Castles / GB / Wales
Deganwy Castle
Which definitions does it satisfy?
This dataset does not record whether something “is a castle”. It records a verdict against each named definition, with the reasoning that produced it.
| Definition | Verdict | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Fortified residence | yes | A castle built c.1080 by Robert of Rhuddlan and later held and rebuilt by Llywelyn and by Henry III (identified lords). Active defence: a polygonal donjon enclosure wall with a c.40ft round tower, a bailey wall c.5ft thick with an outer ditch, and a strong gateway of paired D-shaped towers. Residence: the King's Hall completed by 1250 and chambers with fireplaces. Both halves of the criterion are met. |
| Enclosure fortification | unassessed | No source consulted so far speaks to this definition. Unassessed is not the same as no. |
| State fortification | unassessed | No source consulted so far speaks to this definition. Unassessed is not the same as no. |
| Palatial seat | unassessed | No source consulted so far speaks to this definition. Unassessed is not the same as no. |
| Revival and folly | unassessed | No source consulted so far speaks to this definition. Unassessed is not the same as no. |
| Popularly a castle | unassessed | No source consulted so far speaks to this definition. Unassessed is not the same as no. |
Facts
| Tradition | european medieval |
|---|---|
| Location | Conwy, Conwy, Wales, GB |
| Built | Medieval |
| Confidence | medium |
| First recorded | 2026-07-21 |
| Last updated | 2026-07-22 |
In the registers
Where this structure appears in official inventories. This is what turns an individual record into evidence about a count.
- Cof Cymru — National Historic Assets of Wales —
CN016· Scheduled Monument — SiteType: Castle · entry
Location
Approximate. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Notes
Assessed against the Cadw full report (CN016). fortified_residence yes — a lordly/royal castle with donjon, round tower, twin-towered gateway and hall, built and rebuilt by identified lords through the 13th century. The earlier phases named in the report (Roman occupation, the Llys of Maelgwn Gwynedd, "Arx Decantorum" in 822) are documentary context, not described as defensive-enclosure fabric in their own terms, so enclosure_fortification is left unassessed. No visitor/WHS usage evidence, so popular_castle is omitted. Confidence medium: one official report plus register.
Sources
- Scheduled Monument Full Report — Deganwy Castle — Cadw, 2026-07-22
Cadw's full scheduled-monument report (CN016); detailed fabric and documentary history across multiple 13th-century phases.
Signals
Raw per-source observations behind this record (2):
sig-20260721-cadw-cn016,
sig-20260722-report-cn016
Record file · dataset licensed CC BY 4.0 — see provenance.