Caergwrle Castle

Caergwrle Castle stands on the edge of a steep hill near Hope in Flintshire, Wales. Its gritstone foundations were cut from the hill itself. The castle once commanded wide views across the border into Cheshire. Two D-shaped towers and a great circular keep once overlooked the approach. Only fragments remain of the west curtain wall and south tower today. The castle’s brief life began in 1277 when Edward I rewarded Dafydd ap Gruffydd for fighting against the Welsh. Edward sent Reginald de Grey in 1282 to retake the castle after Dafydd rebelled. Reginald spent £1,466 restoring the site and hired more than 600 diggers and 340 carpenters. Eleanor of Castile received the castle in 1283, but a fire soon halted further work. Later owners made no repairs, and the ruins were gradually stripped for stone. Visitors now walk among the remaining walls and three surviving towers. The Bronze Age Caergwrle Bowl, found nearby in 1823, is displayed with the ruins. The site is cared for by Cadw and carries its Welsh name Castell Caergwrle. The hilltop still shows traces of the old quarry where millstones were cut in the 17th century.