[MR] Wikipedia: Dolwyddelan Castle

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends, Especially the Welsh,

In 2000 Lady Sarah and I were on our first trip to Britain. It was
something of a guided whirlwind, extending from London all the way to
Holywell in Wales and back through Cornwall and Devon. One of the stops
selected by our excellent driver/guide Jamie Bothwell (sorry, no longer in
the biz) was Dolwyddelan Castle:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolwyddelan_Castle .

Why he chose Dolwyddelan, I don't know. Perhaps it because we were going
right past it. Our trip was very loosely planned (by design), and we took
in some surprises even for him. He was amazed at the stuff we wanted to
see, some of which was quite different from his usual guests.

Dolwyddelan was probably built by Llywelyn the Great sometime in the 13th
century. It sits on a rocky hill controlling a main route into northern
Wales. Originally consisting of a two-story keep, a second keep and new
curtain walls were added in 1283 after the castle was captured by Edward I.
The main tower grew with a third floor in the 15th century. During
restoration in the 19th century, battlements were added to the main tower.
Nice touch, but not historical.

Today most of the castle is in ruins, especially the curtain walls and the
second tower. The main tower remains in good condition, and is open to the
public all the way to the roof. The basement was not open when we visited.
The stiff climb, passing through a company of guard-sheep, was well worth
the effort. The views were spectacular.

Yours Aye,

Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆