Castell Aberlleiniog - Sarah Woodbury

Castell Aberlleiniog

We keep a map of all the places we hear about in Wales that might be worth seeing, and on one of our trips, at the end of a beautiful day, we pulled up our map to find one last place to visit: Castell Aberlleiniog!

[Before 15 minutes ago, I had never heard of this castle, but it was built by one of the vassals of the Earl of Chester, back in 1088, right after the Norman conquest.\

[Aberlleniog was one of the motte and bailey castles built by Robert of Rhuddlan in his attempt to conquer Gwynedd in the 11th century.]

Aberlleniog is thus an early Norman castle, constructed during a time when the Earl of Chester was authorizing the building of motte and bailey castles all over Gwynedd.

[This castle actually sits directly across from the motte at Aber which he built at the same time period.]

The site has further strategic value, since it was also located near the then port of Llanfaes and overlooks the Menai Strait.

[This castle was actually taken by Gruffydd ap Cynan in the late 11th century in one of his attempts to take Gwynedd back.]

Gruffydd ap Cynan was a Welsh King of Gwynedd. When he besieged the castle in 1094, and ultimately took it, the Norman defenders recorded 124 deaths on their part. The Welsh controlled the area from then until the arrival of King Edward I of England 200 years later.

The original wooden castle was replaced by a stone structure dating to the 17th century. That change, combined with the fact that today the castle is located in a peaceful wood, can make it hard to get a sense of what the castle once looked like. Even the current keep is now a ruin, but it once had broad ramparts protected by a narrow wall and parapet. It is still possible to see the round stone towers on each corner, as well as the remains of the original dry ditch and bailey.

[It was refortified later on in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. It became part of the inheritance of the Buckley family which also owned Beaumaris.]


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