Dineirth Castle

The castle of Dineirth (or Dinarth) was
probably founded by Richard de la Mare, a follower of Richard de Clare in 1110.
Annes Cambriae 175. B.sa. 1130 mentions "castell de Ricardi deMare".
It was most likely razed in Gruffydd ap Rhys' devestation of 1116 and destroyed
again by Owain Gwynedd in 1136.In 1143 it passed to Hywel and in 1144 back to
Cadwalader following inter tribal strife.
In 1158 it was among those castles ceded to Earl Roger of Hertford who
garrisoned it. Destroyed again, this time by Rhys in 1164, it came into the
possession of Maelgwyn who lost it to, and then recovered it from, his brother
in 1199.
In 1202 it was dismantled by Maelgwyn to prevent his lands being held by
Llewellyn. However Llewellyn succeded in capturing and holding all the
territory to the Aeron and conferred Dineirth on the sons of Gruffydd ap Rhys.
It would appear that the dismantling of 1202 was final and that the site was
then abandoned.
The site chosen for the castle was a narrow
precipious promontory which juts out into the wooded gorge of the River Arth.
The Normans may have found the earthworks of a small promontory fort which they
heightened and strengthened. Two ramparts and dry moats of formidable
proportions cut off the tip of the promontory from the level of the rising
ground to the south. On the west the slope to the Arth is steep and is further
defended by scarping, while on the east there is a cliff of varying height with
a precipitous slope below it to the river.
A large large round motte was piled up in the north east half of the small
bailey against the edge of the cliff. There appears to have been no intervening
ditch between it and the bailey, but to the north where the top of the
peninsular slopes down at a
slightly less steep pitch is a short straight fosse, beyond which is a short
broad rampart or platform.
Below this and separated by traces of a slight fosse is a large semi-oval
platform or horn work defended by scarping.
The motte appears to be partly natural; the summit is rather disturbed but
shows traces of of depressions and platforms. A number of loose stones lie on
the slopes, and on top are numerous loose stones which appear to be part of the
construction material of the mound and of some structure that it supported.
The defences of the castle do not seem to have progressed beyond the earthwork
and timber construction stage.
South of the motte and close to the cliff face is a curious square
mound, partly cleared away, which may have been a continuation
of the inner rampart.
The entrance was between this and and the termination of the rampart proper
close against the edge of the cliff. It passed by means of a causeway over the
fosses and by a straight cut through the outer rampart. It is traversed by a
path of recent construction and some hedge banks of contemporary date rather
confuse the detail of the outer entrance. There does not appear to have been an
outer bailey which is rather unusual.