Dryslwyn Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Drusselan; Deresloyn; Droslan; Dyryslwyn; Drysllwyn

In the community of Llangathen. In the historic county of Carmarthenshire (Modern authority of Carmarthenshire, preserved county of Dyfed).

A native Welsh castle, much of which has been revealed by excavation. Occupied by the Princes of Deheubarth, it was taken by the forces of King Edward I in 1287. Dryslwyn was later betrayed to Owain Glyn Dwr 1403. Castle of limestone walls, built in the 1220s, and appears to have been demolished in the early C15. Polygonal inner ward containing principal remains to SW, with traces of middle and outer wards to NE. Early C13 curtain wall to inner ward stands only 1m high. Garderobe to E side, and remodelled C13 gatehouse to NE, surviving at foundation level only. On S side of gatehouse is the round tower, the original keep. Foundations survive to the original great hall and Maredudd ap Rhys' hall.
The shattered ruins of a medieval castle crown the ultimate summit of a dramatically isolated and abrupt hill rising from the Tywi floodplain. The castle was founded by a local Welsh prince in the second quarter of the thirteenth century. It was twice expanded before, in 1287, it was captured for the English crown after a desperate and famous siege. A walled borough was now added on the lower summit of the hill (see NPRN 109584) and the castle itself was modified and repaired throughout the following century. The castle was decommissioned in the early fifteenth century and decayed thereafter. It has recently been excavated and the remains are consolidated for public display. The earliest castle consisted of a great round tower and a princely mansion set in a strongly walled court. In the later thirteenth century two further walled courts were added on the north-east slopes reaching down to the borough on the lower summit. The most dramatic remaining feature is the outer facade of the great appartments. Otherwise the castle is mostly reduced to footings. (Coflein–John Wiles 06.12.07)

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SN55402035

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's National Monument Record (Coflein) number is 100682
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 699; 4319 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• Web site links
  • http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/default.asp?id=6&PlaceID=69
    http://www.castlewales.com/dryslwyn.html
    http://www.dur.ac.uk/Archaeology/staff/CC/Dryslwyn.html
    http://www.cambria.org.uk/HLC/HLCTowy/area/area224.htm
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/drysllwyn.html
• Books
  • Butler, L., 2009, 'The Castles of the Princes of Gwynedd' in Willams, D. and Kenyon, J. (eds), The Impact of the Edwardian Castles in Wales (Oxbow) p27-36
    Morgan, Gerald, 2008, Castles in Wales: A Handbook (Talybont: Y Lolfa Cyf.) p89-91
    Caple, C., 2007, Excavations at Dryslwyn Castle 1980-95 (Society for Medieval Archaeology Monograph 26)
    Gravett, Christopher, 2007, The Castles of Edward I in Wales 1277-1307 (Osprey Fortress series 64)
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p48-9
    Davis, Paul, 2000, A Company of Forts. A Guide to the Medieval Castles of West Wales (Gomer Press) p77-8
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p78-9
    Salter, Mike, 1996, The Castles of South West Wales (Malvern) p27-8
    Davis, Paul R., 1988, Castles of the Welsh Princes (Swansea)
    Webster, P., 1987, ‘Dryslwyn Castle’, in Kenyon, John R. and Avent, R. (eds), Castles in Wales and the Marches: essays in honour of D J Cathcart King, (Cardiff: University of Wales Press) p89–104
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p55
    Solomon, A., 1982, The Last Siege of Dryslwyn Castle (Lodwick)
    Avent, R. and Webster, P., 1981, Interim Reports of Excavations at Laugharne Castle, Dyfed, 1976-1980, and Dryslwyn Castle, Dyfed, 1980 (privately published)
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p350
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p641-2
    Richard, A.J., 1935, in Lloyd, J.E. (ed), History of Carmathenshire (Cardiff) Vol1 p281-3
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p188-90
    RCAHMW, 1917, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Carmarthenshire (HMSO) p155-6
    Lewis, Samual, 1849, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=47850#s7
• Journal Articles
  • Caple, C., 2008, 'Dryslwyn Castle and the lords of west Wales' Current Archaeology Vol19.7 no223 p36-43
    Caple, C., 1990, 'The castle and lifestyle of a 13th century independent Welsh lord ; excavations at Dryslwyn castle 1980-1988' Château Gaillard Vol14 p47-59
    Youngs, S.M., Clark, J. and Barry, T., 1985, ‘Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1984’, Medieval Archaeology Vol29 p229 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Webster, P., 1985, ‘Dryslwyn Castle’, 132nd annual meeting, old Carmarthenshire, 1985, CAA, p24
    Caple, C., 1984-5, ‘Dryslwyn, Dyfed’, CBA Newsletter and Calendar, Vol8 p138
    Youngs, S.M., Clark, J. and Barry, T.B., 1984, 'Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1983’, Medieval Archaeology Vol28 p263 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Arnold. C. et al, 1983. Interim reports on excavations at three castles in Wales 1981–1982. (Cardiff: Department of Extra-Mural Studies, University College)
    Webster, P.V. and Caple, C., 1983, ‘Dryslwyn Castle’, Archaeology in Wales Vol23 p55–7
    Webster, P.V., 1982-3, ‘Dryslwyn, Dyfed’, CBA Newsletter and Calendar, Vol6 p154
    Webster, P.V., 1982, ‘Dryslwyn Castle’ Archaeology in Wales Vol22 p30–3
    Webster, P.V., 1981-2, ‘Dryslwyn, Dyfed’, CBA Newsletter and Calendar, Vol5 p144
    Youngs, S.M. and Clark, J., 1982, ‘Medieval Britain in 1981’, Medieval Archaeology Vol26 p223-4 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Webster, P.V., 1981, ‘Dryslwyn Castle’, Archaeology in Wales Vol21 p56-7
    Youngs, S.M. and Clark, J., 1981, ‘Medieval Britain in 1980’, Medieval Archaeology Vol25 p203 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Webster, P.V., 1980, ‘Dryslwyn Castle’, Archaeology in Wales Vol20 p56-8
    King, D.J.C., 1967, ‘Dryslwyn Castle’, The 114th Annual Meeting at Carmarthen, 1967, CAA p24-5
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    Evans, 1906-7, Transactions of the Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society Vol2 p198
    Evans, 1905-6, Transactions of the Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society Vol1 p52-4, 90-1
• Guidebooks
  • Rees, Sian E. and Caple, Chris, 2007 [rev edn], Dinefwr Castle, Dryslwyn Castle (CADW)
    Rees, Sian E. and Caple, Chris ,1999, Dinefwr Castle, Dryslwyn Castle (CADW)
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) [lists sources for 1272-1422] p126-7