1240.
Later, in 1255, Llywelyn the Last gave Dinefwr to Rhys Fychan. Then he gave it to Maredudd ap Rhys, before giving it back to Rhys Fychan. Maredudd then joined forces with King Edward I of England. Maredudd's son, Rhys ap Maredudd, helped Edward capture Dinefwr in 1277. Rhys had been promised Dinefwr for his help. But Edward didn't keep his promise. He had Rhys executed in 1291.
The castle then came under English control. It was burned during a Welsh uprising led by Llywelyn Bren in 1316. In 1317, it was given to Hugh Despenser. He was a close friend of the king. The castle was attacked by the forces of Owain Glyndŵr in 1403, but they couldn't capture it.
Towards the end of the 1400s, Sir Rhys ap Thomas held the castle. He did a lot of rebuilding work. In 1531, his grandson, Rhys ap Gruffydd, was accused of treason and executed. The castle was taken by the crown. However, his family was able to get it back later. In 1660, a new house called Newton House was built nearby. The castle's keep was changed into a summer house. You can still see the remains of large windows at the top of the keep. But it burned down in the 1700s.
Today, the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales owns part of the castle. Cadw, a Welsh government body, manages it.
Visiting the Castle
The castle is partly owned by the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales. They don't charge money to enter the castle itself. It is managed by Cadw. However, the castle is inside Dinefwr Park. This park is owned by the National Trust.
If you want to visit the castle and are driving, you can park in the town. Then, you can walk up to the castle using a free path provided by the Wildlife Trust. If you walk or park in the National Trust area, and you are not a member of the National Trust, Wildlife Trust, or Cadw, there is a charge to enter the park.
There is a small, free car park near the castle for people with disabled badges. But you can only get there by driving on a rough track through a field. You can ask for permission at the National Trust office to drive over the field to the castle. This depends on the weather and how good the ground conditions are.
Images for kids
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View from Dinefwr Castle
See also
In Spanish: Castillo de Dinefwr para niños
