- Type
- Ruin
- Origins
- 1220 · 13th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Location
- Wales, United Kingdom
- Coordinates
- 53.1166°, -4.1142°
History
Llywelyn the Great, ruler of Gwynedd, built the castle in the early 13th century to guard the route through the Llanberis Pass into the heart of Snowdonia. Its centrepiece was a round stone tower, more typical of Norman than Welsh castles. The founder's grandson, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, held his brother Owain Goch prisoner here for some 20 years after defeating him in a struggle for power in 1255. In 1283 Edward I's English forces took the castle, and a year later some of its timber was carted off for the building of Caernarfon Castle. From then on Dolbadarn slowly fell into ruin.
What to see
The round tower, about 15 metres high, survives with its first-floor entrance and a stair in the thickness of the wall, along with low remains of the curtain wall and halls. The hilltop looks over Llyn Padarn, the pass and the Snowdon massif. The ruins are cared for by Cadw, and the National Slate Museum is close by in Llanberis.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q2078555
Popularity: articles about this site in 21 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).