Scheduled MonumentsWalesCastell Dryslwyn
Medieval · Castle

Castell Dryslwyn

Carmarthenshire, Wales
Cadw SAM CM030
Period
Medieval
Site type
Castle
Broad class
Defence
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Castell Dryslwyn is a medieval castle situated on a prominent hilltop in the Towy Valley near Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire, Wales. Built in the thirteenth century, the castle served as a stronghold of the native Welsh princes of Deheubarth before passing into English hands following Edward I's conquest of Wales in the late thirteenth century. The remains comprise a substantial stone keep with surrounding defensive walls, reflecting the strategic importance of this position controlling the river crossing and valley approaches. The castle was largely destroyed during the Glyndŵr Rebellion in the early fifteenth century and subsequently fell into ruin, though its commanding location and structural remains demonstrate the sophistication of medieval Welsh military architecture.

Castell Dryslwyn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CM030. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Castell Dryslwyn?

Castell Dryslwyn is a medieval castle situated on a prominent hilltop in the Towy Valley near Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference CM030.

What period does Castell Dryslwyn date from?

Castell Dryslwyn dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a castle. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Castell Dryslwyn?

Castell Dryslwyn is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is CM030.

What other scheduled monuments are near Castell Dryslwyn?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Grongaer (2.3 km), Pen y Garn Camp (2.6 km), Pen y Cnap Castle (3.9 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Castell Dryslwyn

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Castell Dryslwyn's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Castell Dryslwyn

Castell Dryslwyn stands on Ashgill Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.