About
Castell Dolforwyn, Dolforwyn Castle, is a ruined symbol of Welsh defiance on a steep ridge above the Severn valley a mile west of Abermule. Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Llywelyn the Last, built it in 1273; when Edward I heard of it he wrote forbidding the work, and Llywelyn replied that he needed no permission to build on his own land and carried on. The castle was still unfinished when the Marcher lord Roger Mortimer took it in 1277 after a two-week siege. Two great towers, one round and one square, stand in a walled enclosure split by a rock-cut ditch, with massive ditches across the ridge and a 50-metre entrance ramp; the Mortimers added a hall, bakehouse and brewhouse before the castle was described as ruinous and worth nothing in 1398. Reviewers praise the panoramic countryside views and the walls and corners to explore; the climb from the five-car park is a steep 10 to 20 minutes on a loose-stone track. Dogs on short leads may explore the ground level.
Open in daylightFrom Cadw's published times
- Open any reasonable time in daylight
Opening times may change at short notice.
Open all year during reasonable daylight hours; no admission charge. Cadw may close monuments at short notice in extreme weather.
Terrain level 4, strenuous: the steep track from the car park, then relatively flat castle grounds with a few stone thresholds to step over, modern steps to the lower sections and uneven historic steps to the upper areas; the large grass areas are slippery when wet and there is deep water in the ditches. No toilets or facilities. Drones are not permitted.
Dogs: Dogs on short leads are welcome on the ground level of the castle; the upper areas are for assistance dogs only.
Photo: The paved interior and consolidated walls of Dolforwyn Castle on its ridge-top, with the stumps of its towers against trees and summer sky. Llywelyn2000, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Castell_Dolforwyn_-_Dolforwyn_Castle,_Powys,_Cymru_(Wales)_21.jpg. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0. Resized and cropped for display; derivatives retain the source licence.
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