Castell Dinerth
Castell Dinerth
Dinerth was built by the de Clare family - as were so many other Norman/Welsh castles - sometime around 1110. It had not long existed before it was burned by Gruffydd ap Rhys. That was just the beginning of a violent history, for over the next 90-odd years Dinerth changed hands at least 6 times and was sacked twice more! Finally in 1102 it was destroyed by Maelgwyn ap Rhys to prevent it falling into the possession of Llewelyn.
The site is now overgrown, though the mounds of the castle and the defensive ditches are clearly visible. The castle stands on a promontory at the junction of the Arth and Erthig streams. The site is about 90 metres long on an east-west axis, and 24 metres wide at its widest point. The approach to the promontory is defended by a series of earthen banks and ditches, with the innermost bank rising to a height of over 7 metres.