Castell Dinas Bran
(above- ink, oil
pastel & watercolor wash)
Llangollen, Clwyd
High upon a rugged grassy
hill, near the town of Llangollen, above the sheep filled Dee Valley, sits the mysterious
Dinas Bran. Its silhouette rests on a site of an Iron- Age hill fort. Dinas Bran
translates "Crow City" or "Crow Castle".
The name, Dinas, dates back to that era as well and is found in the names of many
Iron-Age hill forts of Wales. There is conflict over who actually re-built the stronghold.
Some say that it was Madog, prince of this part of Powys, in the 1260's.
Others say it was his son, Gruffydd Maelor II. Many songs of bards and harpists flowed
through these stone walls. Legend claims that a golden harp or even the Holy Grail
is hidden in the hillside there. On the southern slopes of Dinas Bran is where the
shepherd, Tudor ap Einion, met up with the fairie folk and was found spinning madly in a
wild circle the next morning.
To More About Dinas Bran
Dolbadarn Castle
(to the right, combination of
dry & oil pastels)
Llanberis, Gwynedd
Built by Llywelyn the Great in
the early 1200's, Dolbadarn presides over Llyn Padarn in the rugged and colorful
groundscape of Snowdonia. Shaped like a boomerang with a great tower
dominating the structure, the early stone castle seems to have been built to govern the
route between Caernarfon and the upper valley of the Conwy. "A man in the tower, a
prolonged guest" as bards have remarked, was Owain Goch, brother of Llywelyn the
Great. He was also his contender of equal inheritance. It is said he was
imprisoned there for 20 years. Later, in the early 15th century, Earl Grey of Ruthin,
arch-enemy of Owain Glyndwr, spent time within these walls as well.
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A Warm Welcome!
Surely Wales is the land of
castles. Every where you turn
in that little land of contrast, story and song, they just seem to pop out at you.
Here is a collection of castles that have caught my attention. In trying to capture
their magic on paper, i've spent the past couple of years adorning my home with castle
drawings. My walls are full of history and legend, as well as oil pastel, charcoal
& ink. In drawing these strongholds and in reading about their grand place in
history, i've been inspired to share these with you. Enjoy!
A Little About Evelyn
On this
page you'll find those castles built by the Welsh,
such as the native princes of Wales.
On the other pages you will find castles
constructed during the Norman invasion
& Edward I's campaign.
Norman-Built
Castles in Wales
English-Built Castles in Wales
Native Welsh Castles
Welsh-built castles, were unknown in
Wales
prior to the Norman Conquest, aside from lightly fortified enclosures of earth and timber.
In time,
stone fortresses, though still modest in design
and strength, spread across the land, mimicking
the example set before them by their intruders.
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Criccieth Castle
(to the left- ink, charcoal, dry
pastel)
Criccieth, Gwynedd
On the edge of town, high on a craggy promontory,
shadowing Tremadog Bay, is the bold and unforgettable
Criccieth Castle. Built at the beginning of the 13th century probably by Llywelyn
the Great with well placed access to
the sea and its watchful views. Harlech Castle (built later
in the early 1400's) can be seen to the southeast and
Snowdonia to the north. The castle's most striking
feature is its massive twin-towered gatehouse. A victim
of King Edward I's second campaign, Llywelyn the Last
lost Criccieth in 1283. Though the castle was renovated
and used as an English stronghold, its time was brief, for in
1404 the castle was destroyed during the Glyndwr uprising. Criccieth's place-name is said
to be derived from a cry of
distress of the inhabitants of Cantre'r Gwaelod when
Seithengen the Drunkard neglected watching the seawalls
on a that fateful stormy night when the town was drowned.
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Carreg Cennen Castle
(to the right &
below- charcoal, oil & dry pastel)
near Llandeilo, Dyfed
Seated on a limestone crag, 300 feet
above the Cennen Valley, Carreg Cennen, proud and imposing, captures our imagination while
we try and capture it on paper. It is a powerful castle first built by the Welsh
princes of Deheubarth probably upon a stronghold of earlier time. In 1277 it was
taken from the Welsh and into the English hands of Edward I who granted it to a lord, John
Giffard, for his support against Llywelyn ap Gruffudd. He then lost the castle when taking
part in a rebellion against Edward II. The castle passed to the Duchy of Lancaster,
who also owned Kidwelly Castle (above.) Carreg Cennen Castle played a part in Owain
Glyndwr's uprising and in the War of Roses. Yorkist orders were given in
1462 to destroy the castle and 500 men were readied with picks and crowbars on behalf
of the king.
A fascinating
feature at Carreg Cennen Castle
is a narrow vaulted passageway which runs 30 yards along the cliff face leading to a
natural limestone cave. There is also a wishing well at the castle- where
young women have wished for handsome husbands. Some say King Arthur
is connected to the castle- or Owain Glyndwr himself, is sleeping deep
within its foundation, waiting to be called in the time of need. |
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