Owain Glyndŵr's Mount

Owain Glyndŵr’s Mount stands on a grassy mound west of the small village of Glyndyfrdwy near Corwen in Denbighshire. The site is a Scheduled Monument, protected for its historical importance. A deep ditch partly filled with water still surrounds the hill. Trees grow on the slopes of the motte, which rises about six and a half metres above the ground. At the base the mound measures thirty-six metres across, narrowing to twelve metres at the top. No traces remain of the outer bailey that once stretched eastwards.

The mound began as a Norman motte built near the end of the 11th century to control the road along the River Dee. By 1283 it belonged to Gruffydd Fychan, a descendant of the princes of Powys. His descendant Owain Glyndŵr lived here in a wooden but comfortable manor house by the late 14th century. On 16 September 1400, before family, friends and about three hundred local people, he declared himself Prince of Wales at this spot. The act marked the start of his rebellion against English rule.

Today the site remains privately owned yet open to visitors. A low bank east of the mound shows where Owain Glyndŵr’s enclosed residence once stood. The remaining ditch and the tree-covered motte give a clear picture of a small but significant medieval strongpoint. The quiet fields around the hill and the nearby River Dee add to the sense of stepping back into the early 15th century.