Castell Gwallter, also known as Walter's Castle and sometimes Castell Penweddig, is the remains of a

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

motte-and-bailey castle A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively easy t ...

situated on a large hill above the old village of Llandre (Llanfihangel Genau'r Glyn) in northern

Ceredigion Ceredigion ( , , ) is a county in the west of Wales, corresponding to the historic county of Cardiganshire. During the second half of the first millennium Ceredigion was a minor kingdom. It has been administered as a county since 1282. Cer ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

, four miles northeast of Aberystwyth.

History

Castell Gwallter was built around 1120 by Walter de Bec, who was one of the tenants of

Gilbert Fitz Richard Gilbert Fitz Richard (–), 2nd feudal baron of Clare in Suffolk, and styled "de Tonbridge", was a powerful Anglo-Norman baron who was granted the Lordship of Cardigan, in Wales . Life Gilbert, born before 1066, was the second son and an heir ...

. Walter was a "distinguished knight who had chief command at the 'Battle of the Standard' in 1138, and is said to have stood on the wagon of the Standards, and to have inspired his troops by an oration in a voice like a trumpet". He was one of the great feudal knights with estates in the North of England. The castle was captured in 1136 by

Owain Gwynedd Owain ap Gruffudd ( 23 or 28 November 1170) was King of Gwynedd, North Wales, from 1137 until his death in 1170, succeeding his father Gruffudd ap Cynan. He was called Owain the Great ( cy, Owain Fawr) and the first to be ...

but was retaken in 1153 by Lord Rhys and his brothers. After this, history does not relate what happened to the castle, but it may have been demolished.

The site

Castell Gwallter is situated in a prominent position about half a mile west of the village of Llandre. It is one of about 300 castles of its type in the area built to try to subdue the Welsh, a motte-and-bailey type fortification which originally had a tower built on a large mound. The motte is surrounded by a ditch and the inner bailey is small, and is surrounded by a larger outer enclosure. The whole site is very well-preserved and as there is no sign of building stone on top of the mound, the tower may have been made of wood. There is steep ground to the east and the north which provides natural defences, and the site is about higher than St Michael’s Church, Llandre to which it is adjacent.

Visitor information

The castle is on private land but can be seen from a public right of way which passes close by.

References

{{Coord, 52, 27, 41.2, N, 4, 1, 48.34, W, region:GB_type:landmark, display=title Gwallter

History

The site

Visitor information

See also

References