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Castell Y Bere

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Strung along a jagged rocky outcrop in the Dysynni Valley at the foot of Cader Idris, Castell y Bere is especially good at evoking the spirit and atmosphere of Wales’s native castles.
Strung along a jagged rocky outcrop in the Dysynni Valley at the foot of Cader Idris, Castell y Bere is especially good at evoking the spirit and atmosphere of Wales’s native castles.
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A Remote Stronghold of the Princes of Gwynedd.
A Remote Stronghold of the Princes of Gwynedd.

Built by Llywelyn the Great in 1221, Castell y Bere guarded Gwynedd’s southern frontier and protected valuable cattle pastures – the wealth of medieval Wales. Perched dramatically on a rocky ridge above the Dysynni Valley, it was both a military stronghold and a symbol of Welsh power. After Llywelyn’s death, the castle passed to Edward I, who hoped to establish an English town here, though the site was abandoned after an uprising in 1294. Today its striking ruins remain remote and atmospheric, with impressive defensive features including an elaborate twin-towered entrance and the distinctive D-shaped south tower – reminders of its once formidable presence.

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