Scheduled MonumentsWalesCastell y Bere
Medieval · Castle

Castell y Bere

Meirionnydd, Wales
Cadw SAM ME023
Period
Medieval
Site type
Castle
Broad class
Defence
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Castell y Bere is a medieval castle situated in the Meirionnydd region of north Wales, built in the early thirteenth century as a stronghold of the native Welsh princes. The castle occupies a naturally defensible hilltop position and features the characteristic stone architecture typical of Welsh princely castles of the period, with remains including a gatehouse and substantial curtain walls that command views of the surrounding valleys. Constructed during the reign of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, the castle served as an important administrative and military centre for the Principality of Gwynedd until its capture and destruction during Edward I's conquest of Wales in the late thirteenth century. The site remains substantially ruined but preserves sufficient masonry to demonstrate the scale and sophistication of medieval Welsh military architecture.

Castell y Bere is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference ME023. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Castell y Bere?

Castell y Bere is a medieval castle situated in the Meirionnydd region of north Wales, built in the early thirteenth century as a stronghold of the native Welsh princes. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference ME023.

What period does Castell y Bere date from?

Castell y Bere 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 y Bere?

Castell y Bere 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 ME023.

What other scheduled monuments are near Castell y Bere?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Alltwyllt Slate Quarry Incline (2.4 km), Craig yr Aderyn Hillfort (2.9 km), Water Powered Chain Incline at Bryneglwys Slate Quarry (4.2 km).

Aubrey Research

Generate a full report for this location

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any address in the UK — drawing on scheduled monument data, Domesday records, Roman heritage, PAS finds and medieval history to reveal the complete story of a landscape.

Research the area around Castell y Bere