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Caergwrle Castle today

Wales · Ruin

Caergwrle Castle

Castell Caergwrle

Caergwrle Castle is a late 13th‑century hilltop castle in Caergwrle, Flintshire, built under Dafydd ap Gruffydd and repaired under Edward I before being given to Eleanor of Castile; it was damaged by fire and later fell into ruin. The site today survives as visible stone ruins managed by Cadw and is a Grade I listed structure.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1283

Today

Ruin

As it stood in 1283

What Caergwrle Castle looked like in its prime.

Perched on the southwest corner of a steep hill, the castle at its prime presented a compact gritstone fortress: a prominent circular keep to the south‑east dominating the approach, two projecting D‑shaped towers set into a continuous curtain wall, and enclosed domestic ranges behind those walls. The masonry used local grey‑brown Caergwrle gritstone with more elaborate stonework around the residential front, while interior wall faces would have been covered with lime plaster.

Its story

The story of Caergwrle Castle.

Caergwrle, known in scholarly texts as Queen's Hope, was built by the Welsh under Dafydd ap Gruffydd, then in service to Edward I of England, and was the last castle raised by Welsh rulers before the loss of independence. When Dafydd's forces rebelled, Edward sent Reginald de Grey, 1st Baron Grey de Wilton, to take it in June 1282, but Dafydd had already retreated, sabotaging the structure behind him.

Rebuilding began and the castle was given to Edward's queen, Eleanor of Castile, who was granted a weekly market for a town planned at its base. Both king and queen were present when fire broke out in September 1283; the town scheme was abandoned, and though the damaged castle passed down the royal line, to Edward of Caernarfon, then for life to John of Cromwell on condition he repair it. It was never rebuilt.

The ruin was then quarried both piecemeal and on an industrial scale: the west curtain wall and most of the south tower are gone, historians suspect taken apart and rolled down the steep hill. The surviving foundations are of gritstone cut from Caergwrle hill itself, the finer masonry reserved for the residential ranges. In 1823 a workman found the Caergwrle Bowl nearby, a unique Bronze Age vessel.

Step inside

10 places to explore in 1283.

The record describes 10 distinct spots at Caergwrle Castle, including 7 interiors: entrance and base of the circular keep, south d‑shaped tower and its crag footing, second d‑shaped tower and more. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Southeast approach to the castleEntrance and base of the circular keepSouth D‑shaped tower and its crag footingSecond D‑shaped towerInner courtyard and surrounding curtain wallResidential range (domestic front)Timber chapel within the wardBakehouse (timber service building)Clerks' offices and administrative hutsQuarry face and crag beneath the castle

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Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Caergwrle Castle.

Racecourse Ground, WalesStadiumRacecourse Ground7 km awayChester Cathedral, WalesCathedralChester Cathedral14 km awayPontcysyllte Aqueduct, WalesBridgePontcysyllte Aqueduct16 km away

Questions about Caergwrle Castle

What is the history of Caergwrle Castle?

Caergwrle Castle is a late 13th-century castle built by the Welsh under Dafydd ap Gruffydd. Edward I’s forces took it in June 1282 after Dafydd had retreated and sabotaged it, then began repairs. Edward gave it to Eleanor of Castile in 1283, but a fire damaged it that September and it was never rebuilt.

What is inside Caergwrle Castle?

Caergwrle Castle contains documented remains of an entrance, the base of the circular keep, two D-shaped towers and a residential range. Other recorded spaces include a timber chapel, a bakehouse, and clerks’ offices and administrative huts. Interior wall faces would originally have been covered with lime plaster.

Who owns Caergwrle Castle now?

Caergwrle Castle is owned and operated by Cadw. It is also a Grade I listed building, a scheduled monument and a National Monument of Wales.

Why was Caergwrle Castle built, and what was it used for?

Caergwrle Castle was built as a compact hilltop fortress under Dafydd ap Gruffydd, in service to Edward I of England. Its position and towers provided a defensive stronghold, while a town with a weekly market was planned at its base. That town scheme was abandoned after the castle fire in 1283.

Where is Caergwrle Castle?

Caergwrle Castle is in the village of Caergwrle, in Flintshire, in the administrative area of Hope. It stands on the south-west corner of a steep hill near the Anglo-Welsh border.

When was Caergwrle Castle built?

Caergwrle Castle was built in the late 13th century, with construction beginning in 1277. The site’s prime year is given as 1283, after rebuilding works followed the castle’s damage and slighting in 1282.

Was Caergwrle Castle ever attacked or besieged?

Caergwrle Castle was attacked in June 1282 when Edward I sent Reginald de Grey to take it during Dafydd ap Gruffydd’s rebellion. When the forces arrived on 16 June, Dafydd had already retreated, and the Welsh had slighted the castle and blocked its well. Repairs followed rather than a recorded pitched siege.

What did Caergwrle Castle look like in its prime?

In its prime, Caergwrle Castle was a compact gritstone fortress on a steep hill. A prominent circular keep dominated the south-eastern approach, while two projecting D-shaped towers were set into a continuous curtain wall. Domestic ranges stood behind the walls, with local grey-brown Caergwrle gritstone and more elaborate masonry around the residential front.

Is Caergwrle Castle still standing or is it a ruin?

Caergwrle Castle is now a ruin, surviving as visible stone remains. The west curtain wall and most of the south tower are gone, and the crag beneath the south tower is missing. Large sections were removed through quarrying and looting after the castle’s destruction, and it was never rebuilt.

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