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Ruthin Castle is a medieval fortress founded in 1277 by Edward I's justiciar, Reginald de Grey, during the English conquest of Wales. The castle was built on a strategic elevated site overlooking the market town of Ruthin in the Vale of Clwyd, with substantial stone walls and towers designed to project Norman military authority in the region. The castle underwent significant reconstruction in the nineteenth century when it was converted into a residential mansion, substantially altering its medieval appearance whilst retaining important elements of its defensive layout and masonry. Today it remains one of the most prominent examples of late thirteenth-century castle architecture in North Wales, reflecting the period of English settlement and fortification following the final conquest of native Welsh territories.
Ruthin Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference DE022. View the official record →
Ruthin Castle is a medieval fortress founded in 1277 by Edward I's justiciar, Reginald de Grey, during the English conquest of Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference DE022.
Ruthin 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.
Ruthin 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 DE022.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Plas-newydd Romano-British temple cropmark (2.7 km), Craig Adwywynt Camp (3.6 km), Pen-y-Gaer Camp (3.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Ruthin Castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Ruthin Castle stands on Permian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Permian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.