Castell Dinas Bran
Local highlightA jagged Welsh castle ruin on a steep green hilltop above Llangollen, with one of the great views over the Dee Valley
Open accesson open access land, where the right to roam applies
Substantial ruinsruined, but plenty survives above ground
The climb is the thing here. Castell Dinas Brân sits on top of a steep conical hill above Llangollen, and the broken walls and one tall tower are what you see from the town below. Welsh princes of Powys Fadog built the stone castle in the middle of the 13th century, on a hill that already carried the banks of a much older Iron Age fort. It had a short life: during Edward I’s conquest of Wales in 1277 the Welsh themselves set fire to it rather than let the English take it, and it was never really rebuilt. Enough of the curtain wall (the outer wall enclosing the courtyard) and the gatehouse survives to give a sense of the plan. The reward, once you’re up, is the view: the whole Clwydian Range & Dee Valley spread out, the limestone Eglwyseg crags to the north, and Valle Crucis Abbey down in the valley. It’s a steep pull up on grass paths, worse when wet, so decent footwear helps.
