Dinas Emrys Castle

In the community of Beddgelert.
In the historic county of Caernarfonshire (Modern authority of Gwynedd, preserved county of Gwynedd).

Hillfort here was inhabited in C5, and there is speculation that it may have been the residence of Vortigern. Later legends associate the place with Merlin the Magician and the Arthurian legends. In C9, Nennius told the tale that two dragons fought beneath the hill of Dinas Emrys. One dragon was white, representing the Saxons, and one dragon was red, representing the Britons (Welsh Celts). In C13 a stone keep, possibly erected by Llewelyn ap Iorwerth was built atop the hill.

This site has been described as a;
Masonry Castle
Timber Castle
Palace.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Masonry foundations remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SH606492

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

National Monuments Record number; 95284

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 1462

• Web site links
  • http://www.castlewales.com/dinas_em.html
• Books
  • Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p24
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p52
    Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles of North Wales (Malvern) p40
    Remfry, Paul, 1995, Castell Dinas Emrys, Gwynedd (Worcester: SCS)
    Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford) p62
    Davis, Paul R., 1988, Castles of the Welsh Princes (Swansea)
    Avent, Richard, 1983, Castles of the Princes of Gwynedd (Cardiff)
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p34
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p348
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    RCAHMW, 1960, A survey and inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Caernarvonshire Vol2: Central (HMSO) p25-6
• Journal Articles
  • Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1963, 'Early castles in Wales and the Marches: a preliminary list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol112 p77-124
    Savory, H.N., 1960, 'Excavations at Dinas Emrys, Beddgelert (Caern.) 1954-56' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol109 p13-77 esp p15-18, 30, plate1
    Hemp, W.J., 1949, ‘Dinas Emrys’ Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol100 p309-10
    Breese, 1930, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol85 p346-9