Dyserth Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Maelan; Caer Vaelan; Dincolin; Castle of the Rock; De Rupe; Caerfaelan; Carregfaelan

In the community of Dyserth.
In the historic county of Flintshire (Modern authority of Denbighshire, preserved county of Clwyd).

Castle mainly destroyed by quarrying. Begun by Henry III in 1241, captured and destroyed by Llywelyn ap Gruffydd in 1263 and not reoccupied after this. Substantial remains of walls and towers were removed by quarrying from c.1900, leaving only remnants of a ditched inner enclosure, c.114m E-W by an estemated c.66m N-S, recently landscaped to the W, with a near complete, sub-rectangular, outer court, c.60m by 64m, to the E, resting on steep natural slopes on the the S, ditched and counterscarped elsewhere. Multi-period remains were encountered in early C20 excavations.

This site has been described as a;
Masonry Castle.
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 SJ05987990

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; 92974

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 102060

• Web site links
  • http://www.castlewales.com/dyserth.html
• Books
  • Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p80
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p81
    Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles of North Wales (Malvern) p65
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p152
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p350-1
    Morgan, D.E.M. and Hewitt, N.E., 1977, Dyserth Castle’, in I’ J Davey (ed), Medieval Pottery from Excavations in the North West (Institute of Extension Studies [Liverpool]) p34-41
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p644-5
    Neaverson, E., 1947, Mediaeval Castles in North Wales: A study of Sites, Water Supply, and Building Stones (London) p23-4
    Lowe, W.Bezant, 1927, The Heart of North Wales (Llanfairfechan) Vol2 p188-96
    RCAHMW, 1912, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Flintshire (HMSO) p20-1
• 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
    Hewitt, N.R., 1963. ‘Dyserth Castle’ Archaeology in Wales Vol3 p12
    1937, Archaeological Journal Vol94 p317
    Hughes, L., 1926. ‘Castell Dyserth’ Cymru Vol70 p21-4
    Hobbs, 1916, Dyserth Field Club p36-8
    Jackson, J.W., 1915. ‘Notes on the vertegrate and milluscan remains from Dyserth Castle’ Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol70 p77-82
    Glenn et al, 1915, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol70 p47-86, 249-52
    Glenn, T.A., 1914. ‘Dyserth Castle’ Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol14 p466-7
    Edwards, 1912, Archaeologia Cambrensis [6ser] Vol7 p113-5, 263-94
    1911-12, Llandudno Field Club Vol6 p94-9
    Cox and Taylor, 1893-5, Chester Architectual, Archaeological and History Society Vol5 p361-83