CPAT Regional Historic Environment Record
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Castell Dinas Bran, castle

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 101174
Trust : Clwyd Powys
Community : Llangollen
Unitary authority : Denbighshire
NGR : SJ22254306
Site Type (preferred type first) : MEDIEVAL MASONRY CASTLE
Status : scheduled monument

Summary :
The remains of a castle built in about AD 1270 consisting of a courtyard with the main buildings at the east end and with the hall against the south curtain wall. It has a deep rock cut moat on the south and east side.

Description :
The remains of a castle built in about AD 1270 consisting of a courtyard with the main buildings at the east end and with the hall against the south curtain wall. It has a deep rock cut moat on the south and east sides (CAS, 4/12/93).

Castle occupies a long rectangular platform, perhaps artificially levelled in part, on the summit of the hill. The ground on all sides is very steep. Masonry for building the castle came from the deep ditch on the south and east. It is a rough Silurian mudstone. The keep is earlier in date than the rest of the castle, but was never intended to function on its own (Cathcart, 1974).

Castle was apparently isolated and in poor state of repair in 1282 when it was handed to John de Warenne, the 7th Earl of Surrey (Booth, 2000, 109).

Scheduled (Cadw, 2000).

Comparisons drawn to Dolforwyn Castle (PRN 50092) (Heritage in Wales, 2002, 9).

Acquired by Clwyd County Council and now in the ownership of Denbighshire County Council (Cadw, 2002, 23).

Application for grant aid approved by Cadw in 2001 prior to consolidation of masonry. (Cadw, 2001)

Sources :
Anon , 1884 , title unknown - Castell Dinas Bran, castle
Avent, R , 1983 , Castles of the Princes of Gwynedd
Booth, P H W , 1997 , The Corporation of Holt, the Manor of Farndon, and the Bridge over the Dee, Denbighshire , Archaeologia Cambrensis : 146 : 109-116
Bradley , 1898 , Highways and byeways in North Wales
Burnham, H., 1995 , A Guide to Ancient and Historic Wales: Clwyd and Powys
Cadw , 1972 , Scheduling map - DE021(DEN)
Cadw , 1988 , Cadw Field Monument Wardens Report - De021(DEN)
Cadw , 1991 , Cadw Field Monument Wardens Report - De021(DEN)
Cadw , 1993 , Cadw Field Monument Wardens Report - De021(DEN)
Cadw , 2000 , Cadw Field Monument Wardens Report - De021(DEN)
Cadw , 2001 , CPAT Threat Archive - Castell Dinas Bran, castle
Cadw , 2001 , Heritage in Wales
Cadw , 2002 , Heritage in Wales
Cadw , 2002 , The Conservation of Privately Owned Scheduled Ancient Monuments
Cadw , 2015 , Scheduled Monument consent letter
Camden, W , 1789 , title unknown - Castell Dinas Bran (multiple)
Cathcart King, D J , 1974 , Two Castles in Northern Powys: Dinas Bran and Caergwrle , Archaeologia Cambrensis : 123 : 113-139
Clwyd Archaeology Service , Photograph of Castell Dinas Bran, castle
Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust , 1983 , Site visit record - PRN101174
Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust , 2004 , Photographic record - Film 1766-196
Davies, E., 1929 , The Prehistoric and Roman remains of Denbighshire ( © Davies, E)
Dooley, N , 1992 , title unknown - Castell Dinas Bran, castle
Evans, J , 1810 , Topographical and historical descriptions of the counties of Carnarvon and Denbigh
Jones, E P , 1984 , Castell Dinas Bran , Denbighshire Historical Society Transactions : 33 : 69-74
Jones, N. W , 2020 , Castell Dinas Brân, Llangollen, Denbighshire: Condition Survey. ( © Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust (CPAT))
King, D J C , 1974 , Two castles in northern Powys: Dinas Bran and Caergwrle , Archaeologia Cambrensis : 123 : 113-39
Leland, J , 1906 , Itinnerary
Lewis, S , 1842 , A Topographical Dictionary of Wales
Lhuyd, E , 1910 , Parish enquiries c1700
Lloyds, J E , 1911 , title unknown - Castell Dinas Bran (multiple)
Neaverson, E , 1947 , Medieval castles in North Wales: a study of sites, water supply and building stone
Newberry & Carman , 1769 , Description of England and Wales
Ordnance Survey , 1975 , OS record card SJ 24 SW 7
Pennant, T , 1783 , A Tour in Wales
Pratt, D , 1997 , The Medieval Borough of Chirk , Transactions of the Denbighshire Historical Society : 46 : 26-51
Pugh, E D , 1816 , Cambria Dipicta
Rev..Bingley, W., 1814 , North Wales Delineated from two excursions through all the interesting parts of that highly beautiful and romantic country, and intended as a guide to future tourists
Roseveare, M.J. , 2017 , Castell Dinas Bran, Llangollen, Denbighshire Geophysical Survey Report ( © TigerGeo)
Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales , 1914 , Inventory of the Ancient Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire - IV County of Denbigh
Senior, M , 1970 , Castle of the Holy Grail , County Quest : 10 : 18-20
Simpson, W D , 1827 , Some account of Llangollen and its vicinity
Thomas, R , 1982 , Castles in Wales
Tregellas, W H , 1865 , Castell Dinas Bran near Llangollen , Archaeologia Cambrensis : 11 : 49-58
Various , 2001 , CBA Wales Cymru. Newsletter 22

Events :
123680 : Castell Dinas Bran, castle, structural conservation 1996 onwards (year : 1996)
152941 : Llangollen, Castell Dinas Bran, geophysical survey, 2017 (year : 2017)
140340 : Llangollen, Castell Dinas Bran, condition survey, 2020 (year : 2020)

Related records
CPAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 101172

Compiled date : 31-12-1980


Images :



Archaeological data, from the Historic Environment Record, supplied by The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust in partnership with Local Authorities, Cadw and the partners of ENDEX © CPAT, 2025 (and in part © Crown, 2025). It is intended to be used for private research only and is not for use as part of commercial projects. If you wish to use this information for publication in printed or multimedia form or to compile resources for commercial use, prior permission must be obtained in writing. Use of this information is subject to the terms and conditions of access to HER data published on CPAT's website. Please contact the HER if you have any further questions regarding this information. Please quote the Primary Reference Numbers (PRNs) in any correspondence.

March 30, 2025, 3:14 am - File produced for Archwilio from CPAT's Regional HER.
Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust, The Offices, Coed y Dinas, Welshpool, Powys, SY21 8RP
tel (01938) 553670, email her@cpat.org.uk, website www.cpat.org.uk

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