Rhuddlan Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Rothelan; Ruthlan; Rughlan

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

Begun in 1277, this was the second of King Edward I's great Welsh fortifications. A protected river dock forms one side of the defences of this concentrically planned castle, dominated by a distinctive diamond-shaped inner ward. The castle was constructed between 1277-82 and at the same time the river was straightened and dredged to improve navigation. The castle plan is concentric based on a quadrilateral, towered inner court, c.43m square, with twin-tower gatehouses on opposite corners, within a roughly concentric outer enclosure, the whole bounded by a broad stone-revetted moat, except where it rests on the river bank on the SW. The outer ward, which is flanked by small square towers and turrets, is octagonal in shape except where it borders the river. Here it extends down the slope to enclose a watergate and dock for ships. The walls of the outer ward have been destroyed but the moat can still be traced on the side away from the river.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This site is a Not known if listed listed building protected by law*.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SJ02467790

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; 92914 County Sites and Monuments Record number; 102031

• Web site links
  • http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/default.asp?id=6&PlaceID=114
    http://www.castlewales.com/rhudln.html
    http://www.cpat.org.uk/educate/guides/clwydcas/clwydcas.htm
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_wales/116/rhuddlancastle.htm
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/rhudlin.html
• Books
  • 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) p76-9
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p126-9
    Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles of North Wales (Malvern) p77-80
    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) p26-35
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p154
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p377
    Miles, H., 1977, ‘Rhuddlan’, in P J Davey (ed), Medieval Pottery from Excavations in the North West (Institute of Extension Studies [Liverpool]) p42-7
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works, vol1: the Middle Ages (London) p318-27
    Neaverson, E., 1947, Mediaeval Castles in North Wales: A study of Sites, Water Supply, and Building Stones (London) p42-3
    Lowe, W.Bezant, 1927, The Heart of North Wales (Llanfairfechan) Vol2 p181-7
    RCAHMW, 1912, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Flintshire (HMSO) p80-2
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol3 (London) p412-4
    Lewis, Samual, 1849, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=47882#s25
    Grose, Francis, 1787, The Antiquities of England and Wales (London) Vol7 p58-61
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p393
• Journal Articles
  • Messham, J.E., 1999, 'Henry Conewey, Knight. Constable of the Castle of Rhuddlan 1390-1407' Flintshire Historical Society Journal Vol35 p11-56
    Avent, Richard, 1981, ‘Rhuddlan Castle’, The 128th Annual Meeting in Chester, 1981, CAA p10
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    Edwards, J. Goronwy, 1944, 'Edward I's Castle-Building in Wales' Proceedings of the British Academy Vol32 p32-7, 69
    1912, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol67 p117-21
    1887, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol42 p348-9
    Maxwell, 1843, Trans. Cymmrodorion Vol2 pt4 p331-52
• Guidebooks
  • Taylor, A.J., 2004, Rhuddlan Castle (CADW)
    Williams. H., 1987, Rhuddlan Castle (CADW)
    Taylor, A.J., 1987 (4th rev edn), Rhuddlan Castle (CADW)
    Taylor, A.J., 1982 (3edn), Rhuddlan Castle/ Castell Rhuddlan, Clwyd (CADW)
    Taylor, A.J., 1956 (2edn), Rhuddlan Castle, Flintshire (HMSO)
    Taylor, A.J., 1949, Rhuddlan Castle, Flintshire (HMSO)
    Taylor, A.J., 1949, Rhuddlan Castle Official Guide (Flint DC)
• 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] p200-2
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/glameng.html#flint4]