Aerial view of Castell Dryslwyn, Dryslwyn castle,Welsh Castle castle, Near Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, Wales, UK
Dryslwyn Castle (Welsh: Castell y Drysllwyn) is a native Welsh castle, sited on a rocky hill roughly halfway between Llandeilo and Carmarthen in Wales. It stands on high ground overlooking the Tywi Valley with extensive views. It was built in about the 1220s by one of the princes of the kingdom of Deheubarth, and changed hands several times in the struggles between the Welsh and English over the ensuing centuries. It is considered one of the most important remaining structures built by a Welsh chieftain and is a Grade I listed building. Perched on the top of an isolated, rocky hill above the Towy Valley, Dryslwyn Castle occupies a splendid defensive position. It may occupy a spot previously used in as a fortification in prehistoric times but no evidence has been found to support this theory. In the twelfth century, Rhys ap Gruffydd, often known as "Lord Rhys", reigned over the kingdom of Deheubarth and brought it a period of peace and stability. On his death in 1197, his three sons contested his inheritance and fought between themselves for supremacy. Neighbouring Welsh kingdoms and the English took advantage of this to infiltrate Deheubarth and it was around this time that Dryslwyn Castle was built. It is not clear precisely who built it, but it was probably constructed in the 1220s by one of the princes of Deheubarth, perhaps Rhys Gryg. In any event, the castle at Dryslwyn was, along with the neighbouring Dinefwr Castle, for a long time central to the security of the kingdom. It was apparently assaulted in 1246, because it was mentioned in an ancient chronicle, Annales Cambrie, where a siege of the castle by the Seneschal of Carmarthen was mentioned. He was apparently acting on behalf of its "rightful owner", but who that rightful owner was, or whether the siege was successful, is not known. It may have been that Rhys Gryg built the two fortresses of Dryslwyn and Dinefwr in order to provide legacies for his two sons.
Size: 4000px × 2250px
Location: Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, Wales, UK
Photo credit: © DV Aerial / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: aerial, ap, carmarthenshire, castell, castle, deheubarth, dominating, drone, drysllwyn, dryslwyn, elevated, fortification, gruffydd, high, hold, kingdom, lake, landmark, llandeilo, rhys, river, ruins, stong, stronghold, tall, towy, tywi, uk, united, valley, view, wales, welsh
