Ruthin Castle ( cy, Castell Rhuthun) is a medieval

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

fortification in Wales, near the town of Ruthin in the Vale of Clwyd. It was constructed during the late 13th century by Dafydd ap Gruffydd, the brother of Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, on a red sandstone ridge overlooking the valley. Part of the ancient walls still remain and now form part of the Ruthin Castle Hotel.

History

Ruthin Castle occupies a site that was first used as an Iron Age fort. In 1277, Edward I of England granted the land to Dafydd ap Gruffydd in gratitude for his assistance during the invasion of North Wales. It is unclear whether there was an existing fort on the site or whether Dafydd established the castle. The castle was originally given the Welsh name of ''Castell Coch yn yr Gwernfor'' (

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

Red Castle in the Great Marsh). The castle was most notably the base of that branch of the noble de Grey family accorded the title " Barons Grey de Ruthyn" and the head of their marcher lordship of

Dyffryn Clwyd Dyffryn Clwyd was a cantref of Medieval Wales and from 1282 a marcher lordship. In 1536, it became part of the new county of Denbighshire. The name means Vale of Clwyd in English and is still the name for that region of north Wales in modern Welsh ...

. It was a base for

Reginald Grey, 3rd Baron Grey de Ruthyn Reynold Grey, 3rd Baron Grey of Ruthyn (c. 1362 – 30 September 1440), a powerful Welsh marcher lord, succeeded to the title on his father's death in July 1388. Lineage Reginald Grey was the eldest son of Reynold Grey, 2nd Baron Grey of Ruth ...

– the man who could be said to have sparked the rebellion of

Owain Glyndŵr Owain ap Gruffydd (), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr or Glyn Dŵr (, anglicised as Owen Glendower), was a Welsh leader, soldier and military commander who led a 15 year long Welsh War of Independence with the aim of ending English rule in Wa ...

. Between 1579 and 1580, the Castle was used for the imprisonment and torture of

Welsh poet Welsh poetry refers to poetry of the Welsh people or nation. This includes poetry written in Welsh, poetry written in English by Welsh or Wales based poets, poetry written in Wales in other languages or poetry by Welsh poets around the world. H ...

, recusant schoolmaster

Richard Gwyn Richard Gwyn (ca. 1537 – 15 October 1584), also known by his anglicised name, Richard White, was a Welsh teacher at illegal and underground schools and a Bard who wrote both Christian and satirical poetry in the Welsh language. A Roman ...

, who was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Wrexham on 15 October 1584. Gwyn was canonized in 1970 by Pope Paul VI as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.Malcolm Pullan (2008), ''The Lives and Times of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales 1535-1680'', pages 143-144. At the start of the English Civil War the castle was in a state of disrepair and the necessary works were hastily performed to make it defensible. It withstood an eleven-week siege by parliamentary troops in 1646 before surrendering when the attackers announced that they intended to lay mines under the walls. Oliver Cromwell's forces later dismantled and demolished the castle, in a process of organised de-fortification called slighting.

In modern times

In 1923 the castle became Britain's first private hospital for the investigation and treatment of obscure internal diseases, but this was closed in about 1950. Since the 1960s the castle remains have been incorporated into a hotel. A guest was

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

, who stayed for the night before his investiture as Prince of Wales at

Caernarfon Castle Caernarfon Castle ( cy, Castell Caernarfon ) – often anglicised as Carnarvon Castle or Caernarvon Castle – is a medieval fortress in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, north-west Wales cared for by Cadw, the Welsh Government's historic environ ...

in 1969. The castle is said to be haunted; because of this reputation, it was investigated by the paranormal investigation show '' Most Haunted'' in 2018.

References

External links

with a bibliography of sources relating to the castle
Ruthin Castle HotelThe Conservation of Ruthin Castle
2021 talk by Fiona Gale {{coord, 53.1117, -3.3118, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Castles in Denbighshire Country houses in Wales Ruthin Grade I listed buildings in Denbighshire Scheduled monuments in Denbighshire Grey family residences Registered historic parks and gardens in Denbighshire

History

In modern times

References

Further reading

External links