Ruthin Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Castell Rhuthun; Castell Coch yn Gwern-for

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

A substantial masonry castle constructed from 1277, presently overlain by a hotel, formerly a private mansion, and incorporated into C19 garden landscaping. The castle consisted of a strong, roughly pentagonal, moated court, c.94m NE-SW by 60m, defined by curtain walls and rounded mural towers, with a twin-towered gate facing SE, away from the unwalled med. town, with a second, subsidiary, similarly defined court, c.52mNE-SW by 60m, adjoining on the SW. Built on a red sandstone ridge during Edward I's campaigns against the Welsh. It has suffered much rebuilding and is now a hotel, however several fairly substantial pieces of C13 work remain, in ruined state, in the hotel grounds.

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 SJ12325802

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

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's National Monument Record (Coflein) number is 94739
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 42193; 100863 '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.castlewales.com/ruthin.html
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_wales/116/ruthincastle.htm
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/ruthin.html
• Books
  • Morgan, Gerald, 2008, Castles in Wales: A Handbook (Talybont: Y Lolfa Cyf.) p112-5
    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) p67-8
    Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge)
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p129-30
    Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles of North Wales (Malvern) p82-3
    Burnham, H., 1995, A Guide to Ancient and Historic Wales: Clwyd and Powys (Cadw, London)
    Taylor, A.J., 1986, The Welsh Castles of Edward I (Hambledon Press) p35-7
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus)
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p378
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works, vol1: the Middle Ages (London) p327-9
    Neaverson, E., 1947, Mediaeval Castles in North Wales: A study of Sites, Water Supply, and Building Stones (London) p25
    RCAHMW, 1914, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Denbighshire (HMSO) p178-80
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p269
    Lewis, Samual, 1849, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=47883#s21
    Newcome, 1829, Account of Castle and Town of Ruthin (Ruthin)
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p387
• Journal Articles
  • Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p319
    Howell, P., 1977, 'Country Houses in the vale of Clwyd' Country Life p1906-9
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    Patterson, S W, 1959, ‘Ruthin Castle’, The 106th Annual Meeting at Ruthin, 1959, CAA p7-13
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 p249-280 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p90-121] http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28195904%2974%3A291%3C249%3AALOC1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P
    1921, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol76 p316-7
    1887, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol42 p351-2
• 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] p163-4
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/glameng.html#denb3]