Scheduled MonumentsWalesDeganwy Castle
Medieval · Castle

Deganwy Castle

Conwy, Wales
Cadw SAM CN016
Period
Medieval
Site type
Castle
Broad class
Defence
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Deganwy Castle is a medieval fortification situated on the Conwy Peninsula in north Wales, commanding views over the Conwy Estuary and Deganwy village. The castle consists of the fragmentary remains of stone towers and walls, representing the work of multiple building phases from the thirteenth century onwards. Originally established as a Welsh stronghold, the site was captured and rebuilt by Edward I's forces during the conquest of Gwynedd in the late thirteenth century, after which it served as an English garrison castle. The visible remains today include substantial portions of masonry from the medieval period, though erosion and later quarrying have significantly compromised the structure, leaving it as a prominent archaeological monument recording an important phase of medieval military architecture and Welsh-English conflict.

Deganwy Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CN016. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Deganwy Castle?

Deganwy Castle is a medieval fortification situated on the Conwy Peninsula in north Wales, commanding views over the Conwy Estuary and Deganwy village. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference CN016.

What period does Deganwy Castle date from?

Deganwy Castle 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 Deganwy Castle?

Deganwy Castle 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 CN016.

What other scheduled monuments are near Deganwy Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Maen Penddu (7.2 km), Cefn Maen Amor stone circle (7.2 km), Cefn Maen Amor cairn (7.2 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Deganwy Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Deganwy Castle'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.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Deganwy Castle report
Or see a real report first
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Deganwy Castle

Deganwy Castle stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Ordovician, bedrock that formed in the Ordovician. The rock here is felsic tuff.

The wider landscape

Around Deganwy Castle

Bryn Celli DduArchaeological site · ~18 miles