The Castle of Dinerth ( cy, Castell Dineirth, ', or ') is a Welsh castle located near Aberarth, Ceredigion, west Wales that was completed 1110. It is also known as Hero Castle, presumably from the Norse ''hiro'' ("king's carl").

History

The founder is thought to be one Richard de la Mare, a follower of Richard fitz Gilbert, Lord of Clare, an Anglo-Norman lord, who, by the

archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

evidence, built it on top of a previous defensive position. The castle was razed by

Gruffydd ap Rhys Gruffydd ap Rhys (c. 1090 – 1137) was Prince of Deheubarth, in Wales. His sister was the Princess Nest ferch Rhys. He was the father of Rhys ap Gruffydd, known as 'The Lord Rhys', who was one of the most successful rulers of Deheubarth duri ...

but probably rebuilt, as it is known to have been destroyed again by Owain Gwynedd in 1136. The castle probably spent the next fifty years passing from one feudal ruler to another: from Hywel to Cadwaladr in 1144, and then ceded to Roger de Clare, 3rd Earl of Hertford in 1158, who garrisoned it. Destroyed by

The Lord Rhys Rhys ap Gruffydd, commonly known as The Lord Rhys, in Welsh ''Yr Arglwydd Rhys'' (c. 1132 – 28 April 1197) was the ruler of the Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth in south Wales from 1155 to 1197 and native Prince of Wales. It was believed that ...

in 1164, it came into the possession of Maelgwn ap Rhys who lost it to, and recovered it from, his brother,

Gruffudd ap Rhys Gruffudd ap Rhys was Archdeacon of Brecon An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other ...

. Maelgwn dismantled it to prevent his lands being held by

Llywelyn the Great Llywelyn the Great ( cy, Llywelyn Fawr, ; full name Llywelyn mab Iorwerth; c. 117311 April 1240) was a King of Gwynedd in north Wales and eventually " Prince of the Welsh" (in 1228) and "Prince of Wales" (in 1240). By a combination of war and d ...

Gwynedd Gwynedd (; ) is a county and preserved county (latter with differing boundaries; includes the Isle of Anglesey) in the north-west of Wales. It shares borders with Powys, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Anglesey over the Menai Strait, and C ...

. As Llywelyn then captured and held all the territory from the

River Arth The River Arth is a small river that rises in the hills near Bethania, Ceredigion, Wales, and runs west for and discharges into Cardigan Bay at Aberarth. Despite its small size it is one of the few rivers in Britain which has a bore Bore ...

to the River Aeron, he conferred Dinerth on the sons of Maelgwn's brother Gruffudd as was rightfully due. The site was abandoned soon afterwards.

The site

The ruins of the medieval timber castle can be found on a hill about 1½ miles up the valley from the seaside town of Aberarth. It occupies a strategic position at the confluence of the River Arth with the Erthyg Brook, with steep ravines on all sides except the east where there is a deep ditch backed by a bank. The whole site covers about three hectares and includes two mounds, which presumably supported towers, and a series of platforms to the south where it is likely the main buildings stood including the hall. The whole site is now covered by ancient oak and beech woodland which supports a varied flora.

Arthurian legend

The site's Welsh name ( "Fort Bear") and a passage in Gildas's work '' On the Ruin of Britain''., describing a ''receptaculi ursi'' (literally "bear's lair" but equally "stronghold of the Bear"), led some historians to suggest that the site might have a connection with

King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...

or his supposed court at Camelot. However, the site's name more likely derives from the nearby

and the passage in Gildas, describing the King Cuneglas much more likely describes the Dark Age hillfort of Dinerth at Bryn Euryn above Llandrillo-yn-Rhos, his supposed kingdom.

References

External links

* {{Ceredigion Castles in Ceredigion Castle ruins in Wales