Dolwyddelan Castle

About this place

A single stone keep on a rocky ridge, the bulk of Moel Siabod filling the sky behind it, and almost nothing else. That image has made Dolwyddelan one of the most photographed small castles in Wales, and it is also the beginning and end of the case for visiting: the exterior is the point, and the interior is a few bare stone rooms and a steep stair. One thing worth knowing before you frame the shot: the top storey and the neat battlements that give the tower its 'perfect' silhouette were added in a Victorian restoration between 1848 and 1850 by Lord Willoughby de Eresby. The lower part is the genuine thirteenth-century article. What sets it apart from the giants at Conwy and Caernarfon is that this is not a conqueror's castle but one built by the Welsh princes themselves. Llywelyn the Great, prince of Gwynedd, most likely raised it between 1210 and 1240 to command the mountain pass between east and west. Local tradition says he was born here, though a smaller tower nearby, Tomen Castell, is the more likely birthplace. On 18 January 1283 it fell to Edward I, who refortified it at once, one of the final acts in the collapse of independent Wales. The ruined west tower still keeps a fireplace and window openings, but it is not the oldest thing here: it was added after the curtain wall, probably in the late thirteenth or early fourteenth century and possibly after the English conquest itself. The genuinely princely stonework is the lower part of the keep. Entry is free with no ticket, and the site is looked after by Cadw. The interior opens 10:00 to 16:00 on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays from 1 April to 30 September only; on other weekdays, and throughout October to March, you can view it from the outside only, at the same hours, and the site closes entirely on 24, 25 and 26 December and 1 January. The practical catch: there is no car park, and the track past the farmhouse is private. Park in the lay-by on the A470 about 500 metres east of the castle, then walk roughly 15 minutes uphill along farm tracks through sheep pasture. It is muddy after rain, which in Snowdonia means most of the year, so wear proper shoes. Pushchairs are out of the question and the internal stone stairs are narrow and steep, but children of six and up usually enjoy the idea of a prince's castle on a hill. Budget 30 to 45 minutes at the castle itself, about an hour once you count the walk in and out, not half a day. Getting here from Betws-y-Coed, the usual Snowdonia base, is easy: about 10 km along the A470 towards Blaenau Ffestiniog, a 10 to 15 minute drive. The castle stands west of Dolwyddelan village, so you pass through the village first and the keep then appears on your right. The village has a station on the Conwy Valley line, but trains are sparse and it is roughly a 25-minute walk from there, so a car is the realistic option. It works best as a stop on the way to the slate mines and adventure sites at Blaenau Ffestiniog or on the drive back from the coast, and on short winter days go before noon to catch the light on the mountain.